Remove your butter from the papers they are wrapped in and do not throw them away. Put the butter in your candy pan and set aside. Use the butter that is left on the wrappers to grease a large cookie sheet. This is where you will be placing your 2 1/2 cups of whole almonds after you toast them.

Divide almonds-remove 3/4 cup almonds from the 3 1/4 cups.

Chop the 3/4 cup almonds. Set aside.

Place 2 1/2 cups of whole almonds on a cookie sheet-a large enough cookie sheet that all of the 2 1/2 cups whole almonds can lay in a single layer.

Turn your oven on to 350°. Place the 2 1/2 cups of almonds that are on the un-greased cookie sheet in the oven. Let them toast in the oven-watching them closely. About every minute or minute and a half, stir them around a little while toasting. When the almonds become fragrant, remove them from the oven and let them cool. Then, place them on the buttered cookie sheet in a single layer.

Measure your chocolate chips and set aside. Now you are ready to concentrate on your toffee.

Your butter should already be in your candy pan. Place sugar, vanilla, salt, and water inside the candy pan with the butter.

Start heating and stirring constantly over medium high heat. Use a wooden spoon. Do not scrape the sides of the pan. Make sure you are using the wooden spoon to stir-scrape across all parts of the bottom of the pan-not the sides.

As soon as it starts to boil, watch the clock and cook for 8 to 9 minutes. Stirring constantly. I like to have a paper lunch sack on the counter. This gives me a little guide to when it is finished as well. It needs to be light brown like the paper sack.

Here is when it is most helpful to have help-when the 8-9 minutes are up and the toffee is the right color, quickly pour the HOT toffee over the whole almonds on the greased cookie sheet. Quickly spread the toffee over all of the almonds.

Quickly put the chocolate chips all over the toffee-let set for a minute or two to melt. Then, spread to cover all of the toffee.

After you have spread the chocolate, sprinkle the chopped almonds on top of the chocolate and lightly press the almonds into the chocolate so they do not fall off later when you break the toffee into pieces.

Let toffee set up. Make sure the chocolate is set before you break it into pieces-at least an hour.

Break into pieces and enjoy!!