Make your own almond roca

First: toast half your almonds

These almonds (about a cup) will go on top of the melting chocolate chips.

It's well-known that toasting nuts makes them "nuttier" - it brings out their flavor and increases the crunch and irresistible factor. I put a cast iron frying pan on medium heat and toss in the sliced almonds dry. Stir constantly and watch them with vigilance or you'll burn them!

Second: melt butter, sugar, and a bit of salt in a saucepan and stir constantly.

It takes quite a while to get this mixture up to hard-ball temperature.

I boil the butter and sugar until they are at about 250 degrees. Then I add a cup of untoasted sliced almonds, which causes the mixture to cool a bit. I then cook it up to 290 degrees, stirring CONSTANTLY.

When your mixture is at 290 degrees and the color of a dark brown grocery bag it's ready.

The temperature goes up very quickly towards the end so watch carefully. When i'ts ready you're going to have to work fast!

Is your mixture brown and ready? Scrape it into your lasagne pan and shake it level.

Be sure to have everything ready before your butter and sugar mixture reaches hard-crack stage.

Now, quick! Dump chocolate chips on the hot toffee. Dump toasted slivered almonds on the chips.

Then quickly submerge your pot and spatula into HOT HOT water so they will clean up easily.

I have the toasted sliced almonds ready in a measuring cup and the chocolate chip bag open...

I scrape all the toffee into the 10x13 pan...

I immediately put 9 ounces of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips on top as evenly as possible...

Then, right away, I sprinkle a cup of toasted sliced almonds on the chocolate chip layer...

Finally, I shake the pan a little to level the hot mixture and then press on it gently with a metal spatula to get everything to stick together.

When it's cool (and not before) stab it with a sharp paring knife to break it into pieces.

Some people score the hot toffee to make perfect squares but this is much easier.

Whatever you don't give as gifts, offer to your family!