2 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1/3 cup finely chopped raw almonds
1/2 tsp vanilla
8 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw almonds
Combine sugar, water, corn syrup and salt in a heavy-bottomed pan. Bring to a boil and wash down sugar from the sides of the pan. In the meantime, cut the butter into 8 pieces. Boil the syrup to medium hard crack stage, or 280°. Stir in butter a piece at a time, stirring constantly and continue cooking and stirring rapidly until mixture reaches hard crack stage, 310°. Turn the heat down at this point.
Add almonds and stir constantly until mixture reaches 305°. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, and pour the candy onto a lightly greased marble slab or jelly roll pan.
As soon as practical due to the heat, spread half of the chocolate on one side of the candy. Sprinkle with half the nuts.
Optional: As soon as the chocolate is set, carefully lift the candy from the pan and turn it over onto foil. Spread the remaining melted chocolate on the second side and sprinkle with the nuts. Let candy stand for 24 hours. Break the candy into small chunks, and store airtight.
* A double recipe is easily handled, but larger batches do not work well.