Pecan chocolate toffee

Line a nine by nine inch baking dish with parchment paper, cut with scissors.

Spread the toasted chopped pecans over the bottom.

In a thick-sided pot combine the sugar, butter in pieces, salt and water.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, to 300F, the hard crack stage; the temperature plateaus around 200 while the water evaporates.

Without a thermometer, drop caramel into cold water: like sap is soft ball, a hard bead is hard crack; bubbles grow bigger and slower and the colour deepens.

Off the heat, stir in the vanilla and pour over the pecans, spreading to cover them.

Cool 2 minutes, then sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly on top.

Cover with foil (or a baking sheet) about 4 minutes until the chocolate melts, then spread and swirl it.

Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans.

Leave about four hours to cool and set completely, or refrigerate to speed it up.

Optionally finish with a very conservative sprinkle of flaked sea salt.

Lift out of the pan and chop into pieces with a big knife, or break it.