Chocolate Covered Almond Toffee Bars Food

TOFFEE-CHOCOLATE-ALMOND BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a 9-by 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing some extra at each end.
• Grease and flour the foil.
• Toast the almond pieces in a frying pan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to color and become fragrant, about 7 minutes.
• Pour them out of the pan and set aside.
• Chop the toffee bars into 1/2-inch pieces (if using snack-size bars, chop them in half).
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine the melted butter and brown sugar, breaking up any hard lumps of brown sugar.
• Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract.
• Beat in the flour mixture.
• Combine the toasted almonds, chopped toffee bars and chocolate chips, mixing well, then stir the mixture into the batter, stirring to coat all the mix-ins.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.
• Bake about 40 minutes (about 5 minutes longer in an 8-by 8-inch pan), until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
• (If the toothpick comes out covered with chocolate, it hit a chocolate chip; try somewhere else.) A toothpick might come out apparently clean after about 30 minutes, but close examination would indicate it's wet.
• Some people might like the bars that way; they're certainly gooey, but they really aren't done.
• Cool at least an hour in the pan, lift out by the edges of the foil, peel away the foil (invert if necessary) and cut into serving pieces.

FUDGY CHOCOLATE CHIP-TOFFEE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
• In medium bowl, stir 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of the cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup of the toffee bits. Press mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Refrigerate about 15 minutes or until firm.
• Meanwhile, let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. In 2-quart saucepan, heat chocolate chips, milk and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat, stirring frequently, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Spread mixture over cracker crust.
• In medium bowl, break up cookie dough. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup cracker crumbs with wooden spoon until well blended. Crumble mixture evenly over chocolate layer. Sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup toffee bits.
• Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For a firmer bar, refrigerate 30 minutes longer. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.

ALMOND TOFFEE BARS

Steps:

• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for glass dish). Combine flour and sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly into bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
• BAKE 15 minutes.
• COMBINE sweetened condensed milk, egg and almond extract in large bowl; mix well. Stir in toffee pieces and almonds. Spread mixture evenly over partially baked crust.
• BAKE an additional 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Cut into bars.

ALMOND BRITTLE BAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with vegetable cooking spray.
• Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat together butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
• Stir flour mixture into butter mixture until just combined. Fold in toffee bars, nuts, and chocolate morsels. Using a rubber spatula, spread mixture evenly in prepared pan.
• Bake cookies until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top is lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.
• To prepare topping, immediately sprinkle chocolate morsels over top of warm cookies. Return cookies to oven. Bake just until chocolate has melted, 2 minutes.
• Spread melted chocolate evenly over cookies. Sprinkle with nuts. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into bars.

ALMOND TOFFEE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (if using dark or nonstick pan, heat oven to 350°F). Grease bottom and sides of 15x10x1-inch pan with shortening or spray with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter and the granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in flour on medium speed until dough starts to form. Press dough in pan. Bake 13 to 18 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
• Meanwhile, in 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat 1 cup butter, the brown sugar and corn syrup to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil 2 minutes without stirring. Quickly stir in almonds; spread over baked layer. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until dark golden brown and bubbling.
• Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over hot bars. Let stand 5 minutes to soften; gently swirl chips over hot bars with spatula. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 5 rows. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED ALMOND TOFFEE

Steps:

• Pulse almonds in a food processor until coarsely chopped, then transfer to a small bowl. Pulse walnuts in food processor until finely chopped and set aside.
• Finely chop 1 bar of milk chocolate and 1 bar of bittersweet chocolate with a large knife, then combine in a bowl. Repeat with remaining 2 chocolate bars and combine in another bowl.
• Butter a large baking sheet and put on a heatproof work surface. Bring butter, sugar, and water to a boil over moderately high heat, whisking until smooth, then stirring occasionally, until mixture is golden and registers 300°F on thermometer, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Immediately stir in almonds, then carefully pour mixture onto center of prepared baking sheet (use caution when pouring hot liquids). Spread toffee into a 15- by 12-inch rectangle (1/4 inch thick) with a heatproof spatula, smoothing top, and let stand 1 minute, then sprinkle 1 bowl of chopped chocolate evenly on top of hot toffee. Let stand until chocolate is melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Spread chocolate evenly using a heatproof rubber spatula or an offset metal spatula. Sprinkle half of walnuts evenly over melted chocolate, then cover with a sheet of wax paper or parchment.
• Wearing oven mitts, invert second baking sheet over toffee and carefully invert toffee and sheet. If toffee does not release itself, use a spatula to loosen it. Sprinkle remaining chocolate on top to melt, then spread (as above) and sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Place a sheet of wax paper or parchment on top and press lightly to help nuts adhere. Freeze toffee on baking sheet until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Break toffee into pieces, then transfer to an airtight container and keep at room temperature.

MILK CHOCOLATE TOFFEE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° (325° glass pan).
• Grease 9x13 pan.
• To prepare crust, cream all ingredients until very well blended.
• Press evenly into pan.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until light brown.
• Set aside to cool while making the filling.
• Heat milk and margarine on stove, stirring constantly, until thickened.
• This will take 5-10 minutes.
• Spread over crust.
• Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.
• Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.
• Return to oven for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate.
• Remove from oven and spread chocolate smooth.
• Sprinkle toffee bits on top.
• Using the back of a spoon, gently press the toffee into the melted chocolate.
• Cool completely.
• Cut into bars before refrigerating.