Holiday Treats

Hey guys! Well, this cutie and I are in the kitchen lots this time of year. Holiday baking is a pretty big in my family; my mom always goes all out for Christmas treats. This is a tradition I hope to continue in my home with my children. Since Liv is a bit high maintenance at this age, I have to keep the recipes quick and easy when she is around.  If you saw my Instagram story the other day, then you saw that I was making Almond Roca. It is one of my favorite treats that I make every year around this time. We tried to get a little fancy with the recipe, and the first batch did not turn out very well, so we resorted to the simple four ingredient recipe.  
This is not my recipe, and I am not sure where I got it, I think most Almond Roca recipes are pretty similar though. So for those of you asking this is the recipe I used and it turned out sooooo good. 

Photo by Marie Photographe

Ingredients:
1 cup toasted, chopped almonds
1 cup of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk chocolate chips or 4 think Hershey chocolate bars

Directions:
If you didn't purchase roasted almonds no problem, it is super easy and quick to do.   Just spread them in a dry skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Only takes a couple of minutes for them to lightly brown, once they do take them off the heat. 

Grease a casserole dish, I used a 7 x 11 the size doesn't matter that much, it will just determine how thick the Almond Roca is. 
Sprinkle half of the almonds on the bottom of the pan. 
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Once melted add the brown sugar, stirring frequently until boiling. 
Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling until the temperature reachings 300 degrees. If you are not using a candy thermometer then boil for 12 minutes exactly, I rarely use a thermometer for Almond Roca, and it has always turned out. 

Pour the mixture over the almonds in the greased pan. Right away sprinkle the chocolate chips (or lay the chocolate bars) over the top and let sit for a minute until it begins to melt. Then use the back of a spoon to spread the chocolate evenly over the top. Sprinkle the leftover almonds over the melted chocolate. 

Let the entire thing cool until the chocolate has set. To speed the process place in the fridge for the freezer for 20 minutes or so. 
Then use a knife to break the Almond Roca into pieces. 

If you are looking for other quick recipes search Pinterest for SnowBall cookies, I think we will be making those later this week. 

Much Love,