My mother calls this recipe THE Cookies because, while not difficult, they are time consuming and a bit tedious to make, and are knock-your-socks-off tasty.
These Almond Roca-like cookies are a sweet blend of buttercrunch, chocolate and almonds that is reminiscent of the Brown & Haley candy.
A friend introduced this recipe to us several years ago and it has become a holiday must-have.
In years of making the cookies, here’s what I’ve learned:
- There are two types of the Heath toffee chips — one is chocolate covered, the other is not. You can use either or both types. I like the chocolate-covered type because, well, they’re covered in chocolate.
- The chips are not available at every grocery store. I’ve usually found them at Safeway. When I find them I buy several packages and freeze them.
- However, if you are using frozen chips, defrost and bring to room temperature. Using cold or frozen ingredients can result in uneven cooking.
- Do not over mix, which activates the gluten — the protein that gives structure to baked goods. Over mixing creates gluten strands, which means tough cookies. These cookies should be soft and chewy.
- I like the almonds coarse and uneven. I start with the sliced almonds and then pulse a couple of times in the food processor.
- When topping the cookies with chocolate, the friend who gave me this recipe drizzles dark chocolate in one direction and then drizzles milk chocolate in the other. I did not do that. Nope. Not me.
