Chew on This | Chocolate Almond Bark

I have been a calendar watcher lately. And I have been noticing the days tick, tick, ticking by me. So fast. So fast.

I can't stop it.

Thanksgiving is two weeks away. Christmas...geez, it's lurking around the corner. Did your heart just start racing a bit faster? Feeling nervous now? No problem. Chocolate Almond Bark will help. 

You'll delight in just eating this stuff. Piece after piece. You'll also find that if you need to give an extra little something to someone, this bark is perfect. 

What about a hostess gift?  - Yes. You'll be asked over again very soon. What about a neighbor gift? - Sure. Your snowy sidewalk is a thing of the past.  What about adding a sweet bag of this to your child's teacher's gift? - Yep. Expect A's from here on out.  The giving options are unlimited. But don't forget to gift yourself too!

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Here's our recipe:

Chocolate Almond Bark

(serves many)

1 C roasted, salted almonds, chopped

2 sticks butter

1 1/4 C brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 C chocolate chips

8x11" pan or baking dish

candy thermometer 

Lightly spray or butter your baking dish or pan. Place your chopped almonds in a single layer onto the bottom of your baking dish. Set aside.

To start the toffee layer of your bark, place a high-sided sauce pan over medium-low heat onto your stove top and attach your candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Add your butter to the pan and allow it to melt completely. Stir in your brown sugar and keep stirring until your mixture reaches the temperature of  300℉ (hard crack stage). Once your reach 300℉, quickly remove the pan from the heat and pour it over the almonds in the baking dish. Wait 20 seconds and then sprinkle your chocolate chips over the still warm toffee mixture. After about 30 seconds you should be able to smooth the now melty chocolate over the top of the bark. Allow the bark to completely cool overnight. Or place the pan into the refrigerator to speed up the process. Or, if you can't wait longer then 20 minutes, place the pan into the freezer for almost instant satisfaction. Break into pieces and enjoy!