So last year I made these Almond Roca Cookie Bars using a Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix. And they're super. But this year I decided to make them au-natural. (Or something like it.) This way you can still make them if you don't have the mix on hand. Or don't like using mixes. Or whatever.
Also, this is a doubled recipe, because it only uses one egg but produces two 9x13 inch pans of cookie bars. So if you really don't want that much, halve the recipe and only use half of the egg liquid.
Almond Roca Cookie Bars
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
20 Tablespoons butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups almond roca bits
Mini chocolate chips, for sprinkling, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and baking powder. Sift with a fork. Stir in sugar. Use a pastry cutter to cut in softened butter, until butter is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, stir together egg and vanilla extract. Drizzle egg and vanilla mixture over dough and then mix it all together using the pastry cutter. Your mixture will be dry, but all the dry ingredients should be moist.
Divide mixture between two 9x13 inch pans and press dough firmly into the bottom of each pan (no need to grease the pans first), using your fingers to make sure it is even and firm. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt half of the butter and all the brown sugar, stirring constantly to make sure the butter and sugar are fully incorporated. Once this is achieved, add the remaining butter and continue to stir as the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Allow the mixture to boil for about a minute and then divide and pour over the sugar cookie mixtures, spreading evenly with a spatula. Place in oven and cook for 16-18 minutes, until caramel is bubbly.
Remove from oven and let stand to cool at room temperature for 1 minute, then sprinkle with almond roca bits and mini chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Let the bars come to room temperature again before cutting into squares.
Once you've eaten one you'll be glad the recipe comes pre-doubled for you. :-)
