Chocolate Caramel Almond Bars

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed (light or dark)
• ½ cup unsalted butter, very soft

Toppings

• about 1/2 cup salted caramel or caramel sauce (homemade
• 1 cup Fisher Whole Natural Almonds
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup Fisher Natural Sliced Almonds

Method

1. Preheat oven to 35oF. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
2. Crust – To a large bowl, add the flour, brown sugar, and cut in the butter using two forks or a pastry cutter. Keep working until butter is evenly distributed and pea-sized lumps and sandy bits form. The softer the butter is, the quicker and easier it is.
3. Turn mixture out into prepared pan and hardpack it with a spatula or hands to form a smooth, even crust. Pierce in about one dozen places with fork tines so steam can escape while baking. Bake for 17 to 18 minutes, or until crust is just set.
4. Toppings – Remove pan from oven and evenly drizzle with caramel sauce. No need to measure, just eyeball it so there’s a thin layer evenly distributed over the pan.
5. Evenly sprinkle with whole almonds; set pan aside.
6. To a small microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Stop to check and stir. Heat in 15-second increments until chocolate can be stirred smooth.
7. Evenly drizzle chocolate over almonds, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula or offset knife.
8. Evenly sprinkle with the sliced almonds.
9. Place pan on a wire rack to cool for at least 3 hours, or until chocolate has set up fully, before slicing and serving. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
10. Crust from Salted Caramel Maple Pecan Pie Bars