:::{Mock Almond Roca}:::

Last night I had a major sweet tooth (actually this is probably a nightly-post-dinner occurrence...), and I remembered a yummy little treat recipe that a friend had shared with me several years ago.  It has become one of the Christmas treats that my momma and I make every year because it is so tasty, and actually quite easy!  So, before hubby and I popped in a movie (side note, we watched "Lawless," and it was so good!  Pretty violent and plenty of foul language, but if you can get past that, it was a very well made and interesting movie!), I whipped up a mini-batch of the below recipe... I made about 1/4 of a batch because I didn't have very many Saltines and I knew hubby wouldn't help me eat it, and it was about perfect!  But if you are making Christmas goodies, and have people to share it with (this would be a great treat to bring to a Christmas party...), go ahead and make a full batch!

Mock Almond Roca
(recipe from Danika)

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
~40 saltine crackers
1-2 cups slivered/sliced/chopped almonds 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 12x17-inch cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
2.  Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil; if they don't perfectly go to the edge of the pan, break them in half or fourths to completely cover the bottom of the cookie sheet. 
3. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. 
4. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. 
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly. 
6. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 3-5 minutes, then sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer with a spatula. 
7. Before the chocolate hardens, sprinkle the top with almonds.
8.  Stick the sheet in the refrigerator and let cool until hardened. 
9. Break into pieces the size of your choice. 
10. Enjoy!