Almond Roca shortbread

As I mentioned before, I tend to think of shortbread and icebox cookies at this time of year.  If you're like me, you've probably had quite a few batches of Christmas cookies coming out of the kitchen and been savoring plenty of holiday goodies in general.  That said, let's squeeze in one more recipe for this holiday season.

Have you ever had Almond Roca?  They are small log-shaped buttercrunch/toffee coated in chocolate and almonds.  Growing up, they were the only candies I can remember my mother liking.  I used to eat them, too, and while they weren't my very favorite, I certainly enjoyed them and loved scraping off the chocolate and almond coating and then biting into that crunchy toffee center.

Last month, I caught a cookie roundup over at Kelly's blog (I do enjoy seeing all the holiday recipe roundups and gift guides at this time of year) and saw a recipe for Almond Roca cookies...it made me think of all those red tins of Almond Roca we used to have around the house during the holidays or around Chinese New Year.  

So I thought it would be fun to make these cookies, which are essentially shortbread with sliced almonds and toffee bits folded in.  To simplify things a little bit, I used chocolate-coated toffee bits (instead of plain) and omitted the chocolate coating on top of the baked shortbread.  

These were a fun version of shortbread to make and eat!  They have that classic sandy texture with extra crunch from the almonds and toffee bits.  If you like nuts and crunch in your cookies, this Almond Roca shortbread is a great rendition to try one day.

These cookies start as your basic shortbread.  Add a touch of water to the dough if necessary to get it to come together.  Then, stir in the sliced almonds and chocolate-coated toffee bits to mimic the Almond Roca flavors and textures.

I went for slightly more toffee bits than sliced almonds but you can simply go with about equal proportions.  I made a double portion of the original recipe so I divided the dough in half before chilling.

I was a little concerned about how this dough would be to roll out.  Luckily, I had no issues rolling the dough out to a 1/4 inch thickness before cutting out the rounds.  I also cut some using a fluted rectangle cutter and you can essentially use any shape you prefer.  

I baked some up and stowed some away in my freezer for another day.  One should always have some extra Christmas cookies on hand at the ready!

A little bit of toffee might ooze out the corners during baking but you'll find they don't spread much and you'll have a relatively neat batch of crunchy, buttery Almond Roca shortbreads to enjoy with your family and friends. 

I hope you have baked and/or eaten your way through your fair share of festive holiday cookies so far this month.  There's still time if you haven't...

...but maybe not all that much time!  The clock sure is ticking and I think it's getting on time to wrap up all the baking and sit down to really enjoy all our efforts.  I have an all-important batch of Italian tri-color/rainbow cookies to make and then the cookie-baking will take a short hiatus, I think.  

I wish you all a very happy holiday with your family and friends!  May the New Year bring happiness, good health, great food, new adventures, peace, and kindness to all!

Recipe:

Almond Roca Shortbread
Adapted from Dinner at the Zoo

- Makes 16 to 20 cookies, depending on size - 

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate toffee bits (I used Heath)
Scant 1/2 cup sliced almonds

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth.  Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined.  Check the texture of the dough.  It should come together when you pinch it; if necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons of water to get the dough to the desired texture.  Stir in the toffee bits and almonds with a rubber spatula.  

Transfer the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape it into a disc, and wrap firmly.  Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and set it onto a lightly floured surface.  Roll the dough out into a 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut out cookies using desired cookie cutters, re-rolling the scraps once.  

Place cut cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced about 1 1/2 inches apart.  Bake for 12-14 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove baking sheet from the oven, let cool 5 minutes before removing cookies onto a baking rack to cool completely.