Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies

Hands down Almond Roca Candies are my all time favorite.  I don't buy it any more since I tend to eat most of it.  But when I saw this cookie recipe, in  my Food Network Magazine, I knew that I just had to make it. Its got all the flavors of the candy.  A definite winner recipe!

Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 package toffee bits

1 cup coarsely ground almonds

4 ounces milk chocolate

1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend sugars together on medium speed. 

Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. 

Add eggs and vanilla and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. 

At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and then the toffee bits. 

Mix until just blended; do not over-mix.

Place ground nuts in a small bowl. 

Using hands, roll balls of dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls,

 then roll in the ground nuts. 

Place on cookie sheets several inches apart.

 Bake approximately 22 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Melt the chocolate with the vegetable oil in a double boiler

or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. 

Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies. 

Place cookies on a cookie sheet and place in freezer 

or refrigerator until chocolate is firmly set.