Chocolate Almond Bars

Chocolate Almond Bars

10 oz (2 cups) blanched skinned almonds (toasted for 10 - 12 min)

8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

1 3/4 cups flour

6 oz (1 cup) chocolate chips

Preheat to 350 degrees

Line a 9 x 13 pan with alum. foil -- butter with melted butter and coat with unflavored bread crumbs - -put the pan in the freezer

chop the nuts in a food processor - pulsing 7 to 8 times. set them aside.

In an electric mixer beat the butter until soft. Add the vanilla and both sugars and beat until well mixed. Beat in the egg yolk and then the flour. Finally beat in 1 cup of the nuts.

Place the dough by rounded spoonfuls over the bottom of the pan and dip your fingers into flour pressing dough all over to make an even layer.

Bake for 33 minutes -- rotating the pan once part way through. When done the layer should be a rick golden color and will just start to come away from the sides of the pan.

remove from the oven and immediate sprinkle with chocolate chips -- return the pan to the oven for 2 minutes to melt chocolate -- spread with the back of a spoon.

sprinkle the reserved nuts all over the chocolate and place a piece of saran wrap over the nuts -- gently press the nuts into the chocolate.

Cool completely -- even allowing to freeze a bit if you like.

Turn out -- cut into small squares --