HOMEMADE ALMOND JOY BARS

Wow.....These are great!...These taste like
the wonderful Almond Joy Bars we had when
we were kids....They still have those....They were
my mother's favorite.....

The roasted almonds are out of this world mixed
with the sweet coconut, chocolate, and graham cracker
crust...Wow...It's a great dessert. The recipe
comes from Better Homes & Gardens magazine...

******I did a couple of things that you should not do.
I used a smaller size pan (7x11x2) because that's all
I had available....I found that it made the top layer
of chocolate so thick I had a harder time cutting them.


RECIPE
2 c. graham crackers
1 1/2 c. whole almonds
1/3 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. butter, melted
1 14oz. pkg. flaked coconut
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
18 oz. dark chocolate pieces, melted


The photo above shows the whole almonds before
they go into the oven to roast...
*********To roast nuts spread them in a
single layer in a shallow pan. Bake in a
pre-heated 350F. oven for 5-10 min. or
until nuts are slightly golden brown, stirring
once or twice.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place graham crackers
crumbs, 1/2 c. of the almonds, & brown
sugar in a food processor or blender. Cover
& process until almonds are finely chopped.
Add butter, cover & pulse 4 or 5 times or
until mixture is well combined. Press crumb
mixture into bottom of an ungreased 13x9x2 inch
baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 12 min.
Cool on wire rack.


2. Combined coconut and sweetened condensed
milk in a medium bowl. Spread mixture evenly
over crusted crust. Sprinkle remaining almonds
evenly over coconut layer. Bake 10 min.

****To melt chocolate pieces, place into a
micro-safe bowl. Microwave @ 50% power
(medium) about 3 min. or until chocolate
is melted & smooth stirring once or twice...

3. Spread melted chocolate evenly over top of baked
mixture . Cool completely in pan on wire rack or chill
in refrigerator until the chocolate is set. Cut into bars.
Enjoy.........

To store: Place bars in a single layer (in an airtight
container); cover. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze
for up to 3 months. Let stand 30 min. before serving.