Shortbread Rocas-The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2012

 

Today is recipe reveal day for The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap hosted by Love and Olive Oil and The Little Kitchen.  For the swap you send a dozen cookies to three different bloggers and receive a dozen cookie from three different bloggers.

I sent my cookie to Lori at Vakiener Accro,Ashley at Cookie Monster Cooking, and Maria at Best of the Best. Before I get to my Shortbread Rocas recipe, I want to share the wonderful cookies that I received.

These came from Morgan at Being the Secret Ingredient.  She sent them in a Glad Ware container so I got a little useful bonus gift.

These wonderful little gems came from Chris and Amy at A Couple in the Kitchen.  They came in this cute little metal box which is also a useful bonus gift.

These great oatmeal cookies came from Lou and Esi at Lou & Esi

Now on to my recipe.  I may have pushed the envelope just a tad with my cookies as I used purchased cookies as the base.  For many years I have made the so-called Cracker Toffee/Cracker Almond Roca using either saltine or graham crackers.

For a while now I had been wondering what I would get if I used shortbread cookies as the base instead of crackers.  I decided to use this idea for the cookie swap.  I guess they were a success, at least at our house.  My hubby, who likes shortbread cookies, wouldn’t stay out of them.  I will be using these in my cookie gift platters this year.

Any square shortbread cookie can be used.  The packages I purchase from the Dollar Tree contain 34 cookies.  I am not sure how many cookies are in Lorna Doones which can be purchased at the grocery store.

It takes 40 cookies to fill a jelly roll pan so what I usually do is line the pan with foil and then fold the foil back close to the cookies to make a false side.  This keeps the sugar/butter mixture corralled next to the cookies.

Personally I prefer the Rocas without the chocolate, but I did use the chocolate topping on the cookies I sent.  I like milk chocolate if I do use it, but many people prefer the semisweet.

To make the cookies prettier, I removed the excess candy from the cookies.  This can be done with a sharp knife.  I wouldn’t bother to do this for any we are having at home.

Shortbread Rocas
1 pkg. square shortbread cookies
1 c. butter (must be butter)
1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 t. almond extract (opt.)
1 pkg. (12 oz.) semisweet or milk chocolate chips
3/4 c. chopped, toasted almonds

Line a jelly roll pan with foil and place shortbread cookies in the pan in rows.  If cookies do not fill the pan, fold the excess foil back next to the cookies.  Put butter and brown sugar in a small sauce pan.  Watching carefully and stirring often, bring the butter/sugar mixture to a full rolling boil.  Stirring, boil the mixture for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract.  Pour the mixture over the shortbread cookies.  Quickly spread evenly with a heat-proof spatula.  Place pan in a 400 degree oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove pan from oven and quickly sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top.  Return the pan to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes until chocolate chips begin to melt.  Remove pan from oven and gently and evenly spread the chocolate over the top.  Sprinkle the almonds over the chocolate and gently press them in with a spatula or your hand.  Let cool to room temperature.  Cut apart between the cookies.  If desired, remove excess candy from the sides of the cookies with a sharp knife.  Makes 34 cookies.

To get links to the recipes for all the cookies in the swap, visit Love and Olive Oil or The Little Kitchen on Friday, December 14.  They will be linked up there.

If you missed the swap this year, but would like to get in on the the fun, you can sign up here to be notified when the swap comes around again.