#2982 - Easy Almond Bark

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups good quality MILK chocolate chips/pieces OR white chocolate chips/pieces
1 TBSP Crisco shortening
1/2 cup chopped almonds (toasted)

Line a 9 x 13 cake pan with wax paper. In a skillet over medium heat add chopped almonds--cook/stir quickly until chopped almonds are browned. Remove from heat and set aside. In a double boiler add milk chocolate pieces and Crisco--cook/stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat--add 1/4 cup of the chopped almond pieces--stir until mixed. Pour the chocolate mixture evenly over the wax paper. Sprinkle the rest of the chopped almonds all over the top of the chocolate. Cool completely, then refrigerate until solid. Break the mixture into pieces.

#2969 - Hope Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 orange (for the juice and zest)
3/4 cup chopped almonds
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup dates (chopped into very small pieces)

In a saucepan add raisins--cover them with water, bring to a boil, boil them for 5 minutes, then drain them. In a mixer add Crisco, white sugar and eggs--beat. Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and vanilla--beat. Add buttermilk--beat. Peel the orange and squeeze out the juice--add orange juice to batter--beat. Grate just the outside of the orange peel (zest) and add it to the batter--beat. Add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chopped almonds, drained raisins and chopped dates--stir until mixed. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

#2754 - English Toffee

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 sticks butter (NO SUBSTITUTES) + extra for greasing the pan
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans OR chopped almonds
2 - 5oz. Hershey's chocolate bars

Butter a 9 x 13 baking pan. Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly in the pan. In a saucepan over medium heat add 2 sticks butter and white sugar--cook/stir until 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and carefully and evenly pour the hot sugar mixture over the chopped nuts in the pan. Cool completely. Unwrap chocolate bars and melt them--spread the melted chocolate evenly over the hardened candy. Sprinkle more chopped nuts over the melted chocolate (if you wish). Cool completely. Break toffee into pieces.

#2710 - Chopped Almond Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup Crisco shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract OR 1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup chopped almonds

Place some white sugar in a small bowl--set aside. In a mixer add Crisco, white sugar and brown sugar--beat. Add egg--beat. Add almond extract, baking powder and salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Shape the dough into walnut sized balls, and roll each ball in the bowl of white sugar. Place the dough balls on greased cookie sheets. Spray the bottom of a drinking glass with Pam and flatten each dough ball. Sprinkle some of the chopped almonds over the top of each cookie, then use your finger to lightly press the chopped almonds into each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before removing cookies from cookie sheets.

#2562 - Almond Macaroons

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 2/3 cups Baker's angelflake coconut
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 egg whites
1 tsp. almond extract
1 cup chopped almonds

In a bowl add coconut, white sugar, flour and salt--stir. Add egg whites and almond extract--stir. Add chopped almonds--stir. Drop by teaspoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

#2418 - Sweet Club Crackers

(by Shirley McNevich)

42 Keebler club crackers
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped almonds (or other nuts or your choice)

Place the crackers in a single layer on a greased jelly roll pan. In a saucepan over low heat add butter--melt. Add white sugar--cook/stir until boiling. Once boiling, cook/stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat--add vanilla--stir. Slowly pour the butter mixture evenly over the top of the crackers. Sprinkle the almonds evenly over the top of the crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool completely. Break into pieces.

#2037 - Butter Almond Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 sticks softened butter
1 cup Domino's powdered sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped almonds

In a mixer add butter and 1/2 cup of the powdered sugar--beat. Add almond extract--beat. Add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add chopped almonds--stir with a wooden spoon. Shape the dough into 4 logs, then wrap each log in Saran wrap. Refrigerate dough logs overnight. The next day, remove one dough log from refrigerator--unwrap. Place log on a cutting board. Cut cookies from log in 1/4" pieces and place them on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until slightly browned. Repeat with all dough. Cool cookies completely. Use remaining powdered sugar to dust the tops of the cooled cookies.

#1964 - Almond Coconut Frosting

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup Carnation evaporated milk (NOT condensed)
2 beaten eggs
1 TBSP vanilla (less if you prefer)
1 - 7oz. bag Baker's angelflake coconut
1 cup chopped almonds

In a saucepan over medium heat add butter, white sugar, Carnation milk and beaten eggs--cook/stir until mixture thickens. Remove saucepan from heat--add vanilla, coconut and chopped almonds--stir until mixed. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then stir vigorously until frosting is spreadable.

#1351 - Coconut Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 cups Baker's angelflake coconut
1 - 12oz. bag Nestle's MILK chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped almonds (chop fine)

In a mixer add butter, brown sugar and white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add vanilla and almond extract--beat. Add baking soda and salt--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add coconut, chocolate chips and chopped almonds--stir with a wooden spoon until mixed. Drop by teaspoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-10 minutes. Let cookies set for a minute or two before removing from cookie sheets.

#1180 - Pumpkin Fudge

(by Rachel Guarini - friend)

3 cups white sugar 

3/4 cup butter OR Parkay margarine 

2/3 cups Carnation evaporated milk (NOT condensed) 

1/2 cup Libby's canned pumpkin 

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 

1 - 12oz. bag Nestle's butterscotch morsels 

1 - 7oz. jar Fluff marshmallow 

1 cup toasted almonds (chopped) 

1 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan over medium low heat add white sugar, butter/margarine, evaporated milk, pumpkin, and pumpkin pie spice--stir and bring to a boil (you must stir constantly). Turn heat to medium and keep stirring/cooking--use a candy thermometer until the temperature of the mixture is 234 degrees (takes about 10 minutes once boiling). Remove saucepan from heat--add butterscotch morsels, Fluff, chopped almonds, and vanilla--stir until well blended. Pour hot fudge immediately into a greased 9 x 13 cake pan--use a spatula to spread just until smooth. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until very firm. Cut into squares.