Blue Ribbon Almond Roca Cookies

Ingredients

• 0.5 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 cup butter room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar dark
• 2  eggs room temperature
• 2.5 cups flour all-purpose
• 1 cup coarsely ground almonds 
• 4 ounces chocolate 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 1 package toffee bits 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pure
• 0.5 tablespoon vegetable oil 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• whisk
• mixing bowl
• wire rack
• double boiler
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. 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.
3. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste.
4. 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.
5. Mix until just blended; do not over-mix.
6. 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.
7. Place on cookie sheets several inches apart.
8. Bake approximately 22 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
9. Melt the chocolate with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
10. Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies.
11. Place cookies on a cookie sheet and place in freezer or refrigerator until chocolate is firmly set.