Almond Joy Bars (Easy)

What a dessert bar!!!! Tastes just like the Almond Joy candy bar! So easy to make too. If you don't like almonds; then leave them out and it turns into a Mounds bar. I, personally, like the almonds on top.  What I miss is the big almond that you actually bite into when you eat the real candy bar.  I had wondered to myself about inserting/placing whole almonds on top of the cooked coconut after the final baking process and before applying the chocolate layer. Maybe next time.

Recipe Credit: Beka Newcomb

Makes 36 bars.

Ingredients:

• 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
• 28 oz sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 28 oz shredded coconut
• 5 cups bittersweet chocolate baking chips (equals (3) 10oz bags)(I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips)
• 2 oz sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and coat with canola or vegetable spray. NOTE: Use a 13x9 inch pan because it makes them thicker. 
2. In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the flour and salt. Carefully mix to combine until it resembles chunky bread crumbs. Transfer into the prepared pan and evenly press the batter into an even layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire baking rack while preparing the coconut topping.
3. In a large bowl, combine the condensed milk, coconut, and vanilla. Spread carefully over the hot crust and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until it begins to brown. Be careful when you do spread the coconut mixture on the crust because if you press too hard you will pull up and break the crust. Place chunks of the coconut mixture in sections and then spread carefully and evenly. Do not just pour the bowl in one spot and spread from there, you will ruin the crust.
4. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler or microwave in a glass bowl for 1 minute 30 seconds, 45 seconds tops(I prefer to microwave). Stir until melted and smooth. Pour over the hot, just came out of the oven, baked coconut bars and spread into an even layer. Allow to cool then refrigerate until hardened, about 1 hour to overnight. Cut into 36 squares. NOTE: Once these bars have hardened and completely chilled in the fridge, take them out and let them get to room temperature, makes them easier to cut into squares. They can be left at room temperature once cut up and stored in an airtight container. Keep out of direct sunlight. 

13X9 pan lined with foil and then I sprayed with cooking spray.

Crust mixture ready to be pressed onto baking sheet.

The sea salt I used in this recipe. I found this at Walmart.

Be sure to press down and pack the crust mixture into the pan.

While the crust is baking for those 8 minutes; mix up your coconut mixture. Add the vanilla to the condensed milk and stir in before adding the shredded coconut.

Coconut layer ingredients. Yes, you use all of it except for the vanilla, only 1 teaspoon.

After the 8 minutes of baking. Next you will spread the coconut layer. You do not have to wait for the crust to cool, you can do this immediately.

Coconut mixture spread as evenly as possible. Ready to go in the oven for about 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.

Baked and ready for the chocolate layer. I only needed to bake mine for 20 minutes to achieve this level of brownness.

I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips and all three 10 oz bags were needed to equal 5 cups.

3 bags of chips ready to go in the microwave for 1 minute 45 seconds, no longer.

Completely melted and ready for spreading immediately.

All that is left is to add the sliced almonds while still hot so that they will adhere to the chocolate.

I used the entire 2 oz bag of sliced almonds.

The finished bars! Ready to go in the fridge to cool down and harden.