Almond Crunch

If you've read Julia Child's autobiography or been to France you probably have heard of the term "an American tummy in France." It refers to when Americans travel to France and eat all the super rich French food and then consequently end up in the bathroom, a lot. Now, Americans eat plenty of fat, don't get me wrong, but the French are way, way heavy on butter, cream, and eggs. The real deal. And what happens when someone who is not used to these foods eats them? Well, the French call it "an American tummy in France" but I would call it an "American slider."

Why would I bring this up when clearly the title of this blog is "Almond Crunch?" It's because this unpleasant event happened to me after eating a combination of pasta in an alfredo sauce (super rich) then eating a fair amount of this luscious almond crunch. But don't be afraid; although the almond crunch itself is rich, it won't make a fast exit unless you pair it with an additional fat bomb, like say alfredo sauce. Enjoy this rich, easy holiday treat.

Tip: this will work with only lining with foil, if you don't have parchment, but make sure to get all the foil off the back of the crackers. Also, if you don't know how to toast nuts check this out. Be careful not to burn the nuts!!

unsalted saltine crackers, 1 sleeve +
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Line 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking sheet with foil. Line foil with parchment paper. Arrange crackers on sheet in a single layer, make sure to fill up entire sheet.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar. Boil 3-4 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Pour over crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Melt chocolate chips and oil together, stir until smooth. Stir in almonds. Spread over top of crackers.

Cool. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. Break into pieces. Keeps well refrigerated or frozen.