What a Delight -- Honey Almond Delight

Another installment from Intercourses. I loved it. Hubby liked it so much he took some to share with his co-workers at the hospital. A first.

Let me start, however, by asking, is there an easy way to slice almonds? Yes, I could have bought pre-sliced almonds, but at that price? Forget it. I ended up slicing 1 lb. of almonds the best I could, but many of them were just halved. If I tried for a thinner slice, they just sort of splintered or crumbled. And, I don't want to talk about what my index finger and thumb looked like after I was done wielding the knife... So here we go...



Yes, that is an entire pound of butter. Hence, it's deliciousness...

Also, 1 lb. sliced/halved almonds, almond extract, egg, sugar, brown sugar, honey, flour, heavy cream and salt.

The flour, egg, half of the white sugar, half the butter, salt, and almond extract combined to make a crust which was refrigerated for an hour and then blind baked for about 15 minutes. (a little longer than what the book recommends)

Then, simmer the remaining butter and sugars, honey, and cream ...

until it was all beautiful in its bubbly carmelly goodness.

Then mix it into the sliced almonds which was then spread out on top of the baked crust and then baked for another 15 minutes.

It does look like it would be a hard toffee-type mixture. But it wasn't.

After cooling for about 15 or 20 minutes it was still a warm gooey mixture. It was just right. Placed in an airtight container, and it still hasn't gotten hard. This recipe is a definite keeper. Perfect to take to someone's house as a gift. It makes a lot, too. It filled an entire cookie sheet. Cut into triangles, you get about 40 pieces.

Of course, there were issues. But not with the recipe. Just those little glitches that make it difficult to find time to cook. I started this recipe after a day of wandering around the Geauga County Antique Fest at the Fairgrounds. Found two cast iron business card holders, that, if you can believe it, I'm going to use as doorstops for A & J's bedrooms. When they get a little older, I envision them using the card slots to post notices to "keep out" or to write notes to each other. One has horses; the other has bears.

Well, we came home, and A & J would not take a nap -- which I had counted on. So they had to sit and watch Mommy cook. I strapped them in their boosters and gave them lunch.

Then when I started mixing the ingredients for the crust, I blew the circuit. But, after flipping the switch back in the box, I still couldn't get the outlet or the phone for that matter, to work, so I had to transfer everything from the center island to the still cluttered counter next to the oven. Of course, I had to go to the basement to check the circuit box, which promted A & J to ask to play in the basement, but I couldn't let them since I couldn't be down there with them. So we had a little tantrum. I was able to get them to settle down a bit once I got the crust in the fridge for that hour. While they built a castle in the living room, I was able to clean up phase one.

For phase two, the stove top session, the boys tried to be good. But ... they love to watch cooking. They constantly wanted to be picked up so they could watch what was simmering in the pot. Not too bad, but when they both cry to be picked up at the same time, sorry I just can't hold 55 pounds of children and stir a boiling concoction at the same time. So, into the boosters again with a bribe of an oreo cookie. Right into the chairs they went and I was able to finish the Delights and then turn around to discover that A had crushed his oreo as much as humanly possible. Not just crushed, pulverized and then sprinkled on the kitchen floor.

This photo doesn't do the mess justice. I had the boys on the floor with the dust pan and broom, but still, I had to clean that up, along with sticky carmelly bowls and all that other good stuff.

Like I've said before, I love to cook - I hate to clean up. Even when I think I'm done, I turn around and see everything else I haven't done yet.

Stay tuned for Strawberry Pasta!