Chocolate Chip Candy Cookie Bars
Makes 4 dozen bars

Prep Time: 10 min.
Baking Terms: 25 min.

Ingredients

• 1-2/3 - cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 - cups plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, divided
• 3/4 - teaspoon baking powder
• 1 - cup (2 sticks) cold butter or margarine, divided
• 1 - egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 - cup plus 2 Tablespoons (5-oz. can) evaporated milk, divided
• 2 - cups (12-oz. pkg.) Hershey's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, divided
• 1/2 - cup light corn syrup
• 1-1/2 - cups sliced almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

1. Stir together flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and baking powder in medium bowl.
2. Using pastry blender, cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in egg and 2 tablespoons evaporated milk; stir until mixture holds together in ball shape.
4. Press onto bottom and 1/4-inch up sides of 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly roll pan.
5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned; remove from oven, leaving oven on.
6. Sprinkle 1-1/2 cups chocolate chips evenly over crust; do NOT disturb chips.
7. Place remaining 1-1/2 cups sugar, remaining 1/2 cup butter, remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk and corn syrup in 3-quart saucepan.
8. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils; stir in almonds.
9. Continue cooking and stirring to 240°F on candy thermometer (soft-ball stage) or until small amount of mixture, when dropped into very cold water, forms soft ball which flattens when removed from water. (Bulb of candy thermometer should not rest on bottom of saucepan.)
10. Remove from heat. Immediately spoon almond mixture evenly over chips and crust; do NOT spread.
11. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until almond mixture is golden brown.
12. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.
13. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips; cool completely.
14. Cut into bars.