Highly Additive Chocolate Almond 【一口接一口】巧克力杏仁条

这个巧克力杏仁条是2011圣诞节我为朋友同事准备的小礼，获得了颇多好评。烤到香香脆脆的杏仁条加上巧克力，实在令人难以抗拒。

做法非常简单，而且操作方面很随性，可以预先烤好杏仁条等到有空时才融化巧克力来继续未完成的工作，也就是为杏仁条沾上巧克力而已。接下来我也会做一些在过年时送礼。

Thanks Anncoo for the recipe and her "special guidance".

Chocolate Almond
 
Ingredients:
500g almond silvered
80g icing sugar
60g water
400g cooking chocolate (I used semi-sweet chocolate), chop into pieces and melt

Method:
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together except cooking chocolate and spread evenly on a lined baking tray. Bake at preheated oven 180C for 20 mins. Take out tray and make a good stir and put in oven for 5 mins and take out again, another stir and put in oven for final 5 mins. (this will makes the more almond crispy)

**must monitor the almond for the last 5 mins, do not let the almond get burnt otherwise it will get bitter taste** Cool down the baked almond and break in pieces.

Melt the cooking chocolate in double boiler. In another bowl put some baked almond and melted chocolate together and mix well by using a fork and spoon. Scoop a small amount of chocolate almond on a aluminium foil or parcement paper and put in fridge for about 5 mins to set and store in airtight container.

Ready to give away

Kitchen Note:
1) I think the baked almond is slightly sweet, can reduce the icing sugar next time.
2) I think the size of my oven can better handle 300g of almond silvered. For 500g, there are some overlapping so I need to stir more often to ensure all almonds are evenly baked.
3) Before 20 mins some of the almonds already turned brown, I need to pick those out and continued to bake the rest. May be I shall lower the oven temperature next time.
4) After chocolate was melted, I directly added in the baked almond to the bowl of melted chocolate and left it in the pot of hot water (this is to prevent chocolate from setting) and only took some out to place in a small bowl then scooped a small amount to place on tray (like making drop cookies).
5) Prepare 2 trays to rotate. After completing one tray, keep in fridge then start on the next tray.