Almond Joy Fudgies + Homemade Sweetened Condensed milk - really!

{My easy pecan toffee cookie recipe was featured at 4 Little Fergusons yesterday - if you haven't seen this simple dough, using a cake mix base, please check it out...
Easy Pecan Toffee Cookies}

I love chocolate...and coconut...AND almonds too! 

So of course when I saw this wonderful recipe it jumped right out at me, into my lap, and into my tummy.

I am loving soooo many recipes I find at Grandma Loy's Kitchen,

that I knew I could trust this one being great because all her recipes are.

These have a chocolate base and topping with a 'macaroon' filling - oh soo yummy!

Loy found it in a Pillsbury Bake-Off cookbook, and she tweaked the recipe a bit and decided to rename them. 

I think the name describes them perfectly.

And this goes beyond one wonderful recipe from Grandma Loy. She has shared another, most amazing recipe - HOMEMADE SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK - see her recipe here.

(The only thing I do differently is run both the sugar AND the dry milk through the blender  - each 1 cup at a time).

(this is my photo - I get excited just looking at this!=)

I can testify to the fact this recipe really works!

I'm amazed at the likeness in consistency...and I even

made it using half sugar and half splenda.  (I think the main difference is that splenda doesn't result in as much of the product, simply because it's lighter).

You can make it low fat by using 2% evaporated milk and less butter, or fat free by using ff evap. milk and no butter.

It's wonderful!  So that's a 'bonus' recipe in this post.

And since this recipe calls for half a can (about 2/3 c.) of

sweetened condensed milk, you can have enough for another batch.

I LOVE that this condensed milk lasts in the fridge for 2 weeks and can be frozen up to 6 months. 

What an awesome thing to have handy during the holidays, wouldn't you say????

This would make a wonderful addition to any holiday plate of cookies and treats. 

The recipe calls for topping the baked cookies with chocolate chips, but they were plenty sweet for us without it.  I suggest you do that if you want to 'impress' or dress up these yummy bars.

ALMOND JOY FUDGIES

1-1/4 c. butter or margarine
2/3 c. baking cocoa
2 c. sugar (I used 1-1/2 successfully)
1 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 c. milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Filling:

2/3 c. sweetened condensed milk
2-1/2 c. flaked coconut
1 t. almond extract
1/2 c. toasted, sliced almonds

FILLING: In mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, coconut and almond extract. Mix well


Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" X 13" pan well. Melt butter and cocoa together in a saucepan over low heat or in glass bowl in microwave.  Remove from heat. 

Add sugar, eggs, flour, salt and vanilla.  Mix well. Spread half of chocolate mixture in prepared pan. Prepare filling and spoon evenly over chocolate batter.  Sprinkle sliced almonds evenly over filling. 

Spread remaining chocolate batter evenly over filling. Bake 35 - 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Place back into oven for 1- 2 minutes until chocolate chips soften and begin to melt.  Spread chocolate over the top of the brownies.  Allow to cool completely.  Cut into 36 bars.

Linked to Holiday Cookie Swap
Sweets for a Saturday
The Farmers Wife's Cookie Swap