Almond Roca remains a clear food memory of my childhood. Not because I loved the candies. I honestly didn't even know they were candies. It's because of this cookie bar mix from Costco, of course. The typical Costco shopper is also one Asian dad between the ages of 50-60 living in the NC. Most of what I had to throw out was, in fact, bulk goods from Costco.
Anyways, this pepto pink box mix hung out for what seemed like years in the pantry. And as you've probably caught on by now, it could have very well been literal years. I feel like it was there before I really picked up baking in my middle school/early high school days. Which is entirely perplexing because it's not like anyone else in my family bakes. Why did we have a box of cookie bar mix? The answer, undoubtedly has to be that my dad didn't fully grasp what it was either - the picture just looked good (side story: he once came home with a giant bag of Cape Cod potato chips because he thought they were fish based snacks). When I finally decided to open it and follow the directions on the box (was it a different box? no one can say), I was surprised it was... good? I mean, I think I only ate like two pieces and moved on. The stuff is too sweet.
I don't know when I first saw canisters of Almond Roca to realize it's a standalone product, but color me... not surprised at all to find this variety four pack in the front of the pantry, which means... it's remarkably within date!
So I started by unwrapping and chopping up some original and dark rocas.
And shoved it all into half a batch of chewy sugar cookies - using self rising flour and skipping the vanilla. Then rolled in chopped up caramel rocas before baking.
Maybe I shoved too much in because these guys didn't hold together very well, so a little aesthetically challenged, but honestly better than my memory of those cookie bars.
Still chewy as advertised with crunchy, salty, chocolatey, nutty inclusions. The crispy caramelized edges are the best part.
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