1. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and boiling water in small heavy saucepan over medium heat; stir until dissolved and slightly brown. Add remaining sugar, honey, margarine, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg; bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat; pour mixture into medium bowl. Cool.
2. Add flour, cold water, egg and baking soda to cooled sugar mixture; stir with spoon until well blended. Cover; let stand 20 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 15×10-inch jelly-roll pan; set aside. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface with lightly floured rolling pin to almost fit size of pan. Press dough evenly into pan to edges. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until dough springs back when lightly touched in center. Remove pan to wire rack; cool completely.
4. To remove cookie base from pan, run knife around edge of cookie base to loosen it from sides of pan. Place wire rack top side down over pan; flip rack and pan over together. Cookie base should drop out of pan onto rack. Cut cookie base in half to form two rectangles.
5. Prepare Chocolate Filling; spread evenly over 1 rectangle. Top with other rectangle, flat side up. Wrap cookie sandwich in plastic wrap. Place baking sheet on top of cookie sandwich; place heavy cans or other weights on baking sheet to press sandwich layers together. Let cookie sandwich stand overnight.
6. When cookie is ready to frost, melt chocolate chips in 2-cup glass measure in microwave on MEDIUM (50%) 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dip wide part of each almond into chocolate; place dipped almonds on waxed paper to set.
7. Remove weights and baking sheet from cookie sandwich; unwrap. Spread remaining melted chocolate over top. Before chocolate sets, score top of cookie sandwich into 32 bars. Place 1 dipped almond on each bar. (If chocolate has set, it may be necessary to reheat almonds in microwave for a few seconds.) Let stand at room temperature until set; cut into bars.
Chocolate Filling Makes about 1 cup filling
Ingredients
1/4
cup whipping cream
1/2
cup semisweet chocolate chips
1
cup natural almonds, toasted and ground
3/4
cup powdered sugar, divided
1/2
teaspoon vanilla
Heat cream and chocolate chips in small saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in almonds, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla with spoon. Stir in additional powdered sugar until filling is stiff enough to spread.
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