Saturday, February 16, 2013

Toffee Bars

M-m-m-m-m, ...after combining relatively few ingredients and then adding some heat, just look... what... happened!

The taste of these baked squares remind me a little of the soda cracker/chocolate treat which I've listed in this blog's CANDY section.  That, or the toffee candy that is made by so many around Christmastime.  


Above: This Toffee Bars recipe comes from my 
very old and much used Betty Crocker cookbook.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Line a 10x15" baking pan with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with non-stick oil.


INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed  (light brown sugar, or dark brown  sugar)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 6 of 1.65 oz.Hershey milk chocolate candy bars, broken into 1" pieces  (I used 18-19 of the miniature Hershey bars which I bought in a 10.78 oz. bag on '50% off clearance' after trick or treat season).  
    You can also use milk chocolate chips sprinkled over the top.
  • 1 cup finely chopped pecans, optional 
DIRECTIONS:
  • Cream together the butter and brown sugar (beat for at least 2 minutes to better dissolve the sugar).
  • Stir in egg yolk and vanilla, and beat for a few seconds.
  • Add the flour and stir only until it is evenly combined.  Dough will be thick.
  • Using a spoon, drop little 'splotches' of dough all over on your foiled/sprayed baking pan.  Now, with the back of a dampened spoon,  spread the dough into an even layer. 

    Before you start spreading these 'splotches' out, you'll have this... 
  • Below:  Bake at 350-degrees for about 15 minutes, OR until it is just a light golden brown.
  • Below: Arrange chocolate pieces on hot layer.  Set aside for 5 minutes, while chocolate softens/melts.
  • Below: With the back of a spoon, spread the melted chocolate to cover the baked bars. (I use the end of a wooden dowel or handle of a wooden spoon to make swirly designs in the soft chocolate.)
  • Below: Sprinkle with some finely chopped pecans, optional.
Let bars cool until chocolate is 'firmed up' (on a cold porch, or in a refrigerator, etc.)  When firm, using the edges of the foil lining, lift the whole slab from the pan.  Remove the foil, put 'the slab' onto a cutting board and cut into squares. I have found that IF my 'slab' is TOO cold/hard when I first try to cut them, they will crack into irregular shapes.  Some people don't mind, but,................since I want neatly cut squares, I let the 'slab' sit at room temperature for maybe 10 minutes before cutting away with a knife (carver's type knife) which is long enough to reach across the pan.
 ♥▼♥
 

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