Toffee Bars

 

I think I fell in love with bars & squares when I made my first magic bars back in high school (or was it middle school?) And while I like to entertain the thought that I've grown more sophisticated in my baking abilities since then, I often fall back on these recipes whenever I'm in a time crunch because they're easy, reliable, and always delicious.

This category of baking seems especially suited for holiday desserts.  Not quite a cookie and not quite a candy bar - or brownie, or pie, depending on what kind we're talking about - these heavenly layered treats have great range and versatility. Many classic desserts can be augmented to the compact size of a bar or square, from cheesecake to pecan pie to lemon tart, which not only puts a new spin on old favorites, it also makes the process of baking, transporting, and storage much easier.  And simplicity is something anyone can appreciate during these busy, blustery days.

The Joy of Baking devotes a whole section of their site to bars & squares.  I came across this recipe for toffee bars while searching for recipes for Thanksgiving.  As the site explains, the recipe start out with a shortbread base, but instead of creaming together the butter and sugar, the butter is melted, and the ingredients mixed in one by one, producing a softer, more viscous batter and thereby a thin, airy, and crunchy base to the bar.  The shortbread is baked until golden brown, and the chocolate is spread on top immediately after being pulled out of the oven to melt evenly, then sprinkled with crushed almonds to set.

It's a quick and simple no-hassle recipe, perfect for holiday party snacking.  The complete recipe, originally from the cookbook Alice Medrich's Cookies and Brownies (which unfortunately appears to be out of print) is below.

Toffee Bars

Makes: About 16 bars

- Ingredients -

Shortbread:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces\
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

Topping:

• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (can use 1 cup (175 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

- Instructions -

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil.
2. To toast the almonds. Place the almonds on a cookie sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let the nuts cool completely and then chop.
3. Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Then add the salt and flour and mix just until incorporated.
4. Spread the shortbread evenly on the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the shortbread is golden brown with well browned edges.
5. Remove from oven and immediately scatter the chopped chocolate over the hot shortbread. Return the shortbread to the oven for a minute or two or just until the chocolate softens. 
6. Remove from oven and with a spatula or spoon, evenly spread the chocolate. Sprinkle the chopped almonds over the chocolate. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
7. Once the chocolate has set, lift the shortbread from the pan using the edges of the foil. Place on a cutting board and, with a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares. 
8. Store in an airtight container. These will keep for several weeks at room temperature or in the refrigerator.