Toffee Bars

This year for girls Christmas baking day, I decided on a bar cookie since the past few years I've done drop cookies. I looked through a cookie exchange cookbook my godmother gave me and picked Toffee Squares. I thought they would be so much easier than drop cookies and they were for the 2nd batch due to some modifications to the original instructions but the 1st batch didn't turn out exactly how I hoped. I've adapted the recipe and instructions below so you have an easier time. I love how most of the ingredients are things you usually have on hand. I highly recommend the cookbook though for anyone that like to make cookies... it has so many different kinds of cookies and great tips for hosting a cookie exchange (and drink recipes).

Toffee Bars
slightly adapted from Very Merry Cookie Party, makes about 40 squares

Ingredients:

- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 cups flour

topping:
- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds (I did 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup pecans), toasted
- 1/2 cup toffee baking bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13 by 9 inch baking dish with parchment paper. In large bowl beat together butter and sugar on medium until combined. Beat in egg yolk, salt and vanilla. On low gradually beat in flour just until mixed. Press dough evenly onto bottom of baking dish parchment. Bake in center of oven for 20 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave (50% power 30 seconds at a time until you can stir it well into melted chocolate). Pour over crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Top with nuts and toffee bits.

Toffee should be completely cooled before cutting into squares. I actually put mine straight in the freezer to store it for a couple of weeks. The night I needed it, I took it out that morning and once thawed cut into squares. So this recipe freezes really well!

The first batch I did, I followed the book's instructions for the chocolate and it didn't melt at all. So I ended up with a topping that didn't stick well and felt apart a lot but it still tasted great... just not the pretty and easy to eat kind. I highly recommend you apply the chocolate like I described earlier.

This is what it looked like before I put the pyrex lid on stored it in the freezer. 

Pretty cookie display at our party. Some other cookies from the cookie exchange are there too... thumbprints, shortbread/snowballs, butter cookies, gingerbread cookies. 

Toffee is one of Eric's favorites so he really appreciated the choice of cookie this year and I do have to say they are quite delicious!