English Toffee Bars

Two posts in one day!?  Yeah, that's what you get when I am trying to pass the time before I can go get some blood work done (cortisol tests can only be done at certain times in the day... weird).  It's been a 12-hour fast too, so I am just drooling thinking about these English toffee bars.  This was one of the three desserts I brought to the Ajemian Thanksgiving.  I thought they were pretty and sounded amazing.  One of the sweets that I actually do like is toffee.  I think I have told the story before about how I used to spoon out the Heath Bar pieces from the coffee Heath Bar crunch ice cream when I worked at the ice cream stand!

In some ways, it was rather similar to the recipe I posted early today (the salted caramel maple pecan bars).  There is a shortbread crust, and pecans on top.  But in this dessert, the shortbread and pecans are topped with toffee.  Mmmmm.  Then when it comes out of the oven, you press some chocolate chips into it.  It's basically a cookie-bottomed version of a Heath Bar.  Yeah, now I'm really drooling. Because there is cookie, there is toffee, there are pecans, and there is chocolate.  Now do yourself a favor and go try these babies out.

Recipe:

English toffee bars
from My Baking Addiction
makes about 36 bars

Ingredients:
for bars:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup milk chocolate chips
for toffee:
2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

Instructions:

1) Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 13x9x2" baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2) Combine flour and brown sugar in a large bowl.  With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until fine crumbs form (a few large crumbs may remain).  Press mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan.  Sprinkle pecans over crust.

3) Prepare toffee topping.  Combine butter and brown sugar in small saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.  Continue boiling, stirring constantly, 30 seconds.  Use immediately.  Drizzle evenly over pecans and crust.

4) Bake 20 to 22 minted or until topping is bubbly and golden.  Remove from oven.  Immediately sprinkle milk chocolate chips evenly over to; press gently onto surface.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars.