I spend holidays with my boyfriend's family and I feel the need to make a peace offering or prove that I can cook whenever I see his mother, a plight that most significant others can empathize with. This Easter, I'm coming armed with a secret weapon: baked goods. With a recipe that's easy and delicious, "Toffee-Like Bars" are sure to please everyone from picky in-law-types to the confection connoisseurs we call five year old cousins.
When I say I want recipe ideas, I'm being serious. This week's idea came from a professor's family recipe, and I am so glad that I solicited it. It's hard to go wrong with butter, brown sugar and chocolate, so I thoroughly recommend these for a family-tested and approved treat.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg yolk
Tip: Egg whites are an acceptable substitute
12 oz bag of chocolate or butterscotch chips
Tip: Use half of each and get the best of both worlds
1/2 cup of chopped nuts
Tip: I used walnuts, but you can use whatever is available/your favorite
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine butter, brown sugar, flour, and egg in a bowl. Spread the resulting dough in a 13x9 pan.
2. Bake at 300° for 25-30 minutes or until light brown and set.
3. Take the pan out of oven, and sprinkle chips on top. Return to the oven for two to three minutes, or until chips are melted.
Tip: If you decide to use both butterscotch and chocolate chips, put the butterscotch on first and melt those alone for a couple of minutes. Then add chocolate and continue as instructed - butterscotch chips take longer to melt than chocolate
4. Remove the pan from the oven and use a rubber spatula or knife to spread the chips. Sprinkle nuts on top and cut into squares.
Tip: The professor who gave me the recipe advised me to put nuts on half and leave the rest plain. It makes them delectable to people who aren't crazy about nuts
I will admit, somehow I have never had real toffee in my life, but I got a good idea about what I am missing out on after making this recipe. I would like to think that my boyfriend's mother is going to be quiet this Easter because she likes me, but I will secretly know it's because she's savoring this delicious treat. I'll take whatever help I can get.
Thank you to Professor Dreyer in FTT for this recipe! To everyone reading, I'm always willing to try to do justice to your favorite treat, so send me my next challenge!
Contact Brenna Williams at bwillia9@nd.edu
