Toffee Squares
By Morgan BollingPublished on February 2, 2015
Time
1 hour, plus 3 hours cooling
Yield
Makes 24 bars
Ingredients
Before You Begin
There are two kinds of toffee bits sold at the market; be sure to buy the ones without chocolate. Note that the squares need to cool for about 3 hours in order to set the chocolate; if you’re in a hurry, you can put the bars in the refrigerator for 1 hour. But don’t store them in the fridge much longer than that because the crust can become too hard.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray lightly with vegetable oil spray.
- Combine flour and salt in bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, brown sugar, and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, scraping down bowl as needed, until dough becomes sandy with large pea-size pieces, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup toffee bits and mix until combined.
- Transfer dough to prepared pan and press into even layer using bottom of dry measuring cup. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Remove crust from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips, and let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Spread softened chocolate into even layer over crust using small offset spatula. Sprinkle almonds and remaining 1/4 cup toffee bits evenly over chocolate, then press gently to set into chocolate. Let bars sit at room temperature until chocolate is set, about 3 hours.
- Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan. Cut into 24 pieces and serve. (Toffee squares can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
Time
1 hour, plus 3 hours coolingYield
Makes 24 barsIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
These sweet, easy bar cookies offer rich toffee and chocolate flavors. We use a combination of brown sugar and confectioners’ sugar to build a crunchy but tender shortbread base, which we stud with toffee bits for extra crunch. Sprinkling milk chocolate chips over the still-hot base and then allowing them to soften before swiping a spatula across the top creates a thin, even layer of chocolate—just enough to hold on to toasted almonds and even more toffee bits. Take care when toasting the nuts; if you overheat them, they’ll turn bitter.
Before You Begin
There are two kinds of toffee bits sold at the market; be sure to buy the ones without chocolate. Note that the squares need to cool for about 3 hours in order to set the chocolate; if you’re in a hurry, you can put the bars in the refrigerator for 1 hour. But don’t store them in the fridge much longer than that because the crust can become too hard.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Make foil sling for 13 by 9-inch baking pan by folding 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide. Lay sheets of foil in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil flush to pan. Spray lightly with vegetable oil spray.
- Combine flour and salt in bowl. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, brown sugar, and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, scraping down bowl as needed, until dough becomes sandy with large pea-size pieces, about 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup toffee bits and mix until combined.
- Transfer dough to prepared pan and press into even layer using bottom of dry measuring cup. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
- Remove crust from oven, sprinkle with chocolate chips, and let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Spread softened chocolate into even layer over crust using small offset spatula. Sprinkle almonds and remaining 1/4 cup toffee bits evenly over chocolate, then press gently to set into chocolate. Let bars sit at room temperature until chocolate is set, about 3 hours.
- Using foil overhang, lift bars out of pan. Cut into 24 pieces and serve. (Toffee squares can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
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