I’ve often wondered why some folks could not care less about chocolate, but enjoy other sweets that add as many calories to their diets as the forbidden pleasure we “chocoholics” desire. Actually, I’m not sure if I qualify as a true chocoholic since it’s only chocolate candy I demolish. When it comes to chocolate cake, pie, cookies, donuts, ice cream, I don’t like them. But if you hide a box of chocolate-covered cherries or peanuts in the house, I can sniff it out in minutes! And, I passed this curse on to our oldest daughter and her son.
Our two youngest sons, on the other hand, have never been tempted by any kind of chocolate and have been that way since they were just little boys. Heath bars are the exception. They can knock off a bag of them in one day!
Those delicious Heath bars have a unique buttery-nutty flavor, I have to admit, but since the hard inside portion can be a dentist’s best friend, many people have to give the candy bars a pass. But, if you like Heath bars, this recipe for English Toffee Bars allows you to enjoy the same taste without the worry of breaking a tooth on the hard toffee center.
I ran across the recipe in a Hershey cookbook I recently got at a thrift shop. So, I can once again satisfy that craving for a good old-fashioned Heath bar in a more tooth-friendly version.
The best part about these bars is they take only minutes to make. And, the recipe calls for just seven ingredients. So if there’s a chocoholic or Heath bar lover at your house, these can indulge either craving!
ENGLISH TOFFEE BARS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
1 cup mixed pecan pieces
1 cup Hershey’s milk chocolate chips
TOFFEE TOPPING
2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour and 1 cup brown sugar in large bowl. With pastry blender, cut in 1/2 cup butter until fine crumbs form (a few large crumbs may remain). Press mixture onto bottom of ungreased 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecans over crust.
Prepare toffee topping: Combine 2/3 cup butter and 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar in small saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Continue boiling, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Immediately drizzle evenly over pecans and crust.
Bake bars 20 to 22 minutes or until topping is bubbly and golden; remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle milk chocolate chips evenly over top; press gently onto surface. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.
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