Chocolate-glazed Toffee Bars
Yield: 24 1x2 2/3-inch bars
Source: Joy of cooking Christmas Cookies
Base Layer:
- 2/3 c all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp suger
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 c unsalt butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
- 2 tsp milk
- 1 1/2 c chopped pecans
- 1/3 c unsalted butter
- 1/2 c packed light brown suger
- 2 tbsp clover or ther mild honey
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 2 tbsp finely chopped pecans
- Lightly grease an 8 inch square baking pan
- Using a wire whisk, mix flour, suger and sugar together. Add cutted butter, using pastry blender, knifes or fingertips, cut the butter into the flour mixure until the mixture resembles fine meal. Sprinle the mixture with milk. Light stir to mix, knead until the milk is distributed and particles begin to hold. If necessary, add 1 or 2 teaspoon more milk, until the mixture holds together but is not wet.
- Firmly pressed the dough into the pan to form a smooth, even layer. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the chilled dough on middle oven rack for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Toffee and Chocolate Layers:
- Spread pecan in a baking pan and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
- Combine butter, light brown sugar, honey, milk and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. Stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Boil the mixture, uncovered, for 3 minutes; remove from the heat. Stir in the toasted pecan and vanilla.
- Spread the mixture evenly over the baked layer. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, ot until the mixture is bubbly, golden brown, and just slightly darker at the edges. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool until warm.
- Sprinkle the top with chocolate morsels. Let stand several minutes until the chocolate morsels partially melt, then smooth across the surface with a table knife to partially spread the chocolate. Garnish by sparkling with finely chopped pecans.
- Let the chocolate cool until thickened but still slightly soft, then carefully cut into bars using a sharp knife; let cool thoroughly before lifting the bars from then pan. Retrace cuts to seperate bars, if necessary.
