Toffee Bars
A rich, toffee-like cookie topped with quality dark chocolate and roasted almonds.
Ingredients
Almonds (natural, with skins, chopped)
1 cup
Unsalted butter
16 tbsp (2 sticks)
Brown sugar (packed)
1 cup
Vanilla extract (pure vanilla extract)
1½ tsp
Salt
½ tsp
All-purpose flour
2 cup
Good-quality dark chocolate (chopped)
10 oz
Instructions
1
Preheat and Prep
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 10½ × 15½ × 1-inch jelly roll pan with foil, pressing the foil into the corners and leaving about 2 inches of overhang on the two short sides. Generously butter or grease the foil.
2
Toast the Almonds
Spread the almonds on a small baking sheet and bake in the oven, stirring a few times, for 6 to 8 minutes until golden. (Watch closely to keep the small bits from burning.)
3
Make the Dough
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the brown sugar, making sure no lumps remain. Stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Add the flour and mix thoroughly until fully combined.
4
Spread and Bake
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan. Use your fingers or a rubber spatula to spread the dough evenly. (It may seem like there is not enough, but keep going... it will fit!) Bake on the middle oven rack for 18 to 20 minutes, until the base is an even golden brown. (If your jelly roll pan is insulated, it may take longer.) Cool on a rack for 5 minutes.
5
Melt the Chocolate
While the base is baking, place the chocolate in a medium stainless-steel or glass bowl set over a small saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until completely melted. Transfer the bowl of chocolate to a rack and let cool for a few minutes.
6
Decorate
Pour the chocolate over the base and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds. Cool on the rack with the pan underneath until the chocolate sets, about 2 hours. (If needed, place the pan in the refrigerator to speed up cooling.)
7
Cut
Grasp the foil edges and carefully lift the cookie onto a cutting board. Peel the foil from the sides of the cookie. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut lengthwise into four equal pieces. Rotate the pan so it is horizontal to you, then cut crosswise into four equal pieces; cut each quarter into 2 or 3 strips. Cutting 8 crosswise gives 32 strips; cutting 12 crosswise gives 48 strips.
