2 posts tagged “toffee”

Butterscotch Blondies
Makes 9 large or 16 small squares

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup unsalted cashews, coarsely chopped (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a buttered 8-inch square baking pan with foil or parchment paper, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Butter lining (excluding overhang); set pan aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and mix, scraping down sides of bowl, until well combined. Mix in butterscotch, cashews, and toffee.

Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into blondies (avoid center and edges) comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, 42 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, about 15 minutes. Lift out; let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Brownie Hearts and Brownie Bites
Makes 12 hearts; Prep time: 20 minutes; Total time: 1 hour

After you cut out the hearts, roll the brownie leftovers into bite-size morsels. Once coated with cocoa or sugar, they resemble truffles. You’ll get about forty-four bites.
 
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter 
2 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar 
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate 
4 large eggs 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
2 cups flour 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar, colored sugar, cocoa, or crushed toffee bits, for decoration 

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Butter bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan; cut a piece of waxed paper to fit the bottom, and press it onto the buttered surface. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and chocolate. Microwave on High for 1 minute; stir. If the chocolate is not softened, continue to microwave at 10-second intervals, removing before it’s completely melted. 

2. Beat eggs and vanilla into the melted chocolate with a wooden spoon. Beat in flour and salt. Add in nuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool. 

3. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Turn the brownie cake out onto a baking sheet, and flip over onto a work surface. Cut out the brownies with a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Dust with cocoa if you like. Form the scraps into 1-inch balls, and roll them in the coating of your choice.