English Toffee Cookie Bars
This November, the monthly appointment of the Club del 27 is with the DIY section of MagAboutFood to create 25 tasty Christmas surprises to fill the Advent Calendar (which represents the days of December leading up to Christmas)
Among the 25 recipes to create and discover each day from December 1 to 25 – all collected by clicking here in the DIY section of Mag – I chose these unusual and mouthwatering English toffee cookie bars: “English toffee cookie bars”, in this article you will also find the recipe to prepare delicious homemade toffee candies.
These English toffee cookie bars, besides being extremely delicious, are also very cute to use as homemade gifts for various occasions (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.)
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, Christmas
Ingredients for English Toffee Cookie Bars
- 3/4 cup Butter
- 3/4 cup Sugar (granulated)
- 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar (or dark Muscovado sugar)
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract (about one teaspoon)
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract (about 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1 1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Cornstarch (about 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda (about 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt (or sea salt)
- 3/4 cup Hard Toffee Candies (*110g of candies should be divided into 75g and 32 grams)
- 1 1/3 cup 50% Dark Chocolate
- to taste Sea Salt (for decorating)
Tools for English Toffee Cookie Bars
- Scale digital, with removable bowl and alarm timer
- Spatulas for desserts
- Bowls Guzzini set of various sizes
- Pot for double-boiling
- Hand Blender to chop the toffee candies
- Baking Pan adjustable
- Containers Christmas tin containers
Preparation of English Toffee Cookie Bars:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Take a square baking pan about 8 inches and line it with parchment paper, leaving the edges hanging out of the mold.In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes, until the butter turns nutty brown (but be careful, it should NOT burn and smoke).In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugars, and flavors, while in another smaller bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and incorporate the ingredients well together.
Add to the dough, 75g of chopped toffee candies (see photo below).
Spread the mixture on the bottom of the prepared pan.Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F until golden brown (about 20 – 22 minutes) and let cool completely on a rack.
Meanwhile, as the cookies cool, melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring at 30-second intervals (or melt it in a double boiler) until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Then, once the chocolate is melted, pour it over the cookies using a spatula, and spread it over the cooled cookies.Sprinkle the surface of the chocolate with the remaining 32 grams of toffee candies broken into small pieces.
Place the pan in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Using the parchment paper extending out of the mold as handles, remove the cookies and then cut them into triangles.
If you like, you can sprinkle the bars with sea salt, I recommend it because it enhances the chocolate flavor and makes them less cloying.
Notes and Tips
If instead of buying them, you prefer to make Homemade Toffee Candies, here’s the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, cubed (about 225 g);
1 cup white sugar (about 215 g);
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract;
1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt;
* if using salted butter, omit the kosher salt
Procedure:
Cut the butter into cubes and place it in a thick-bottomed saucepan with the sugar over low heat, stirring occasionally as the sugar and butter melt.
Continue to stir, and as the caramel forms, keep stirring.
When the caramel begins to tan, add the vanilla and salt.
Continue to cook and stir until the candy temperature reaches 285°F/300°F and the color is that of peanut butter.
Carefully pour the boiling candy mixture onto parchment paper or a silicone mat.
The candies will cool and harden within 10 – 20 minutes.
Break the candies with a spoon or a pestle.
If not using them all at once, toffee candies can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
Shopping Tips!!!
To weigh the ingredients, I use this handy digital kitchen scale, with a large removable bowl, tare function, and built-in timer.
For double boiling – especially for melting butter and chocolate – I use this practical and convenient ideal double-boiler pot.
To bake cookies I used a tray from this 4-piece multi-use baking tray set in stainless steel, non-toxic and non-stick.
These adorable Christmas tin containers for perfectly storing the cookies and crafting DIY Christmas gifts, are available on Amazon (but if you like them, hurry to buy them, because they sell out every year!).
You can purchase all the items I recommend above on Amazon at a great price, just click directly on the respective links.
