13 January 2012

mr. oatmeal peanut butter chocolate toffee bar / a sweet sidekick





let me introduce you to the delectable dessert bars i'll be toting to every party i'm invited to this year. seriously. these are my recent favorite find. to think, i almost threw out the magazine that this recipe was printed in! i almost didn't think i liked toffee that much! i almost didn't make them because i didn't have a good excuse! luckily we were all hankering for a snack on sunday (i love setting a brick of butter out on the counter before church, just in case we need softened butter), so we whipped these puppies out. a giant 9x13 pan. and let them cool while taking a family nap. after downing a couple, i sliced them into squares (dividing and conquering is my way of saving myself from devouring them). the best thing about them is finding a few impromptu reasons to give them away (a playdate for benji, pop in visitors, to-go treats for dan, and a surprise sweet for a sick friend). sharing is caring. which makes me feel all the better. go make them. the excuse to bake a batch will find you.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Toffee Bars
originally from Family Fun Magazine

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups dark or semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup toffee baking pieces (Hershey's Heath brand)

Heat the oven to 350°. Line a 9x13 baking pan with foil so that the ends extend over the edges of the pan by at least 2 inches. Spray foil with cooking spray.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and egg yolk on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add the flour, oats, and salt and beat the mixture on low until the ingredients are just blended, about 30 seconds.

Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust until it is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes (be careful not to overbake).

Remove the pan from the oven and scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the crust. Return the pan to the oven for 1 minute. Remove the pan again and, using a small offset spatula, spread the chocolate evenly over the crust. (Let your kiddos watch; spreading melted chocolate is like science.)

Sprinkle the toffee pieces over the chocolate, gently pressing them into place with the back of a large spoon. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool until the chocolate has set, about 2 hours. Using the edges of the foil, lift the dessert from the pan, then cut it into squares. For maximum freshness, store the bars in the refrigerator.

happy friday the thirteenth, everyone.

7 comments:

{amy k.} said...

mmm these look so delicious my mouth is now watering! i'm going to add this to pinterest so i can make it next time i need a sweet treat!

JJB said...

toffee, chocolate, and peanut butter---it doesn't get any better than that!!

Stephanie said...

These remind me of a Heath toffee cookie recipe that I use sometimes, but less crumbly (I like that since I have cleaning up crumbs!).

Looks like I know what I'll be making next time we need a sweets fix around here. :)

Shannon @ A Mom's year said...

These look fantastic--thank you! And what is it about red-and-white string that makes me so happy? I think you could tie it around pickled beets and I'd want to eat them.

no offense to lovers of pickled beets. ;-)

brooke said...

I don't like toffee either but with enough butter and chocolate and peanut butter, really...you can't go wrong.

This was written so cute..I love reading everything you write..even recipes. Never stop blogging!

Natasha said...

Oh My, thanks for posting! My 8 year old and I made these yesterday and they did not disappoint! YUM!

Hana said...

Oh those look and sound so yummy! I've newly discovered peanut butter as an addition to sweet treats (Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are relatively new to my part of the world!)

I can't wait to try these - thanks so much for the recipe. PS. I *really* wish I had handwriting as lovely as yours!

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