I have had a weak spot when it comes to toffee since I was a child. The Homers lived around the corner from us…and Mary was my best friend. Mr. Homer’s contribution to the goodie tray their family delivered to neighbors at Christmas time was toffee. I left all the fudge and divinity for my sisters, but claimed every bit of Homer toffee…a perk of being the bossy older sibling. And just so I can continue this once a year indulgence, I make 3 batches of English toffee to give to my friends and neighbors…and I like to get it out of the house as fast as I can before I eat more than a couple shards. I do keep supply of Heath bars in the pantry…not to eat straight up as you might think, but to use in cookies. And since a month had gone by since my last bite of toffee, I had to do something with my stash. I decided to take the simple route and make cookie bars . Once again, I turned to brown butter to up the caramel undertones of the base…plus I added a healthy dose of dark brown sugar for another boost of flavor. And the pièce de résistance was the big chunks of Heath bars…those bagged toffee bits just don’t do the trick. Then instead of nuts, I tossed in some of my favorite semi-sweet chocolate discs.
These were spectacular. The interiors were soft and chewy which contrasted perfectly with the crispy edges. And there was also that bit of crunchy toffee or creamy chocolate in every bite. I tucked some in the freezer to send to Nick in the dorms (and so that I wouldn’t be tempted to shovel them ALL into my mouth), and then took a sampling to my knitting friends. I loved seeing the big smiles when I mentioned toffee…and then I smiled right back when seconds were taken.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup Heath bar chunks (2 1.4-ounce bars cut into chunks)
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks or discs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Line 8 x 8 inch pan with non-stick foil or regular foil sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat and continue cooking, swirling pan occasionally, till it just turns brown and smells nutty. You do not want it to burn, so watch carefully.
- Combine brown butter and brown sugar. Beat for a couple minutes till well combined, then add egg and beat till batter becomes smooth. Mix in vanilla. Mix in flour, salt and baking soda till just combined. Fold in Heath bar and chocolate chunks. Spread into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or till edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Cool, then cut into bars to serve.
Don’t forget to enter to win a coupon for your very own Sauté Express by Land O Lakes on my Creamy Chicken Enchiladas post.
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{ 49 comments… read them below or add one }
I love Heath bars too, these are my kind of blondies!
Hmmm I love toffee too, and happen to have several Heath Bars in my pantry! Your friends are so lucky to taste your sweets all the time!
delicius, bye SILVIA
I can´t get heath bars here, so I´ll need to start making homemade toffee… these sound fantastic and such a crowd pleaser!
Heath bar blondies… sounds like a sweet treat that cannot be beat.
Mmmmmm, Heath bars!
My word, I do enjoy my Heath Bars. When I saw these beautiful blondies on G+, a wave of joy came over me with the realization I have additional reasons to tear open some bars. But to see the easy preparation makes the recipe that much more tangible. Thank you Liz!
Oooooh yessss toffee, browned butter, chocolate….this is everythiiiing.
I’m a toffee lover…always have it a Christmas. The blondies sound great.
Whoa! These have my name written all over them. I looooove toffee! And I’m kind of a brownie/blondie addict so combine them with toffee and I’m in heaven. yum!
Mmmmmm – those look and sound divine! Too bad I’m “fasting” this week – I’ll tag this for another time.
These look awesome!
Am a toffee lover. Which is why I don’t keep it in the house. “I’ll just have one piece” doesn’t exist. But this would be grand to make – and share. I think.
A sweet inside a sweet, sounds yummy! I really should not raid your pantry or freezer, I would eat the ingredients.
Wow…loving it. I can never say never to these blondies:). Looks great!
These look so amazing! Heath bars are my all-time favorite candy bar. I couldn’t possibly keep them in the house…they’d never make it to the recipe
Wow, these look so dense and chewy…and I LOVE toffee! I have those toffee bits in my kitchen and I’ve been wanting to get rid of them. I know they won’t be as good as giant toffee bar chunks, but I might have to give them a try anyway
My husbands a sucker for Heath Bars so whenever I buy any to use in baking I have to be careful to hide it where I know he won’t find it. These sound wonderful and look delicious. I will print this off to try next time I bring out the Heath Bars
These bars and a movie. Big win.
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Looks so good.. I should stat making blondies
how do you think would be best to substitute Heath bars?
Those squares look unbelievable. I have a feeling I’ll be making them sometime soon, and then trying to move them out of my house as quickly as possible!
These look just perfect. Dense. Moist. Now I wish I had dessert.
I share the very same weakness, although mine started with my grandmother’s toffee!
these would be a hit in my house! I have toffee bits in my pantry right now..might need to put those to work!
Yum!!!
I have a weak spot for toffees too…
These look addictive!
How did you know that heath bar is my absolute favorite?! I’m sure I can clean off the pan with no help from anyone else
Liz, to add brown butter, dark brown sugar, bits of Heath bars and chocoalate to these Blondies must have tasted wonderful. I love all things caramel and I am quite sure that I would have loved to receive just one of your Blondies. They do have such a lovely caramelly color too, that looks incredibly appetizing!
These blondie bars look fabulous loaded with heath chunks!
Fortunately, no Heath bars can be found where I live or I’d have to go and make some of this immediately. Lovely and very indulgent treat Liz
I love blondie bars! So addictive!
Oh these look/sound great and like something I need to make soon!! I too love toffee. I like your idea of keeping a stash on hand
I gotta say, as much of a choco-holic as I am, every time I see a blondie I just need to have one and this is no exception!
Oh that looks delicious! Bravo!
these sound AMESOME!! i love the brown butter and dark brown sugar in here, and adding the heath bars takes these to a crazy delicious level – i need to make these asap!
Great post, Liz! I always left behind the divinity fudge in my grandmother’s See’s gift box =)
Anyway, love the dreamy use of toffee. Thank you for the recipe and tip about chunks of Heath Bar vs
the petite bits.
this is a blondie kicked up a notch or two or three! i love them. they look amazing
Oh these sound amazing!!!!
You know I love blondies & these sound fabulous! Heath bars, brown butter and chocolate chunks – you outdid yourself!!
What a fabulous addition to Blondies… gotta love Heath Bars..
I have to make these for Super Bowl Sunday. My son will love them. We’re both toffee fans.
I’ve always loved Heath Bars. Putting them into blondies is both genius and evil. Evil because I know darn well that I could eat the wholeeeee pan
These are such a great way to make blondies! I’ll try these out asap since I love the addition of the heath bar!
Definitely making these soon as we get back home to Montana! So happy you didn’t use butterscotch morsels!
I don’t think I have ever had a heath bar. These look wonderful.
These look so tasty!
I am weak at the knees reading this recipe… love toffee myself. thanks for sharing it with us on foodie friday.
Kate Donahue of http://foodbabbles.com linked this recipe in a recent tweet, and I was immediately attracted to it because of the toffee/chocolate combo and the use of browned butter in the batter. I just got back into my own kitchen from a road trip and made these blondies instantly. They’re outrageously good. Great balance of textures and flavors. Next time I’m doubling the recipe and baking it in a 9 x 13 pan. Brava skinny chick!
Oh, I am so totally a toffee fan too! And they are so good in baked treats. This looks as amazing as ever, Liz! (and I am belated in thank you for linking this up to the Weekend Kitchen Link Party…but thank you! I hope to see you there this weekend!)
I have to tell you that I just posted this recipe – it’s phenomenal! And I think I could easily eat a whole pan myself….
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