I stole this recipe for Salted Toffee Bars from bettycrocker.com. These decadent toffee bars start with sugar cookie dough mixed with toffee bits that is baked in a large cookie sheet pan. A caramel and cream mixture is spread on top of the cookie base. Chocolate chips are sprinkled on top and spread until melted. Sea salt and more toffee bits are sprinkled on top to finish.
January 8th is National English Toffee Day and this recipe for salted toffee bars is not English Toffee, but it’s a close cousin and an easy way to celebrate (to see more Food Holidays see the National Food Holidays category or look at the Food Holiday Calendar).
Did you know? Toffee is a candy made by cooking sugar, water (or cream) and usually butter anywhere from 260 F to 310 F depending on making chewy or crunchy toffee.¹ (see more trivia in the Trivia tab)
Heat oven to 350 F. Line 15x10x1 inch cookie sheet with sides with foil. In a large bowl, stir 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix, ½ cup butter and 1 egg until soft dough forms. Stir in ½ cup of the toffee bits.
Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on cooling rack.
In 2-qaurt saucepan, heat caramels and cream over medium-low heat.
Stir constantly, until caramels are melted, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
Spread over warm cookie base. Bake 5 minutes. Return to cooling rack. Sprinkle 2 cups chocolate chips evenly over top. Let stand 3 minutes, spread melted chips evenly over filling.
Sprinkle with ¾ tsp coarse sea salt and ½ cup toffee bits.
Refrigerate bars until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Use foil to remove from cookie sheet for easier cutting. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.
I cut the bars in the 8 by 4 rows, then each square I cut diagonally into two triangles. These bars are so rich, I like having the smaller pieces, plus triangles are cute!
Salted Toffee Bars
Ingredients
- 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 egg
- 1 cup toffee bits
- 1 bag (11 oz) caramels, unwrapped
- ⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups semisweet or milk chocolate chips
- ¾ tsp coarse sea salt
Instructions
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Heat oven to 350 F. Line 15x10x1 inch cookie sheet with sides with foil. In a large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in ½ cup of the toffee bits. Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on cooling rack.
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In 2-qaurt saucepan, heat caramels and cream over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Spread over warm cookie base. Bake 5 minutes. Return to cooling rack. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over top. Let stand 3 minutes, spread melted chips evenly over filling. Sprinkle with sea salt and remaining toffee bits. Refrigerate bars until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows. Store cut bars at room temperature in an airtight container.
Recipe Notes
Use two pieces of foil overlapping, so there is plenty of foil to go up the sides and curl over the edges. Having the extra foil makes it easier to lift the bars out of the cookie sheet when cutting. You can use Kraft Premium Caramel Bits, which are little balls of unwrapped caramels. Only one local store carries this year round, otherwise it is seasonally available. Making the trip to buy the bits saves the hassle of unwrapping the caramels, because I always have one or two pieces that I can’t completely unwrap. The sea salt can be omitted, I have a family member who hates salted caramel. It still comes out great without the salt. I cut the bars in the 8 by 4 rows, then each square I cut diagonally into two triangles. These bars are so rich, I like having the smaller pieces, plus triangles are cute!