Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars - December 19, 2009

I'm doing a lot of baking to give out to church friends tomorrow (Sunday) and for my coworkers (Monday). When you need to bake for a large number of people and want to have a variety of stuff to give away, bar cookies that are easy to make and turn out well are a godsend. I don't like to make large batches of the same thing but prefer smaller amounts of different things. When I bake so much, making the same thing over and over again would drive me crazy because I like baking all sorts of different stuff. Which is why I probably wouldn't do well baking as a job as that's what 95% of those jobs are.

This recipe is especially easy to make, especially when you're pressed for time, because it starts with a cake mix. The additions of toffee bits, chocolate chips and nuts liven up the texture and flavor of this bar cookie. Do yourself a favor though and strain the cake mix before you use it. Boxed cake mixes are notoriously lumpy and if you use it without straining it first, you're forever trying to mash out the lumps in the batter. I always run mine through a large sieve I got when I was in culinary school. It makes sifting a breeze and is well worth the time up front to get it right. Last thing you want when you bite into a bar cookie, cake or whatever is a lump of flour (or cake mix).

Chocolate Chip Toffee Bars - made December 19, 2009 from Cake Mix Cookies by Camilla V. Saulsbury

1 18.25-ounce package yellow cake mix
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 large egg
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (e.g. walnuts, pecans or peanuts)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 10-ounce package toffee baking bits, divided

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark-coated metal pan). Position oven rack in middle of oven. Spray the bottom only of a 9 x 13-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (or foil line pan).
2. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, softened butter, and egg with an electric mixer set on medium speed until blended and crumbly; stir in nuts and 1 ½ cups chocolate chips. Set aside 1 ½ cups of the crumb mixture. Firmly press remaining crumb mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes.
3. Pour condensed milk evenly over partially baked crust; top with 1 ½ cups of the toffee bits. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture and remaining ½ cup chocolate chips evenly over top.
4. Bake 25-28 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup toffee bits. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Cut into bars.