Mixing chocolate chips into batter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Don’t be fooled. I have lots of “Favourite Easy Recipes” of all time, because that is just the way I roll. This recipe is from a magazine and was included in a “Teens in the Kitchen” article. I figured if kids could do it, I could do it. And—this is the important part – it is from scratch and uses real flour. I used to have a fear of flour. I have conquered that fear. I still have a fear of yeast.
My youngest son loves these bars and asks for them all the time. That is a good indication that it is a good recipe. He is one very picky eater.
This recipe also meets my all important criteria of not having more than five ingredients so I do not get confused.
So, without further ado:
TOFFEE BARS
1 ½ cups butter
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
3 cups of flour
1 cup of chocolate chips
1. Heat oven to 350 F
2. Put butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in large bowl and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes until completely combined. Add flour and mix on low for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. (This is not for the faint of heart—by now the cookie dough is quite stiff—good for the biceps!)
3. Put dough in an ungreased 15 X 10 inch baking pan (I don’t have one so use a 10 x 13 I think) and press into an even layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Let cool for only 5 minutes then cut into squares. (If you let them cool longer, they will crack when you cut them).
This is a very forgiving recipe as I am a distracted cook—I think I have added the flour with the butter and brown sugar and vanilla, and I usually mix everything on high (remember my brother’s motto—everything is better on high). Sometimes I do not have vanilla. But I always have chocolate chips. This is like a moist brown sugar shortbread with chocolate chips—could there be anything better?
Seriously easy and seriously delicious.
Anyone have suggestions for me on how to get rid of my fear of yeast?
That’s my kind of cookie. As for fear of yeast, I too used to be afraid of making bread with yeast. Then I tried it. It’s not that bad and even for those days when I forget about the bread and come back to find it overflowing the bowl it still turns out good.
I love homemade bread and some day want to try my hand at it
Looks like a very easy receipe. I will copy this and try it out at sometime in the future.
it is very easy or I would not post it and it is good too
I too had a fear of yeast until I got a Kitchen Aid Mixer. Now I’m a yeast nerd. I buy it in jars. That thing makes homemade bread so easy, I do it quite a bit. You just follow the instructions and let it do it’s thing. You barely have to even touch the dough when the wonderful machine is done with it. That recipe sounds awesome by the way!
good advice-
-the bars are really good and of course, easy
Not fair . . . you give us this recipe two days after Thanksgiving? My pants already don’t fit anymore.
sorry – you will be svelte again in a couple of weeks – so save it for Christmas – hope you had a great Thanksgiving
I love the 5 ingredient rule!
me too — makes life so much less complicated
Wahhh, now I’m hungry!!! Yummy
it has chocolate chips in it just for you
My kind of recipe….I am going to make them for dessert next weekend when the family gets together at the cottage. As for your fear of yeast, I am of no help, I rarely break out the packets, come to think of it, I’d better throw away the forgotten granules hiding in the pantry, must be a couple of years old by now.
we are just not yeast kind of gals–this is a good recipe though–it may be a bit crummy if you don’t pat it down solidly but that does not affect how good they are–I have overbaked them and even kind of hard they are good
I like pastries that are good, sweet, and easy. I think I’ll have to try these.
this fits your criteria
we had fear of yeast too. especially when our first attempt ended in the trash but was so heavy it took two of us to take it out. fear of yeast can be easily conquered with a 5 quart cast iron dutch oven and a copy of Jim Lahey’s “My Bread”. the first time we made it we had no hope-and it was perfect. we still have fear of other yeast and have yet to stray from his recipes, but we’ve been baking bread every weekend since we bought the books.
thank you for the advice — sounds like a good plan
this recipe is simple/perfection!
i conquered my fear of yeast by following the most straightforward {and desirable} recipe i could find — http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/naan-indian-oven-baked-flat-bread-recipe/index.html — and placing the dough in the warmest part of the house i could imagine {the hot-water-heater room}
…and i agree with the above recommendation ~ Jim Lahey’s no-knead bread is amazing
I will check it out — I love naan bread or any kind of bread for that matter
the recipe I gave out today is so good and so easy
These sound really delicious. If I see yeast in a recipe, I trash it.
ha ha – me too – but some of our other blogger friends have some good ideas in that respect if you want to read through the comments
Remember that beer has yeast in it. It’s hard to be afraid of beer.
I’m absolutely going to try this. It’s easy and has only a few ingredients – totally up my alley. I bookmarked it. I’d make it tomorrow, but have just been told that I need to make a birthday cake for my motherinlaw, whose birthday is today, apparently. Sigh. I love the advance warning my husband gives.
I love this perspective — my fear of yeast is waning with this knowledge and that of a few other commenters
Make this recipe and stick candles in it! Husbands are lovely but have no sense of timing
I am so hungry right now and this recipe is killing me.
it is a very good recipe–and a bit addictive
i have all these ingredients, it is football sunday… all the right stuff AND I am still hungry
takes only minutes cause if it took any more than that I would lose interest — I am a somewhat scattered cook
That sounds absolutely delicious and easy is always very good! I always have choc chips in too so may even make these today!
even I generally have the ingredients — and butter was just on sale, so I am stocked up for Christmas baking
Sounds good! I love Christmas baking!
I love eating it more than doing it!
Sounds like something to help me wipe away the tears.
I have such a sweet tooth- I better be careful with these. I could probably polish off the whole pan by myself.
go ahead–then throw the pan at the jerk! sorry – I am getting carried away
[...] I was inspired by LouAnn‘s blog this morning and this afternoon have made her Toffee Bars. As she says, [...]
Yeast should not be feared! It’s so easy to work with, no different from any other ingredient. Just go with something basic to start with, like a standard white sandwich loaf, and you’ll be hooked right away.
I hope you are right
This likes it will be the one Lou! I will be tying this recipe this week Thank you Enjoy your time away`
hope you like it–happy munching
Don’t fear yeast! Think of them as darling little living critters who work really hard to help you make bread! I gotta try your recipe, for sure.
that is a great thought – fear almost cured
Sounds delicious! I’ll have to give it a try soon. I’m a fan of anything gooey and chocolatey, so this sounds like a keeper! ~ Sheila
and way easier than pie!
YUM! Can’t wait to do this one! Thanks!
it is a good one!