16 Chocolate - Pecan Toffee Bars

So you heard about the hot pink lipstick I bought last week...(which by the way I rocked again to a sushi date) well I did it again.  This time I picked up a nude and pastel pink.  I'm just so ready for spring, this year that apparently means...lipstick.

I've always been into makeup, I had Tinkerbell play makeup as a little girl and then quickly moved on to my neon purple and teal caboodle (thank you 1990s).  My friends and I would walk a mile or so up to the store to buy whatever makeup we could with our allowance.  Digging through the sale bins or splurging on that perfect color.  I would divide my haul between the little compartments in my cherished caboodle and then we'd give each other make-overs.  I was secretly bummed when it became uncool to do those makeovers.

I made these killer bars to take to a friends house.  She had put together a fantastic lunch and then we played some serious cut-throat scrabble games.  It was a blast and these decadent bars were a hit as we sat around the table nibbling on them and staring hard at the board.  The buttery toffee glazing the pecans and shortbread-like crust, all topped off with sweet milk chocolate...hello lover.  Surprisingly, they aren't super sweet, but have a nice balance; next time I think I might add a little sea salt.  And...if you eat them right away they are nice and chewy, but beware these bars harden up over time (still good just a little crunchy).

Chocolate-Pecan Toffee Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 stick butter, cold cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Toffee topping:

2/3 cup butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup light brown sugar

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2.  In a large bowl mix together the flour and brown sugar.  Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the cold butter until the flour has a sandy texture to it, and any butter clumps are about pea sized.

3.  Line a 13x9 pan with parchment paper and press the flour mixture into the bottom of the pan evenly.

4.  Sprinkle the pecans over the crust.

5.  In a small sauce pan melt the ingredients for the toffee topping together.  Stirring the butter and sugar together constantly so that it doesn't burn.  Cook over medium heat until boiling and let boil for about 30 seconds.  Pour immediately over the pecan/crust in the pan.  Be sure to drizzle it evenly you won't be able to spread it out.

6.  Bake for 20 minutes until topping is bubbling and crust is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and set the pan down to cool on a wire rack.  Immediately add the chocolate chips, pouring evenly over the top.

7.  Let cool completely in the pan and then use the parchment paper to remove.  Cut into squares and enjoy!!

(Lightly adapted from Hershey's Chocolate Cookbook)

(Shared on Clever Chicks Blog Hop)