Toffee Bars - December, 2016.

British toffee is simply the best, so I like to bake this bar for my late afternoon Boxing Day (December 26) bash for neighbors in my apartment building.

If you don't know, toffee is primarily dark brown sugar. What's not to like, I ask my NYC self? I fall in love with this double-decker bar every time I bake it and then promise to get myself back to London.

This recipe is on pages of 78 and 79 of Fat Witch Brownies (cookbook #1).

• Ingredients
• Crust
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted
   butter at room temperature
• ½ cup gently packed light brown
    sugar
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sweetened
   condensed milk
• Topping
• 1 cup gently packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Directions
• Grease a 9" square baking pan with butter and dust with flour. Tap out the excess. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Crust
• Cream the butter and sugar until smooth in a medium bowl.
• Measure the flour and sift directly into the butter mixture.
• Mix until well combined.
• Add the milk and mix until well blended.
• Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 13-14 minutes or until the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
• Take the pan out of the oven and set aside.
• Do not turn off the oven.
• Topping
• In a large bowl, cream the dark brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth.
• Measure the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Sift directly into the sugar mixture.
• Mix gently until well combined.
• Using a silicone spatula, spread the topping over the crust.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the pan comes out clean or with crumbs, not batter on it.
• Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a rack or at least 1 hour.
• Cut just before serving.