Toffee Bars

This past weekend I baked a batch of toffee bars. While mixing the ingredients I thought back to the first evening I tasted this delicious recipe. My grandma was in the habit of stopping by in the evenings during the summer months. We would often have a basket of tomatoes from our garden ready for grandma to take with her, and occasionally she would bring by a treat to enjoy while we visited. Grandma had her specialties, a family favorite often baked were molasses crinkle cookies. But this one evening grandma had tried a new recipe she discovered for toffee bars. They met with our approval, and she made a copy of the recipe for us.

I have made them several times over the years. It is a very simple recipe and quick to whip up in a hurry. Each time I bake this recipe I think of grandma, and cherish the legacy of cooking and baking she left behind her. That is how grandma shared her time and love through tasty meals and baked goods.

Toffee Bars

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown suger
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg yolk
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1.) Heat oven to 350 degrees
2.) Combine butter, sugar, vanilla and egg yolk until well mixed. Add flour and salt, stir. Press dough into ungreased 13 x9" pan.
3.)Bake 25-30 minutes or until very light brown (crust will be soft). Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over hot crust. Let stand about 5 minutes or until soft; spread evenly. Sprinkle with walnuts. Cool about 30 minutes in pan. Cut into bars while still warm.

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You may have noticed the beverage in the photo above. It is my new favorite- 1 tsp. instant coffee, 1 tsp. sugar mixed with warm milk. We refer to it as coffee milk in my family and it tastes great with a toffee bar. : )