What I’m Baking: DIY Heath Bars

Do you enjoy some good English Toffee?  A good Heath Bar?  I sure as hell do.  I always viewed making candy as a slow and tedious endeavor… and it is, but this one is actually easier than most.  I put it to the test today with great success.

Ingredients:

The Toffee:

• 1 Cup (2 Sticks) of Unsalted Butter
• 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/4 Cup of Water
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 Cup finely chopped Nuts (Optional)

The Directions

Before I proceed I must make this quite known; YOU WILL NEED A CANDY THERMOMETER!  There are no exceptions to this.  This is one reason why candy is so difficult.  With that said you will need to get out a medium sauce pan and a whisk.

— Line a Jellyroll pan with some non-stick foil and spray it with non-stick cooking spray —

Melt the butter in the pan on a medium to medium-high heat.  Add the water and the sugar.  Mix well.  Add the Salt and the Vanilla Extract and mix in.  Place the candy thermometer in the pan to where the bottom is well covered.  Continue to stir the mixture frequently giving it little spurts of time to cook.  Simmer and stir the mixture until it reaches 290 degrees on the Candy Thermometer.  Add the Nuts.  Once you reach 300 degrees you can pour the mixture into the prepared Jellyroll pan.  Feel free to let the mixture simmer up to 320 degrees depending on how hard you like your toffee BUT NO HIGHER THAN 320 DEGREES!!!!  Spread the toffee in the pan if needed so it coats the pan evenly.  When the toffee cools enough to where it is extremely thick but keeps it shape go ahead and cut it into squares with a knife.  Waiting too long will cause it to shatter into uneven pieces.  Let the cooling process complete and then separate and put your squares aside.

The Chocolate

• 1/2 Cup (One Stick) of Unsalted Butter
• 1 1/2 Cups Milk Chocolate or Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

For this you will need a double boiler if you intend to be successful.  Get a somewhat large saucepan and fill it halfway with water.  Place over heat and allow to start getting hot and boil at a low simmer.  In a saucepan a step smaller than the pan full of water or a bowl that fits over the saucepan with the bottom of the bowl somewhat in the pan melt the butter completely.  Use a whisk to stir the butter and add the chocolate ships.  Stir slowly until the butter and chips have melted together completely.  Get a sheet of non-stick foil and place it on a large cutting board.  Place your toffee squares on the foil.  Get a small ladle.  Pour the chocolate over the squares generously.  Place the squares in the fridge.  ENJOY!!!

And just like that… It’s simple!

What I’m Baking: My Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

I am currently enjoying a chocolate cookie of my own design.  I took a basic concept and tweeked it to fit my own.  cookies I had come across in the past were usually stiff.  I prefer a softer affair, personally.  So I crafted this cookie off the classic “Toll House” version to retain the rich robust taste I know and love with the soft chewy goodness I prefer in a cookie.  Here’s my special recipe!

Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies

A soft sweet cookie meant to tap in to our indulgent side with light sugary batter and dark decadent chocolate chips

 

• Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees
• 1 Stick (1/2 Cup) of softened to mildly stiff butter
• 2 Cups Flour
• ½ tsp. Baking Powder
• ¼ tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Salt
• ¾ Cups Packed Golden Brown Sugar
• 2 Cold Eggs (Yes, I said cold!  NO EXCEPTIONS!)
• 1 ½  tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 16oz (1 Bag) of Chocolate Chips
• 1 Cup of finely chopped Pecans (Optional)

Step1:

Measure and mix the flour baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.  Mix  until well blended.

Step 2:

In a different bowl, use a whisk or heavy duty fork to mildly mix the brown sugar and butter.  DO NOT MIX WELL!  Leaving it “lumpy” is part of the process.

Step 3:

Add the egg and the vanilla extract to the butter/sugar mixture and LIGHTLY mix it in still leaving the overall mixture lumpy and not perfectly mixed.

Step 4:

Add Flour mixture and use the whisk until the dough becomes too rough to mix with the whisk.  At this point add the chocolate chips and begin to fold the mixture together until it appears decently mixed and very thick.

Place by the spoonful on a baking sheet 2-3 inches apart and make somewhat lumpy.  Bake in the oven at 350 Degrees for 10 minutes.  Cookies should have a slight golden brown to the tips and sides of the cookie.  Cool and enjoy!