It is a gorgeous day today in Rochester, NY! It's a balmy 60 degrees, which is virtually unheard of for November in this neck of the woods - (we usually are getting hit with snow right about now). And boy do people around here know how to take advantage of random good weather. Grills are uncovered, the tennis courts are full, and joggers are taking over the sidewalks as everyone tries to soak in as much late sunshine as humanly possible.
Our neighbors are throwing an impromptu barbecue this afternoon, and I wanted to whip up something to bring over. I found these cookie bars from Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food" and decided to give them a try.
And.......wow. They are seriously good. Like addicting good. So good that I'm really tempted to just be a bad neighbor and go to the barbecue empty-handed so I don't have to share.
And the best part? They are the easiest things in the world to make!
Here's what you'll need:
Graham crackers, almonds, toffee bits, butter, sugar, bittersweet chocolate chips, and coarse sea salt.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grab a cookie sheet with a rim and line it with aluminum foil.
Now take about 13 graham crackers and line them up on the cookie sheet, edges touching, until you have a solid layer. (You may have to break some up to fit......that's okay)
Sprinkle with 8oz. of toffee bits. (That's usually a whole bag. Just throw it all on there)
Next, toss on about 1 1/2 cups of chopped almonds.
Now things get crazy....
Take 1 cup of butter (yep....that's 2 sticks) and 1/2 cup of sugar and bring it to a boil in a small saucepan.
Once it boils, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 2 minutes, until it looks thick and bubbly and syrupy. Kind of like this.
Immediately pour the butter mixture over the graham cracker layer. Stick the whole thing in the oven and bake for about 12 minutes, or until the sugar topping is nice and bubbly.
When you remove the pan from the oven, immediately sprinkle on about 3/4 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips and about 3/4 teaspoon of coarse sea salt.
Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to cut them into about 2 inch squares. Let them cool completely before serving.
Enjoy!
~Megan
