YULETIDE TOFFEE SQUARES

 This last week of Christmas I am staying busying with an assortment of treats for neighbors and friends and I'm loving it. I need to be doing something and I can't think of anything better than baking. Well, maybe sewing, but I will have plenty of time for that after Christmas. It has been a while so I definitely need to rediscover my sewing room and make something besides face masks.

So guess what you are going to be seeing this week. I have to say if you need some last minute gift ideas, you can't go wrong with any of the treats I will be sharing this week. 

This first one is one I have made three times to finally get it right. The first time I forgot the brown sugar. The second time I didn't forget any ingredients, but it was so hard to get out of the pan, I just knew no matter how good it tasted, I couldn't share it here. I guess the key words in that sentence are "how good it tasted" that made me determined to not give up. And third time was charmed. I also used old fashioned oats the first time and quick oats the last two. 

Only to be different, the third time I made it, I used chocolate chips on half and peanut butter chips on the half. The difference was the peanut butter chips don't melt as easily as the chocolate chips and I had to wait longer to spread them out. Then I decided to spread in the chocolate I had already spread on half into the peanut butter because they didn't melt and spread as well. It tastes good so just do whatever you want.

This is another one of those recipes I have had forever in my Blue Binder. I think it must have been a recipe in an ad for either oats  because on the page in the binder below the recipe is another recipe for Lemon Oat Lacies and the brand of oats is in dark print. The recipe says it makes about 6 dozen. I didn't count when I cut them into strips and then squares. You use a jelly roll pan 15 x 10 - inches so it makes a lot. 

YULETIDE TOFFEE SQUARES

4-1/2     cups oats (quick or old fashioned)

1           cup firmly packed brown sugar

3/4        cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, melted

1/2        cup corn syrup

1           tablespoon vanilla

1/2        teaspoon salt (optional) (I did omit)

1           12-ounce package (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate morsels (I like to use dark chocolate chips)

2/3         cups chopped nuts (optional) I used walnuts

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line sides and bottom of a jelly-roll pan (15 x 10 - inches) with foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Combine oats, brown sugar,

butter, corn syrup, vanilla, and salt (if you are using it);

mix well.

Firmly press mixture into prepared pan.

(I spread about 2/3rds of the mixture first in the center of the pan and

then fill in spaces with the rest a little as needed.

I also found using a fork works best.)

Bake about 18 minutes or until mixture is brown and bubbly. (I just look for bubbly.) Remove from oven.

Immediately sprinkle chocolate morsels evenly over the toffee. Let stand 10 minutes. (It won't take this long if you are using chocolate chips. The chocolate chips will be soft after 3 minutes.) 

Spread chocolate evenly over the toffee and

sprinkle with nuts, if you using them. You can always do half with nuts and half plain if you have concerns with nuts allergies.

Cool completely! Lift candy up by ends of the foil.

Peel back foil on edges.

Cut into strips and then into pieces the size you want.

Store tightly covered in cool, dry place. I also placed a sheet of wax paper between layers.

Make sure you come back tomorrow for another great gift from the kitchen.