Toffee Cookie Bars

My mother discovered the recipe for these cookie bars when I was 10 years old. We took a road trip to Canada soon after and distributed them to my relatives as we met them. Now, more than a decade later, these bars are still mentioned at family visits. I kid you not. They have chocolate and toffee and nuts and cookie and caramel. What more could a (cookie-bar loving) girl ask for? 

This is one of those recipes that produces an easy take along item (hence the reason we brought them on a road trip to Toronto). These are great for bake sales, family reunions, treat days and of course (and most importantly), bribery. 

Toffee Cookie Bars
By Skor Toffee, Adapted by Alexandra Rogers


Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 large egg, slightly beaten
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips divided
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz.) package of milk chocolate covered toffee baking bits*
butter for greasing pan


Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Grease a 9 x 13" baking pan and set aside.
2. In a medium container, mix chocolate chips and chopped nuts together. Set aside. Also set aside 1/4 cup of toffee bits.
3. In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar together. Add butter, chopped into tablespoon-sized pieces and smoosh it into the mixture with your fingers, until it resembles fine crumbs. Add the egg and mix well with a fork.
4. Stir 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chip/nut mixture into the crumb mixture. Once thoroughly combined, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the dough mixture and set aside. Press the remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom of the 9 x 13" pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
5. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the partially baked crust, spreading with a spatula to make sure it evenly coats. 
6. Sprinkle toffee bits (everything you have except the 1/4 cup you set aside in step 2) over the layer in the pan. 
7. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture and remaining chocolate chip/nut mixture over the top. 
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown on top. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup toffee bits.
9. Let cool, then cut into 1" x 2" rectangles and serve. Makes approximately 24 cookie bars.


*If you can find toffee baking bits that are not covered in chocolate, those would be better--and are what the original recipe calls for. I believe these have been discontinued because I haven't found them for years, but if you can find them, more power to you. Also, if you find them, will you please tell me where so I can go stock up?