Trick... or treat? For the latest Chow Bella showdown, our writers whipped up a dessert reminiscent of, or incorporating, their favorite Halloween candy. Check back all week for recipes; tomorrow our critic Laura Hahnefeld will pick her favorite.
Today: Claire Lawton's Chocolate Chip Heath Bars
See also: - Make Your Own Candy Corn - Make Your Own Candy Sushi
I've always been a huge fan of anything chocolate, but I've successfully kept my thing for toffee a secret (especially from my dentist). You can't like all the sweets, right? In any case, when I discovered the killer pairing of chocolate and toffee in a Heath Bar, I couldn't be stopped. I was so happy to put 10 of them onto the checkout conveyor belt for this recipe, it was slightly embarrassing.
Here's the recipe for a dessert using my all-time-favorite Halloween (and year-round) candy.
Ingredients: - 2 1/2 cups flour - 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar - 3/4 cup butter - 1 large egg - 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips - 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14oz) - 8 oz of crushed Heath Bar (see what I did here, 10 was way too many ...)
Directions: 1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat your 9-by-13-inch baking pan with no-stick spray. 2. In large bowl, mix flour and sugar. Cut in butter and mix. Then add the egg and mix again. 3. Stir in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (note: you'll have some left over). Set aside 1 1/2 cups if this mixture, and press the remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. 4. Pour condensed milk over partially baked crust. Set aside 1/4 cup toffee bits and sprinkle the remainder over the pan. Now sprinkle the crumb mixture you set aside earlier and the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips over top. 5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup toffee bits. Cool completely. Cut as you wish. Do not eat all at once.