Toffee Brownies

Yield: 24 brownies

Tips: If there's anyone out there who doesn't love brownies, I'm not sure I want to meet them. Unhappily, many brownies are dry or lacking in chocolate flavor, and those with "add-ins", such as toffee, often contain scant allowances of their special ingredients. These are different! Moist and fudgy, chewy, and easy to make, these have lots of toffee chunks. To achieve that effect, do not overmix or overbake the brownies, and do not use prepackaged toffee bits. Those usually aren't chocolate-covered, and they're in such small pieces that they'll either melt during baking or not give you the desired crunch when you bite into a brownie.

You'll need 8 (1.4 ounces each) chocolate-covered toffee bars per pan of these brownies. I use either Heath or Skor, because those are the brands I can find. Both are flat bars. You'll want to chop them into chunks no more than about 1/2 inch on a side. Incidentally, I find both the flavor and texture of these brownies improves if they're made a day ahead. Cool completely, then cover airtight and let stand at room temperature overnight before serving. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze (they freeze perfectly) for longer storage.

Ingredients:

Line a 7 by 11 inch pan, at least 1-1/2 inches deep, with heavy-duty aluminum foil (or use two lengths of regular weight foil), leaving overhang on all sides and pressing the overhang back against the outsides of the pan. Smooth out as many creases in the foil lining the pan as possible. Adjust rack to center of oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

By hand, chop toffee into chunks (I use a large, sharp, straight-edged knife). Chunks should not be larger than about 1/2 inch on a side, but don't make them tiny. You'll have some breakage and uneven pieces--OK. Cover tightly and set aside at room temperature.

In heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, combine chopped chocolate and butter. Set over very low heat; with large spoon, stir almost constantly just until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Add sugar and vanilla; stir in until well-mixed. Beat in eggs, one at a time, just until well-incorporated. Add flour and salt and stir only until blended. Fold in toffee chunks until evenly distributed. This is a lot of toffee for this amount of batter--OK.

Turn into prepared pan and spread level, making sure batter is well-pushed into corners. Bake in preheated oven about 17 to 21 minutes, turning pan back-to-front about halfway during baking. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted about an inch from the edge of the pan emerges with only a few moist crumbs still clinging to it. Do not overbake!

Cool completely at room temperature before serving or (preferably) storing overnight. To cut, remove block of brownies, still uncut and in foil, from pan. Peel back foil from sides; use a large, sharp, straight-edged knife and press down firmly as you cut. Store airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days; freeze for longer storage.

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