12 Days of Christmas, Day 8: Candy Bars

I have a hellova a time every year finding bars for my Christmas trays that I am able to fall in love with.  Some of them just don't stand the test of time or durability compared to the ones that I grew up with.  (Seriously, there is just nothing like a big, fat O'Henry Bar on a tray.  It is universally recognized, and seriously scrummly.  Everyone seems to think so, it always disappears FIRST when I bring a tray to a party!)  I spend so much time finding something that fits my trifecta of pleasure.  Looks great, easy to make, and tastes like eleventy billion dollars in your mouth.  Easy, right?  Ha, ha....right.  Not so much.

This year I had a horrible time finding recipes for bars that I could love.  I could only find 3 this year.  That is a crying shame but, I suppose when you can only find 3, it might as well be the best dang 3 that you have had in the last year.  This bar would be one of them....

Candy Bar
1 c. unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla paste or vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
6 two ounce milk chocolate candy bars
2/3 c. chopped pecans
2/3 c. toffee bits

Preheat oven to 375 F degrees and line a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with aluminum foil and grease it well with butter or butter flavored non-stick cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer) beat your butter on medium high until it begins to lighten a bit in color.  Then add in your brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Beat for a couple of minutes until the mixture seems to have gained a little bit of volume.  Add in the flour and salt and beat until it is well combined.

Turn it out into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven to a cooling rack and immediately put the chocolate bars on the top so they can begin to melt.  Once they are completely melted, spread to the corners and all over, evenly.  When you feel like you have covered them well enough, give the pan a little shake and you'll see the chocolate lose the grooves from the knife or spatula you used to spread the chocolate.  Then, sprinkle the toffee bits and chopped pecans on the top.  Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting them.

  
I suppose I don't need to explain to you why I called these what I did, do I?  I feel like these don't take much explaining.  Hell, I just like looking at them.  It is my next favorite thing to do AFTER eating them.  About a half of a pan of them.  Errrre me GERRRRRSH!  Between my mother in law and I, I had to get them out of the house.  They were safely deposited at the office where the Mister works.  I heard they were well received.  Go figure.  It seems like pecans, toffee, and milk chocolate are sort of....popular.  Whew!  Here I was worried he would bring some of it back home and tell me everyone hated it lol...