Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bark

 

Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bark. Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 It's been a snowy week here in Georgia, and because it only happens every few years, we go a little bit crazy. When the weather forecasters start with the "perfect storm" prognosticating, I make sure the minivan has a full tank of gas, and that I have bottled water and granola bars stashed away just in case I'm in the car a little longer than I want to be. As for groceries, while everyone else heads for the bread, milk, Spam and frozen pizza, I make sure I have plenty of butter and eggs, because the extra time at home means time to bake.

And that's why I had three pounds of butter during this week's Snow Jam. And here's one way I used 1/2 of one of those pounds of butter ~ chocolate pecan toffee bark. This recipe is five-ingredient simple, and hits on all points of the butter-chocolate-salt-crunchy matrix. 

It begins with, of all things, graham crackers:

 And a buttery syrup:

That is poured over the crackers:

The crackers are baked, then topped with semi-sweet chocolate chips that melt into the crackers:

The toffee is finished with a sprinkling of chopped pecans. 

The mixture is popped into the fridge or freezer to cool, then is broken into a beautiful, bark-y puzzle.

Chocolate Pecan Toffee Bark

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated (white) sugar

1/2 box plain graham crackers

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips   

1 cup chopped pecans or other nuts

1. Heat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with foil, nonstick if you have it, making sure the foil goes up the sides of the pan.

2. In a medium sized pot, melt butter and sugars together. Let mixture come to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat, then let simmer for five minutes. 

3. While sugar syrup is bubbling away, line the foil covered pan with graham crackers, no spaces in between. Break crackers to fit edges of pan. 

4. When syrup is ready, pour over graham crackers. Place pan in oven and let bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

5. Remove pan from oven and let cool for just a few minutes. Sprinkle and spread chocolate chips over crackers. Use an offset spatula to smooth the melted chocolate over the crackers. Sprinkle nuts over the top of the chocolate. Let toffee cool for about an hour or so, then break into pieces. (If your fridge or freezer can hold the tray, pop it in for about 15 minutes to speed up the cooling process.) Store bark in an airtight container at room temperature.

Lemon Glazed Cookies



Lemon Glazed Lemon Cookies by Lucy Mercer/A Cook and Her Books

 It's easier to bake in the summer than the colder months. I know that sounds strange, but with the busy-ness of the school year, baking projects tend to be rushed and compartmentalized, without the spontaneous "gee, I think I'll bake cookies today" moments that I love. So, even though it heats up the house, we're baking cookies today - the homemade slice and bake kind. And they're lemon - which is turning out to be my theme ingredient this year - lemon glazed tea loaves, lemon ice cream, lemon pound cake, lemon pudding...


Glazed Lemon Cookies


adapted from Susan Purdy's The Family Baker

Yield: about 40 cookies

Cookie dough

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Glaze

3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. For the cookies: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and well blended. Beat in the egg, lemon extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Scrape down the bowl and beater and add flour, confectioners' sugar, cornstarch and baking soda, beating everything together until fully incorporated.

2. Dust a countertop with a small amount of flour and turn dough out. Knead lightly and shape into a log. I like a square cookie, so I square the edges. You can divide the dough into two logs, if that works better for your refrigerator. Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. You can also double wrap the dough logs, place in a freezer container, label and freeze for up to 2 months. If using frozen dough, set out on counter while the oven preheats, to make the dough easier to slice.

3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350. Line baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper. Place cookie dough log on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice 1/4-inch slices. Place on prepared baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 or until the cookies are a light golden brown on the edges. While cookies are baking, make glaze by combining lemon juice, confectioners' sugar and lemon zest. Use a spatula to gently remove the cookies from the baking sheet and place them on a wire rack set over wax paper or foil (to catch drips) to cool slightly. Use a brush to spread glaze on cookies while they're still warm. Let cookies dry and place them in airtight containers for storage.  It's a good idea to put parchment paper or waxed paper between the layers of cookies.