Starbucks' Toffee Almond Bars

[bushey]

I've developed a "thing" for the chewy, blondie style Toffee Almond Bars from Starbucks and would love to make them at home. Did a google search but couldn't find the right recipe -- kept finding ones for crunchy toffee bars, not the nice chewy ones.

Does anyone have a reasonable facsimile to share?

[NWM]

Try looking in Lisa Yockelson's "Baking by Flavor" cookbook. It's full of amazing recipes. For toffee, check under the "buttercrunch" chapter, I believe.

[CanadianBakin']

This recipe for Blondies submitted by Varmint might fit the bill. I've never had the bars you mention but I believe this is a chewy bar and you could just adapt it by adding sliced almonds and toffee chunks or whatever Starbucks uses.

[bushey]

Thanks, CB, that looks like a great blondie recipe. The Starbucks' version doesn't have almonds in it, just almond flavor, so I could substitute 2 tsp almond extract for some of the vanilla and add some chunks of toffee bars. Their version also has nougat in it, but I could live without that.

[JFLinLA]

You might also want to take a look at my Coffee-Kahlua Chocolate Chip Blondies and figure out how to adapt them for what you are looking for.

Or, here's another option:

Zazu's Jaspers (from an old LA Times Sunday Magazine, with my comments added)

1/2 pound unsalted butter

1 2/3 brown sugar, packed

2 cups white flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons almond extract

3/4 cup crumbled Heath Bars (4 ozs) -- I prefer Skor Toffee Chips which I use instead

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat so the butter bubbles gently and turns slightly golden but does not burn.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the brown sugar. Stirn until the sugar is incorporated, then let the mixture stand until it cools to lukewarm. Don't worry if the butter and sugar separate. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

When the butter/sugar mixture is lukewarm, add the eggs one at a time stirring until incorporated. Then add the almond extract. Stir in the dry ingredients, then gently fold in the crumbled Heath Bars (or my preferred Skor Toffee Chips). Spoon the batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan and sprinkle white chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 35 minutes at 350. Cool and cut to desired size.

Edited July 13, 2005 by JFLinLA (log)

[bushey]

Thanls! The toffee in the Starbucks' bars is in pretty big chunks, so I will stick with the bars, crumbled into largish pieces. Also, I'll probably use a white chocolate baking bar so I can break it into big pieces as well.

My daughter is planning to do some fund raising for a trip to do some volunteer work in Tanzania. I bet these bars would be big sellers, at $. 75 - $1.00 each.

[Misa]

Bushey, if you do get something fairly close, please let us know what worked! That's the number one thing that I buy at Starbucks.