Butterscotch Brickle Bars

I try to keep my cupboard stocked full of different types of chips for baking. I admit that I usually do have butterscotch chips on hand, but I can never figure out what to do with them. Lacking inspiration, I usually just throw them in a batch of oatmeal cookies and call it a day. I think the last bag of butterscotch chips I had got too warm during the summer and had turned in to an odd melty mess. (I live in the Seattle area, so no air conditioning. It does get hot for a couple of days in the summer!)

Just recently I’ve come across two butterscotch bar cookie recipes that caught my eye. I’m not sure why they were so immediately appealing, but I figured I hadn’t really used butterscotch in a long time. Of the two recipes, I didn’t choose the butterscotch bourbon bars as I had just made bourbon bread pudding. I’ll save those for another day. I need to pick up more of that great sweet tea bourbon anyway.

Making these, the butterscotch smell reminds me of grade school, where you used to mix butterscotch chips and Chow Mein noodles to make bird nests. It’s been years since I made those, but that’s what I instantly think of when I smell butterscotch chips. These were easy to put together, although I wish there had been just a touch more topping. The original recipe has you score the bars when they are still warm; mine were so delicate that I didn’t dare touch them. They were better after cooling about an hour, although they still were fairly delicate. The buttery butterscotch coupled with the toasted pecans is wonderful! I’m so glad I tried these.

1-1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon butter
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon water
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 13×9 inch pan with foil and butter the foil.

In a large mixer bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, butter and 1/4 tsp. salt and blend until crumbly. Press into the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes.

When the crust comes out of the oven, prepare the topping. Melt the butter in either in a double boiler or in the microwave. Add the butterscotch chips, corn syrup, water and salt to the double boiler and stir until melted (or microwave at 50% power for 30 second increments). Stir in the pecans and spoon over the crust, spreading evenly. Bake for an additional 8 minutes. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and then remove from pan. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Recipe from Cookie Madness