Butterscotch Blondie Bars (Time Saver Recipe)

The weather is getting cold. Hat and gloves and even boots, kind of cold. Wintery weather calls for steaming mugs of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Whatever your warming beverage choice, it’s a good idea to have a chewy Butterscotch Blondie Bar along side. Butterscotch is a comforting, cozy flavor that warms the soul. Butterscotch Blondie Bars are like hand-held comfort.

This is recipe #4 in the Time Saver Recipe series! If you have been following along, you have already seen that using cake mix or refrigerated cookie dough can be a shortcut to home-baked deliciousness. Today’s recipe speeds baking preparation using vanilla cake mix to create soft, chewy, Butterscotch Blondie Bars.

Have you ever wondered what the differences are between butterscotch, toffee, and caramel? I think the flavors are very similar, but I am a confectionery novice. I do own a candy thermometer, which has been used for a handful of sugary experiments, but that is where my confectionery experience ends. So I tried looking up the differences. To be honest, my research provided some answers, but left me with new questions.

Caramel is made with white sugar, cream, butter, and vanilla. Its primary flavors are sugar and cream. Butterscotch is made with brown sugar (rather than white) and butter. Despite what the name seems to indicate, butterscotch does not contain scotch, or any other alcohol. Butterscotch was originally a hard candy that was “scotched”, or scored, to make cutting easier.  Toffee has the same ingredients as butterscotch, but is cooked longer (to the “hard crack” stage) to produce crunchy, hard candy. I can’t figure out what the difference is between hard candy butterscotch and toffee. If you know, please explain!

Luckily, no confectionery knowledge is necessary to enjoy the sweet, creamy flavor of Butterscotch Blondie Bars! With this Time Saver Recipe, you can bake and share these bars in less than 30 minutes! Butterscotch Blondie Bars also make great care package treats, staying soft for up to a week!

Be sure to see the other Time Saver Recipes in this series. Chocolate Covered Cherry Bars, Cinnamon Chip Biscotti, and Gingerbread Spice Cookies are all perfect for gifts, care packages, and holiday cookie platters! Check back tomorrow for the next Time Saver Recipe!

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Butterscotch Blondie Bars (Time Saver Recipe)

Adapted from “The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book” by Camilla Saulsbury

Makes 24 bars

Author Wendy Sondov themondaybox.com

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow vanilla cake mix
• ¼ cup brown sugar packed
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 2 tablespoons toffee bits for sprinkling on the top

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cake mix, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla.
3. Mix in the butterscotch chips.
4. Using a spatula, press the dough evenly into an ungreased 13” x 9” pan.
5. Sprinkle toffee bits on top, using fingers to lightly press the bits into the dough.
6. Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
8. Store bars at room temperature in an airtight container or freezer weight ziplock bag for up to 7 days.

Packing Tips

Wrap blondie bars in pairs, or individually, in plastic wrap. Place bundles snugly in an airtight container or freezer weight ziplock bag. For long distance shipping, don’t cut into bars. Wrap the intact 13” x 9” rectangle in foil, then plastic wrap. Include a plastic knife in the care package for cutting the blondies into bars.

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