Caramelized edges, molten, gooey middle. Crispy, crinkly top. Oozy, soft dark chocolate. Sugary golden brown butter poured and molded into bar form. That's what I first wrote when I tried these butterscotch dark chocolate bars.
We'll get to them in a moment - and if you're in a rush to read the recipe, by all means, scroll down to the bottom of the page, where you'll find it waiting for you. But do come back - I thought I'd dust off my hands and share a few things about me. After all, here you are standing in my kitchen, and I haven't even introduced myself properly.
You can always visit my ABOUT page - but that's sort of like handing you a formal printed bio of me while I'm standing right there next to you. Toss that aside and let me share a few things you wouldn't necessarily know instead.
I've always loved books. When my first grade teacher Mrs. Fleetwood cried while reading a particularly emotional section of Charlotte's Web out loud to the class, I stood up and told her I'd be happy to finish it for her (she politely declined).
My current favorite genre is historical fiction, and I still love a good fantasy story, just like when I was little. And there are always cookbooks...
My paternal grandparents ran a fishing resort in the 1930s and 40s. The property, located in a magical archipelago of islands off the northwest coast of Washington State, is still in our family today. The resort closed down in the 50s, but the vestiges of its prior identity remain.
We have an 80 pound black lab mix named Enzo. My husband and I adopted him after we bought our house. He was 15 months old, still puppyish in demeanor, yet fully grown. He's got a heart of gold, but barks like a maniac at the mailman and any other animals in sight. He's a massive shedder; clumps sail around the house like desert tumbleweeds.
When Enzo was first settling in, he did a lot of stress chewing. One week he ripped to shreds several coffee table books, a full bag of tomatoes, and the box of colored pencils that left him with a guilty rainbow grin.
📖 Recipe
Butterscotch Dark Chocolate Bars
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ pound unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 oz dark chocolate, chips or chunks
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to cover the base, including enough extra to overlap two opposing sides and form handles with which you can lift the cooled bars out.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar together until blended.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions. Add the vanilla and stir to blend.
- Add the flour mixture and stir with a spoon or spatula until just blended. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25 minutes, or until set in the middle. My preference leans towards under-baked, so I tend to start checking on these 5 minutes early.
- Let the bars cool in the pan (if you have the will) and then transfer to a cutting board to cut into squares. If you want them neat and tidy, wipe the knife clean between slices.
Celene says
I'm not sure what I did wrong but is thebatter supposed to be rather thick? I wasn't able to pour it in the pan but rather dollop and try to spread it. I double checked the recipe 3 times as well. These weren't my favorite, they taste to me like chocolate chip cookie bars.
Kathleen Culver says
Hi Celene,
Thanks so much for trying my recipe!
I'm sorry you had a frustrating experience.
Sometimes a batter will thicken if the butter begins to cool significantly.
Kathleen
Tracey Mardon says
Just had another thought, this would work well with rhubarb! We've just finished rhubarb season here in the Okanagan but raspberries are great this year.
Tracey Mardon says
I had some Meyer Lemons to use this aft and thought it might be nice to do a lemon version of Persian cake. I loved the srtaightforward no nonsense approach you took. % ingredients, I love it. Very yummy! I had time to pick the raspberries just before a thunderstorm let loose so I put some of those on top.
A girl after my own heart, I loved coming home from school and disappear into whatever book I had on the go.
Good to meet you:)
Scott says
Total FOMO because I'm not in the kitchen right now...these are a dream!
Thank you for the great recipe and beautiful pictures : )
The Floured Table says
Ha! The kitchen will be there waiting for you - and so will these. They're worth it, especially if you eat them warm.