Butterscotch Bars

These simple bars are deceptively packed with butterscotch flavor courtesy of brown sugar and butterscotch chips. I used dark brown sugar for a more assertive flavor, but feel free to use light brown sugar if that's your preference. Note that light brown sugar will make them lighter in color than the ones shown here. (In France, cassonade and sucre vergoise are both available at natural foods stores, supermarkets, and Marks & Spencer food shops, sold as muscovado sugar.) You can read more on French sugars here.

A reader alerted me to Salted Caramel Chips made by King Arthur, which might work well in these in place of the butterscotch chips, although I haven't tried them yet.

I didn't tinker too much with the recipe although the original recipe called for "2 egg whites" and I didn't think an extra egg yolk would throw the recipe off, which it didn't. You might get away with adding the second egg yolk (rather than just the egg white), and if you do try it, let us know how they turn out. I also upped the butterscotch chips and salt, and decided to bake the bars in a foil lined baking pan so they lift out easier. You can see how to line a baking pan with foil here.

Course Dessert

Servings servings

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (90g) packed light or dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons (55g, 2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (175g) flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup (140g) butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC.) Line the inside of an 8-inch (20cm) square baking pan with foil so it overhangs up and over the edges, which'll make the bars easier to lift out after baking. Butter the foil with melted butter or spray with non-stick spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand in a medium bowl, beat together the two sugars and butter at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, egg white and vanilla, and beat on medium speed, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides, until well incorporated.
In a small, separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until well mixed in. You may need to give it a few stirs with a spatula until it's smooth.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Strew the butterscotch chips evenly over the top. Bake the butterscotch bars until the top is moderately golden brown and feels just set in the center when you touch it, about 22-25 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack. When cool, lift the bars out of the pan, remove the foil, and cut into rectangles.

Notes

Storage: The bars will keep up to five days in an air-tight container at room temperature, or they can be frozen. These bars are quite firm just after they're baked but the texture will change as they sit, and will soften up a day or two later.