TWD - Caramel Crunch Bars

Dateline: Monday, February 23, 2009. Early afternoon.

I look at the clock, and realize that I need to get going on baking this week's Caramel Crunch Bars if they are going to be done, cooled and cut in time for the all-important Late Afternoon Sun Photography Window.

(The bars were this week's TWD choice, picked by Whitney of What's left on the table? I approve of this choice.)

2:12 pm - assemble ingredients on counter. Feel a gush of relief pleased and organized that for once, all ingredients are on hand, in sufficient quantities to prepare recipe. Feel slightly smug that I even remembered to pull out my sticks of butter in time for them to be room temperature. I am invincible.

Begin by creaming butter and sugar. Scrape down bowl and take tiny nibble of fluffy creamed substance.

Add dry ingredients. Breathe deeply the whiff of espresso and cinnamon that reaches up to tickle and tantalize my senses. Decide that I need to take another nibble, to see if the flavors are, you know, balanced.

Add chocolate to dough. Need to confirm that bittersweet chocolate is not overpowering other flavors. Take nibble.

Decide to spread dough in a 9x9 pan instead of the recommended 9x13, to have thicker base layer. Dough is sticky, gets all over knuckles. The only option at this point is to lick knuckles clean.

I notice that there is some extra dough stuck to Kitchen Aid paddle attachment. I remedy the situation.

The pan goes into the oven, I give it an extra ten minutes or so since I am making a thicker layer, and while it cooks, I make sure there is not any errant dough on the bowl or the rubber scraper, since my dishwasher will be incapable of thoroughly removing this stuck-on food. When my children happen to pass through the kitchen, I turn my back to them and pretend my mouth is not full.

2:52 pm - cookies are out of oven. I sprinkle chips over all and start to spread. Darn! Chips are gooey and I get chocolate on the side of my hand as I spread! I lick it off.

There is an alarming amount of chocolate stuck on my offset spatula that will not work it's way into the chocolate layer on the cookie. I must clean my spatula.

I add toffee bits to the chocolate layer, and carefully following Dorie's instructions, press them down lightly into the chocolate with my fingertips. This results in chocolate and toffee bits all over my fingers. I clean them, the old-fashioned way.

3:15 pm - since my crunch bars have the nerve to not be completely set up and ready to eat after 15 minutes, I pop them in the freezer. I mean, come ON.

3:45 pm - ready to cut! Okay, maybe there are a few shiny spots left on the top, but I'm sure it will all work out.

Dorie says to trim the edges where they are thick. Who am I to argue? And what is to become of all those crunchy edges? I test one to see how the bar tastes, now that everything is cooked. I'm not sure I got the full Flavor Rainbow with the first bite. I'd better try again. I'll pay better attention this time, I promise.

I cut the bars into small squares, but since they persist in being not-quite-completely-cooled, they crumble quite a bit, and leave a swath of warm chocolate on the side of my serrated knife. I hate dirty knives. And I hate crumbs all over my counter. I will feel much more peaceful if I clean those up.

But - wait! I tried one of those nice crispy edge pieces, but I really ought to compare that to the soft, gooey piece in the middle. Otherwise, how will I give an accurate opinion about this recipe? In the interest of my readers, I try a middle piece.

I take the bars over to my Late Afternoon Sun Photography Studio Window, and snap some pictures while there are still bars to be photographed. Because the way the afternoon is going, there might not be any left by sundown.