Heath Bar Brownies

So, hopefully none of you are looking at my recipes expecting something healthy, right? Like, something with a tofu reduction and kale crust? I don’t even know how those would work but they sound disgusting. The reason I bring this up, though, is because this recipe, in addition to all the sugar, butter, etc. that one expects from a dessert recipe, also calls for 5 candy bars. If you haven’t guessed from the title, Heath Bars. And I wouldn’t be mad if you went with 6 instead because while it’s not always the case, here more is totally better.

Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

1 c walnut pieces
3/4 c butter
3 ½ oz. unsweetened chocolate
¾ c flour
½ t salt
¼ t baking soda
1 2/3 c sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ t vanilla
5 Heath Bars (or, you know, 6). Chop these bad boys into little pieces.

Directions

Take the walnuts and spread them out on a cookie sheet so that they’re not on top of one another. Bake them at 350 for about 8 – 10 minutes, using a spatula to mix them around 2 or 3 times during the baking. Basically, you want to do this until the nuts are a little darker then when they started, and smell nice and toasty. This is just one of those things where you have to watch them, but it’s simple. When they’re done, take them out, and let them cool.

Butter and flour a pan – 13×9 works, but so does 9×9 – the brownies are just a little thicker with the smaller pan. Put the pan to the side.

Put the butter and unsweetened chocolate into a small saucepan and put the heat on low. Slowly melt the two together, stirring a lot as you go. Once everything is melted and mixed together, move off the heat to cool – it doesn’t need to cool all the way. Don’t lick the spoon – I tried and it’s not amazing. I thought the butter would make everything ok, but no – you’re using unsweetened chocolate and that wins. If you’re reading this you’re probably a licker so I just want to warn you.

Mix flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl, put aside. With a hand mixer, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl. When they’re all together beat in the chocolate mixture until that’s all mixed, then beat in the flour mixture until that’s all mixed.

Unplug mixer and lick the beaters. THESE will be delicious. Then again, it’s raw eggs so maybe not. Maybe just proceed with care. Anyway, next you fold the walnuts into the mixture with a wooden spoon.

Pour the mixture into the floured pan, and bake at 350 for about 25 – 30 minutes, depending on your oven and what size pan you use. The thicker the brownies, the longer they’ll take but if you stick in a toothpick into the center and it comes out with just crumbs attached (as opposed to uncooked liquid batter) they’re done.

Sprinkle the chopped up Heath bars on top of the brownie as soon as it comes out of the oven. The idea is for the heat of the brownie to melt the candy, so it becomes one with the brownies. Kind of like the Borg (and yes, I made a Star Trek reference – shut up). These give it a nice, slightly crunchy and totally delicious crust.