Apple Toffee Bars {with Brown Sugar Frosting}

There are approximately 750 light switches in my house.

(Okay, I may be exaggerating a little. I haven't had a chance to count them all, so I was just guessing.)

So, there are plenty of switches. But the problem I'm having is where they were placed. I'm not an architect or a fancy electrical switch placement designer or anything, but I do have common sense.

And the fancy electrical switch placement designer that did our house must have been having an off day.

Our staircase is in the middle of the house; you can walk around it. When you come in the front door and go left, you get to the dining room and then the kitchen. If you go right, you go to the family room and then the kitchen.

We never go left. Why not? Because all the light switches for the kitchen are in the family room. So if it's dark and I forget I have to walk through the kitchen to get to the lights.

But if I'm in the laundry room, a room that is no bigger than the span of my arms, there are two light switches for the overhead light. So I can, in theory, stretch out my arms and turn the light on with my right and off with my left at the same time.

I chuckle every time I go in there. It's like a fun party game. That and sliding down the stairs in a plastic bin, which I have yet to do but I really, really want too.

Until I get up the nerve to do that, I'll just stuff my face with these babies. These Apple Toffee Bars are sort of like a cookie, but in bar form. With frosting. Brown sugar frosting. And toffee. Oh, and apple, of course. Sinfully sweet, and healthy enough for breakfast because there is fruit in them. Right?

Apple Toffee Bars {with Brown Sugar Frosting}

Adapted from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Ingredients:

For the bars:

1 pouch (17.5 ounces) sugar cookie mix

1 egg

1 stick of butter, softened

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup toffee bits (Bit o’ Brickle)

1 cup (1 large or 2 small) apples, peeled, cored, and chopped finely

For the Frosting:

¼ cup butter

½ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoon milk

1 cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1.       Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9x9 inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

2.       Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat sugar cookie mix, egg, butter, and cinnamon until fluffy. Stir in toffee bits and apples. Press into prepared pan and bake 35-40 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before making frosting.

3.       To make the frosting, add butter, milk, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Cool slightly and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.

4.       Remove foil from the bottom of the cookie bars. Pour frosting over the top of the bars, smoothing out to the edges. The top of the frosting will dry quickly. Let set before cutting into bars, about 30 minutes to one hour.

Yield: about 20 bars

This recipe may be linked with:

Monday: Mingle Monday (Add a Pinch), Joy of Desserts. Tuesday: 2 Maids a Baking (2 Maids a Milking), Tea Party Tuesdays (Sweetology), Mushki Loves My Stuff (Mushki Loves), Totally Tasty Tuesdays (Mandy's Recipe Box), Talent Show Tuesday (Chef in Training). Wednesday: Cast Party Wednesday, Made It On Monday (Lark's Country Heart), This Chick Cooks.  Thursday: Sweet Treats Thursday (Something Swanky), Chic-and-Crafty (Frugal Girls), Turning the Table Thursdays (Around My Family Table), Tasty Thursday (The How-To Mommy), Tastetastic Thursday (A little nosh). Friday: Sweet Tooth Friday (Alli-n-son), I'm Lovin' it Fridays (TidyMom), Friday Favorites (Simply Sweet Home). Saturday: Sweets for a Saturday (Sweet as Sugar Cookies), Seasonal Inspiration (Crumbs and Chaos). Sunday: A Well-Seasoned Life,Sharing Sundays (Everyday Sisters), Strut your Stuff Saturday (Six Sisters' Stuff)