Ingredients and base method
Your method follows the same overall pattern as Trisha Yearwood–style butterscotch bars and many chewy blondie recipes: dry ingredients whisked together, creamed butter and sugar, then eggs, vanilla, and mix‑ins.
Core components
- Dry: all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt
- Wet: softened butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract
- Mix‑ins: butterscotch chips, toffee bits (or oats/peanut butter in Trisha’s original variation)
Your procedure:
- Preheat & prep: 350°F (175°C), 9×13‑inch pan lined with parchment (overhang for lifting).
- Combine dry: Whisk flour, baking soda, salt.
- Cream butter & sugars: Beat softened butter with granulated and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Add wet: Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla, scraping the bowl.
- Combine: Add dry mixture on low speed just until incorporated.
Creaming butter with both white and brown sugar, then adding egg and vanilla, is exactly how Trisha’s butterscotch peanut butter bars and other butterscotch bar recipes begin.
Mix‑ins, spreading, and baking
Folding and spreading
- Fold in chips: Gently fold in butterscotch chips and toffee bits with a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Spread in pan: Press the thick dough evenly into the prepared pan using lightly damp or floured hands or the back of a measuring cup.
Dense cookie‑bar batters are commonly pressed into a 9×13 pan by hand or with a cup to keep the layer even.
Baking and cooling
- Bake: 25–30 minutes at 350°F, until edges are set and lightly golden while the center still looks slightly soft and glossy.
- Cool completely: Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 1 hour before lifting out using the parchment.
- Cut and serve: Slice into squares; cutting when completely cool gives clean edges, though serving slightly warm is delicious.
Chewy butterscotch blondie and bar recipes strongly emphasize not overbaking and looking for set edges with a soft center for best texture.
Technique notes: chewiness, gluten, and toffee
A. Brown sugar and chew
Recipes for chewy blondies and butterscotch bars frequently rely on a high proportion of brown sugar to granulated sugar because brown sugar’s molasses content is hygroscopic and keeps bars moist. This moisture retention is what allows butterscotch bars and similar bar cookies to stay soft for several days.
B. Avoiding tough bars
Cookie‑bar guidance consistently warns not to overmix once flour is added, because overmixing develops gluten and can lead to tough, bready bars rather than tender, chewy ones. Mixing just until no dry flour remains is the standard recommendation.
Troubleshooting toffee and mix‑ins
Coating toffee bits or chocolate-covered pieces with a bit of the recipe’s flour before folding in is a common trick to minimize streaking and help them suspend more evenly in batter. This light flour coat can keep chocolate from melting into visible streaks and prevent mix‑ins from sinking.