Mascarpone & Chocolate Toffee Bars

These bars are surprisingly easy to make and so amazingly delicious! The combination of chocolate and mascarpone gives the chocolate layer a rich silky texture, and the crunch from the toffee bits make these bars so irresistible!  Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Mascarpone & Chocolate Toffee Bars

adapted from:  food network

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 pound refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 cup chopped chocolate toffee, divided (recommended: Heath Toffee Bits)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (recommended: Ghirardelli)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 8x8 inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cookie dough, 1/2 of the toffee bits and vanilla extract. Using damp fingers, gently press the dough nto the prepared pan. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes.
• Place the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted. Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes.  
• Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust. Sprinkle the remaining toffee bits and sliced almonds over the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the chocolate layer is firm.
• Peel off the parchment paper and cut into 1 1/2 by 2-inch bars. (I cut the bars into bite size pieces, they are so rich in flavor, a little goes a long way)