"pantry raid" bars

Happy Monday everyone! Today I bring you a "pantry raid" recipe. What's that you say? You've never heard of a "pantry raid"? Well, that's because I just made it up. But hear me out. This term should totally become a thing.

Okay, you know when you open up your pantry and find piddly little partial bags of ingredients? You know, some chocolate chips, some pecans, some toffee bits, a little bit of everything. Not enough for a whole batch of cookies but enough that you can't justify eating the remainder of the bag by the handful. Don't deny. We all do it.

Anywaysss, so you have all these remainders staring you in your face. Quick: WHAT DO YOU DO??? Here's what. A "pantry raid" recipe. And guess what I happen to have for you today? Well, happy day, it's a "pantry raider"!

Whatever baking chips you have on hand will work. Just make sure you have roughly 12 oz (one full bag) of chips altogether. Have some nuts? Add 'em. Coconut? That works too. Toffee bits? Well, obviously. Seriously, you can't go wrong here. And, when it's all said and done, you'll have a clean pantry AND some delicious bars. Double score.

You're welcome. Now go "pantry raid."

"Pantry Raid" Bars

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup cold salted butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 oz peanut butter chips
1 cup toasted, coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 3/4 cups toffee bits

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9×13″ pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. Grate the butter and add it to the flour mixture. Combine the mixture with your hands to form what resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly beat the egg and pour it over the flour mixture and combine it.

Reserve 1/4 cup each of the chocolate and peanut butter chips and add the remaining chips to the dough mixture. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the dough mixture. Lightly press the remaining dough into the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Once done, pour the sweetened condensed milk over the hot crust. Sprinkle the toffee bits over the sweetened condensed milk. Crumble the reserved dough mixture over the toffee bits and then top with remaining 1/4 cup each of the chocolate and peanut butter chips. Return to the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven. Cool completely and then cut into bars.

Yield: ~18 bars
Source: slightly adapted from Our Best Bites