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Crumble remaining dough into small bowl. Sprinkle the flour over dough. Mix well with fingers until blended. Sprinkle dough mixture evenly over the bars.

Bake for 24–28 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

MAKES 16 BARS.

CHOCOLATE-CHIP PECAN PIE BARS

This inventive take on pecan pie gets a double dose of chocolate. It’s a no-fail pleaser you can always count on for a wide variety of occasions, from casual pitch-ins to formal buffets.

1 (19.5- to 19.8-ounce) package brownie mix

½ cup (1 stick) plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, divided

3 large eggs

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup dark corn syrup

2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark-coated metal pan). Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Spray the bottom only of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (or foil-line pan; see page xxiv).

Combine the brownie mix and ½ cup (1 stick) melted butter in a medium mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until just blended and all dry ingredients are moistened. Press mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven (leave oven on).

Whisk the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, and remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter in a medium mixing bowl until well blended while crust bakes. Stir in the pecans and miniature chocolate chips; pour over hot crust.

Bake for 35–40 minutes longer, until just set and topping is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Cut into bars.

MAKES 24 LARGE OR 36 SMALL BARS.

CHOCOLATE-CHIP TOFFEE BARS

Toffee bar recipes are relatively easy to come by. Exceptional toffee bars, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter. For example, this recipe. Decadent with nuts, toffee, and chocolate but still easy to assemble—one bite and I think you’ll decide this is the only toffee bar recipe you’ll need from now on.

1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 large egg

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (e.g., walnuts, pecans, or peanuts)

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (10-ounce) package toffee baking bits, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark-coated metal pan). Position oven rack in middle of oven. Spray the bottom only of a 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (or foil-line pan; see page xxiv).

Combine cake mix, softened butter, and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium speed until blended and crumbly; stir in nuts and 1½ cups chocolate chips. Set aside 1½ cups of the crumb mixture. Firmly press remaining crumb mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Pour condensed milk evenly over partially baked crust; top with 1½ cups of the toffee bits. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture and remaining chocolate chips evenly over top.

Bake for 25–28 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately sprinkle with toffee bits. Transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Cut into bars.

MAKES 24 LARGE OR 36 SMALL BARS.

Variations:

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE TOFFEE BARS: Prepare as directed above but use chocolate cake mix in place of the yellow cake mix.

BEST BUTTERSCOTCH BARS: Prepare as directed above but use pecans for the nuts and use butterscotch baking chips in place of the chocolate chips.

CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE-CHIP CHEESECAKE BARS

These bars describe themselves: a crunchy chocolate cookie-like base layer, a luscious chocolate cheesecake layer, and chocolate chips scattered throughout. Yes, they are heavenly, so help yourself—go ahead, you deserve it!

1 (19.5- to 19.8-ounce) package brownie mix

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs

½ cup heavy whipping cream

2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark-coated metal pan). Position a rack