Chocolate Butterscotch Bars

I normally don't make heavy, sticky bars or cakes, but I was determined to use my new chocolate transfer sheets, just been delivered at the day. So I found this recipe in my cookie book, and I have to admit when I made it, it was rather hard and heavy. So I put them into the cookie tin and left there for a week. But then one night we were craving for some sweets and I remembered I have them in the tin. And surprise -surprise they softened and the butterscotch layer was creamy (although still heavy bake for my usual taste) and the base were soft........what can I say, they were gone by the next day:)

Chocolate Butterscotch Bars

For the base
225g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
115g unsalted butter, diced
50g light muscovado sugar
150g plain chocolate, melted
2 tbsp ground almonds


For the topping
175g unsalted butter
115g caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
175ml unsweetened condensed milk
150g toasted hazelnuts
225g plain chocolate


For the decoration 
chocolate transfer sheets-optional

Preheat the oven to 160C. Line a shallow 30X20cm cake tin with baking paper.

Sift together the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter and rub it in until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Stir in the sugar. Gradually work in the melted chocolate and ground almonds until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the prepared cake tin, prick the surface all over with a fork.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until firm. Place the tin on a wire rack and leave to cool.

To make the topping, gently heat the butter, sugar, golden syrup and condensed milk in a pan until melted. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until golden(I haven't really achieved the golden effect as I was in the rush....), then stir in the hazelnuts. Pour over the base and leave to set.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Spread over the butterscotch layer. 

If you using chocolate transfer sheet-cut a piece of chocolate transfer sheet to the size of the baked butterscotch bar. I used two different type of sheets. Place the sheets on top of the chocolate layer(textured side down, so the shapes can "transferred" to the chocolate surface) and gently press them to the chocolate surface with your fingers to make sure the entire surface is in contact with the sheet.

Leave to set, then peel off the transfer sheets(now the texture should appear on the chocolate and disappeared form the sheet) then cut into bars.