Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Vanilla-Malt-Toffee Triangles with Sea Salt

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Salt and sweet: better together. Proof is evident in this recipe for Vanilla-Malt-Toffee Triangles with Sea Salt, in which, according to recipe creator and Bake-off finalist Valerie Schucht of Glastonbury, CT: "Sea salt is the key to taking sweet sugar cookie bars to sensational, sweet-and-salty treats."

Here's the recipe.

Vanilla-Malt Toffee Triangles with Sea Salt

Ingredients

• 1 roll Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1/2 cup original-flavor malted milk powder
• 1can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 bag (8 oz) Heath Bits 'O Brickle toffee bits
• 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Line bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan (dark pan not recommended) with foil, extending foil 2 inches over short sides of pan. Spray foil with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Add 1/4 cup of the malted milk powder. Mix with wooden spoon or knead with hands, until well blended. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan.
3. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until crust is light golden brown and puffed.
4. Meanwhile, in same bowl, beat condensed milk, remaining 1/4 cup malted milk powder, egg and vanilla with wire whisk until blended. Stir in 1/3 cup of the toffee bits. Carefully pour mixture over partially baked crust.
5. Bake 18 to 23 minutes or until edges are golden brown and filling is set. Remove from oven; sprinkle evenly with remaining toffee bits. Bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until toffee bits just begin to melt. Sprinkle bars with sea salt. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
6. Remove bars from pan using edges of foil as handles. Cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Cut each bar in half diagonally to form triangles. Store loosely covered.