Blizzard Bars

By Texaschef11

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup plain malted milk powder
• 2 cups chopped candy bits (I used Snickers, Butterfinger, Heath bar, M&Ms, and white chocolate--see note)

Preparation

Step 1

Position an oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and lightly spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter, brown sugar and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until well-blended. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the malted milk powder. Add the dry ingredients in two additions on low speed and beat just until combined. Stir in two-thirds of the candy bits on low speed. Give the batter a final folding by hand with a spatula to make sure there are no dry pockets and the batter is evenly mixed--it will be very thick. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it evenly. Sprinkle the remaining candy bits evenly over the top and press lightly into the batter with your palms.

Bake until the bars are deeply golden and have just begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, 35 to 40 minutes (they will still look soft in the center). Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the slab to a cutting board and cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.