Syndicated column for week of February 11, 2013.

Valentine’s Day is this week. So is my sister’s birthday. That means sweets for us! When I was a little girl, we had one more reason to eat sweets this week. You see, Valentine’s Day was also my grandfather’s birthday.

To celebrate grandpa’s birthday mom would load all of us kids in the car and we’d take a cake and handmade cards to grandpa’s house. What a time we had! We worked hard on those cards, I can tell you. Construction paper, scissors, glue, markers, glitter, you name the craft supply and we used it! Grandpa always loved getting those cards.

The cake we took was either red velvet or chocolate.  Mom said those were Grandpa’s favorite kinds of cake. Now that I am grown up and I know my mom’s preference for cake flavors, I am not sure if those were Grandpa’s also, or just hers.

This week, I am making a treat that is a favorite with the non-chocolate crowd. I find it hard to believe that not everybody is completely in love with chocolate. I have not actually met any of them, but I have been told they walk around. They look just like the chocolate loving crowd.

Toffee Blondies
1/2 C butter, melted
1 C packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C flour
1 C toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom and sides of an 8 square baking pan with foil, with a bit of overhang on two sides.  In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, vanilla and salt. With mixer on low speed, add flour, and beat until combined. Stir in toffee bits by hand. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake cake until golden and a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely in pan. Grasping foil, lift cake from pan. Peel off foil. Using a serrated knife, cut into 16 squares. Store in an airtight container up to 5 days.

Make It a Meal: Serve this dessert with a cup of coffee or glass of milk. Add a scoop of ice cream over the blondie and you are all set!

Approximate Nutritional Information: Servings Per Recipe: 16, Amount Per Serving: Calories: 148, Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 101mg, Total Carbs: 28g, Protein: 2g.

This recipe was given to me by my aunt. She had written a note at the top of the recipe: From the Ganges church ladies. That probably doesn’t mean anything to most people. But it tells me this recipe was served at church potlucks in a small farming community.  That bit of information tells me, it has been taste tested by hardworking, hungry farmers. It also tells me that the farm wives approved of the recipe for its simplicity and that it past their high standard for desserts.

That approval rating holds nearly as much weight with me as the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. If you aren’t sure you agree with me, find a church potluck and ask the cooks for some samples. Then ask their opinion on a recipe that has a handwritten note like this one had. You will see what I mean.

Even if you don’t have a family birthday to celebrate this week and even if you don’t make a big deal about Valentine’s Day, this dessert is worth making. So I say, pull out your baking pan and get started. It will be worth the effort.

Noel Lizotte is breaking free of corporate stress with convenience cooking! This recipe is similar to ones printed in her cookbook Apron Free Cooking which is available on the website www.apronfreecooking.com.

Interested in one of the books pictured above? You can purchase on Amazon here.