Good Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Walnut Squares a la Chris

Butterscotch Walnut Squares a la Chris started out as Chris’s Butterscotch Walnut Squares.  But, that seemed like such a mouthful of “s’s” that I thought I’d throw Google’s bots into a tizzy when searching my site for key words!  So, “a la Chris” it is instead!

Chris is a long-time friend of countless years.  We worked together at the same company for more than 20+ years and then she went off and did the unthinkable:  she retired!  Yes, that’s right, she up and retired!

As often happens when friends and colleagues leave for greener pastures, whether new opportunities or retirement, we lost track of each other.  But, one of my other long-time friends, Lorraine, stayed in touch with Chris and invited me to join her and Chris for lunch about 8 or so months ago and it was like no time had passed at all.

Isn’t that the way of good friends?  You can be apart for eons and when reunited, you just take up where you left off.

Recently, I had both Chris and Lorraine over for a “Teach Me to Cook” session.  Lorraine made her fabulous Hot Chicken Enchilada Dip and I made two different quiche recipes (Cheesy Mushroom Quiche and Quiche Lorraine) and two of my favorite salads: Mexican Corn Salad and Creamy Petite Pea Salad with Bacon and Cashews.

But, that’s not all; I made an icebox cheesecake, similar to my Berrylicious Ice Box Cheesecake, so stayed tuned for that recipe plus the quiche recipes.

Obviously, I over-planned the menu – something I do with great frequency.  But, then Charlie and I are guaranteed delicious leftovers!

Anyway, back to Chris – she’s lived in Southern California now for too many years to count.  In spite of that fact, she’s never lost her charming New England accent!  When she speaks, she makes me wish that I’d not lost my Southern accent.  Although I was born in California, I grew up in the South – Texas, Georgia, Tennessee and Arkansas.

When I moved to California in my early 20’s, I was teased relentlessly by classmates and co-workers, so I worked really hard to lose my accent.  And, I did.  Occasionally, when I’m around people from the South with Southern accents, I’ll slide right back into it, especially using “ya’ll”.

Geez, there I go again – off track {grin}!  I do that we great frequency, too; get off-track.  And, I did just that on the day with both Chris and Lorraine in the kitchen.  I’d be talking away and Lorraine would say, “Carole, maybe you want to take a picture of this step,” and I’d run over to her side of the kitchen counter and attempt to take a photo.  But, when I would turn back to Chris, she’d be on the next step of her Butterscotch Walnut Squares recipe!

Trying to photograph two separate cooks is a handful, especially if you are easily distracted and a “talker” like me {grin}!  Anyway, here’s what Chris did:

1. Chris lined her 8″ x 8″ pans with parchment paper.
2. She whisked together the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs.
3. Then she added the flour, baking powder, salt and then stirred in the walnuts.
4. Finally, she divided the mixture into the two pans, spreading it around with a spatula.  Don’t you just love her handled 8″ x 8″ pans?  How easy those are to get out of the oven without burning yourself!

Thirty minutes later, the house smelling like a delicious bake shop, out came Butterscotch Walnut Squares a la Chris to cool.

Chris lifted them out of the pan, using the parchment paper.  When cool to the touch, she cut each into 16 squares.  It was torture waiting to taste them while I photograph them {grin}!  But, they were definitely worth the wait!

Sweet and savory at the same time, they are chewy and delicious with a caramel-ly flavor finished with the satisfying crunch from the walnuts.  Of course we had leftovers because this recipe makes 2 pans, but trust me – Charlie and I polished them off in days because they are deceptively addicting!

Here’s the recipe:

 

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Tootles,

 

Related posts:

(other dessert recipes)

• Banana Cream Cutie Pies
• Barefoot with Friends and Vanessa’s Pavlova
• Berrylicious Ice Box Cheesecake
• Best Ever Oatmeal Cookies
• Cake Batter Chess Bars
• Crazy Chocolate Cake with Homemade Chocolate Frosting
• Easy & Fresh Strawberry Pie
• Gail’s Potato Chip Cookies
• Hot Fudge Cutie Pies
• Peach Pineapple Dump Cake