Toffee Crunch Cookie Brittle

When I was little (and adorable), I thought Heath Bars were "Health" Bars.  Once I figured out how to read and discovered that Heath Bars were in fact not Health Bars and that toffee was not coffee, I came to fully appreciate the delicious candy bar.

PS - what's not to love? They share a name with:

1.  Heath Ledger (muah!) I'll always love a man with curly hair. 
2. Ben & Jerry's Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch Ice Cream.  Oh, you didn't realize they made more than Coffee Heath Bar Crunch? I would like to thank my summer scooping overpriced ice cream at minor league baseball games for that discovery. 
3. My sister's new boyfriend (!) who will have to listen to me reference Mr. Ledger and Heath Bars every time I say his name for the rest of his life. I apologize.

This recipe is from a cookbook called "Big Fat Cookies" by Elinor Klivans.  And yes, sometimes I read it in bed instead of an actual book.  Normally I'm skeptical of cookies without eggs, but my friend Dan wanted to make these for his mom when we were in college, and I couldn't get enough.

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (gluten free flour mix works here, too)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (about 7 oz) crushed chocolate-covered toffee, such as Heath Bars or Skor *
1 cup (about 4 oz) walnuts, broken into large pieces

* You can also buy packages of Heath Toffee Bits in the baking aisle.  They come in 8 oz bags and I figure a little extra toffee never hurt anyone, right? (Diabetics excluded.)

Position a rack in the middle of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

The dough will look crumbly.

In a medium bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together; set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth, about 30 seconds.  Use a large spoon to stir in the flour mixture.  The dough should look smooth.  Stir in the crushed toffee and walnuts.  The dough will look crumbly.

Leaving a 1 to 1 1/2-inch border empty on all sides, spoon the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.  Press the dough into a rectangle that measures about 9x13 inches and is about 1/2 inch thick, then use the palms of your hands to pat it into an even layer.

Bake until the top feels firm and looks dark golden and the edges look light brown, about 19 minutes.  Let the cookie brittle cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then use a large metal spatula to slide the cookie onto a wire rack to cool.  (Don't worry if the cookie breaks; it will be broken into pieces when cool.)  The cookie will become crisp as it cools.

Break the cooled cookie into 4- to 5-inch pieces.  The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days (but they won't last!)

Makes about twelve 4- to 5-inch long irregularly shaped cookies.