Filled Chocolate Bars

This is the completed product from the base I made yesterday. When I read this recipe first, I thought it sounded really good and easy, and actually I had been wanting to make it for awhile now. However, while I was making these squares, I was beginning to doubt this recipe even though it came from a very reliable source. Things were not working out the greatest. This story does have a happy ending, as the squares turned out very yummy! My only complaint is the recipe is too small, there are not enough squares. Here is how the squares were finished:

Cut the base in half vertically, spread with vanilla filling, and place other half on top. The recipe just stated to cut the bars in half, so I assumed they meant horizontally  otherwise you would end up with a very small batch of bars. However, the base was so thin there was no way it could be cut in half horizontally.

Vanilla Filling
1 Tablespoon margarine, melted
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together until smooth, adding more sugar of milk if necessary to achieve a thick but spreadable consistency.

Spread the top of the bars with chocolate glaze. Place in the refrigerator and chill briefly (an hour or more) before cutting. Store in the fridge.

Chocolate Glaze
2 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
1 Tablespoon water
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water to a boil. Remove from heat and quickly stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Use immediately.

Next time, I would double the base recipe and bake it in a 9x13 inch rectangular pan. That way, when I cut the base in half, I would still have a pan of squares the size of an 8x8 inch square pan. I would double the vanilla filling recipe as well, but not the chocolate glaze, because I had plenty leftover. The chocolate glaze is a different concept than most, very quick to make and does not crack when you cut the squares as plain melted chocolate would, as long as you do not chill the squares too long before cutting. These seem like a lot of work for a small batch,  because it takes three steps, but each step is fairly quick. And the bars are worth the effort. Overall, a very scrumptious square!