bits and bytes

As a kid, I can remember always looking forward to licking the beaters after my mom made chocolate chip cookie dough. It wasn't until much later that I realized that it wasn't just me who thought the dough was more satisfying than the baked cookies and that many women people prefer it that way, salmonella and all.

I'm sure many of you have seen chocolate chip cookie dough dip floating around on some of your favorite blogs. This recipe is based on that creation, but with toffee bits used in place of chocolate chips. They add a buttery crunchiness that I find superior to plain morsels.

I also added a bit more powdered sugar, and what I ended up with was something more akin to a spread than a dip. If you want a softer bowl of goo, go with the lesser amount of powdered sugar. Either way, though, you won't be going in a bad direction.

Bonus: There are no eggs involved here, so salmonella is off the table.

Toffee Bit Dip
Inspired by this recipe
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1-2 cups powdered sugar, depending on your preferences
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup toffee bits (mine were chocolate-covered)

Directions:
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the brown sugar until it dissolves and the mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and let cool.
In a separate bowl, cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar together for 60 seconds. With the mixer on low speed, add in brown sugar and butter mixture. Mix until combined. Stir in the toffee bits.
Serve with 'Nilla wafers, gingersnaps, or graham crackers. Anything, really.