Toblerone Shortbread Bars

This post is dedicated to my good friend Marla at Family Fresh Cooking!
In a few weeks Marla is headed to Switzerland...my favorite place in the world!
I'm beyond thrilled for Marla!
Totally wish I was meeting her there!
Maybe one day we can go together.

Toblerone of Switzerland
has always been one of my favorite candy bars.
The last time Greg and I were in Switzerland I can remember laying in bed at night~
having hiked the Swiss Alps all day~
enjoying a Toblerone~
while watching the BBC Channel on Swiss t.v.
I love to suck on the triangles of chocolate until all that is left are the little bits of honey.
Toblerone and I go way back.
When I graduated from college my daddy sent my sister and I to Europe.
Melly and I spent four months backpacking through nine different countries.
When we got to Interlaken, Switzerland we knew we had found our
"European Home away from Home."
While in Interlaken we stayed at Balmer's!
Balmer's is a hostel nestled in the Swiss Alps that caters to all the hip~cool European travelers.
It was at Balmer's that Melly and I
met and fell in love with two adorable California surfer~guys we swore were going
to be our husbands.
Don't ask me why but one night I decided to cut hair at Balmer's.
As crazy as it sounds I put a sign up on the bulletin board and let traveler's staying at Balmer's
sign~up if they wanted a hair cut!
How CRAZY and wild is that!
Any~how~zee.
I cut this one guys hair.
Can't remember what country he was from.
Guess what he gave me when I cut his hair?
The biggest~
most gigantic~
most hugest~
TOBLERONE bar you have ever~never~ever seen!
It was hu~mong~gus!!!
I'll never forget it!
We ate on that Toblerone for days!
Like I said.
Toblerone and I go way back!
By the way~
last time Greg and I were in Switzerland we dropped by Balmer's!
It was still just as hip and happening!
Balmer's is the place to stay~
if you're hip and COOL and traveling through Europe!
TOBLERONE SHORTBREAD BARS!
These are for you MARLA!

Here's what you need:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups all~purpose flour
pinch salt
large 14 oz. Toblerone chocolate bar, coarsely chopped
1 cup toasted pecans
***parchment paper for lining baking dish***

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream the butter with an electric mixer.
Add the sugar continuing to cream.

Add flour and salt.
Mix to make a stiff dough that doesn't quite hold together.

Pat dough into 9x13 inch baking dish lined with parchment paper.
Bake until lightly brown~
between 30 - 40 minutes.

While the shortbread is baking~

coarsely chop the Toblerone bar.

Sprinkle chocolate on hot, uncut shortbread.

Let the chocolate set about 5 minutes til soft.

Spray a spatula with Pam.
This will help the chocolate not stick to spatula.

Spread and swirl the Toblerone over the shortbread.

Sprinkle toasted pecans over the melted chocolate.

Let this sit for a few minutes.
Gently cut into bars.
This is a bit messy...but that's okay.
Place bars on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Pop the bars in the fridge to SET the chocolate.

And there you have it.
Toblerone Shortbread Bars!

Perfect for a party!
Yummy with ice cream!
A treat you'll make over and over again.

Obviously my sister and I didn't marry the adorable California guys we met at Balmer's in Switzerland!
But you can bet~
they were the highlight of our European trip!
Happy Weekend my friends!
xoxoxo