Every year around this time I find myself going through the exact same thing. I go to store after store looking for the Heath toffee baking pieces (the ones without the chocolate), only to be disappointed at every stop. I used to be able to get them easily; they were in the baking aisle of every grocery store, right there with the rest of the assorted baking pieces almost always next to the selection of nuts. Then, about 3 or 4 years ago they quietly disappeared.
How could this be? I asked at several grocery stores and I was informed that the Heath baking pieces were just not popular enough to keep them in stock and I should try a specialty store. Well, I tried several to no avail. Last year I actually bought full size Heath bars, melted the chocolate off them and crushed them myself. I’ve looked online, and sure, I can find those wonderfully convenient baking pieces but the shipping costs are staggering.
This year I decided to finally give up on the idea of convenience (really, is it still convenient if you have to go to a dozen stores to not find what you’re looking for?), I decided I would try my hand at making my own toffee baking pieces. It turns out that it is quick, easy, and well worth the (minimal) effort.