a simple recipe :: salted caramel chocolate chip bars

Last week I shared a healthier “cookie” recipe–one I felt was a bit virtuous after indulging in way too much pumpkin pie over Thanksgiving weekend. Well, this week, I’m sharing one on the other end of the spectrum. Nothing virtuous about it. But, I have to tell you, it. is. delicious. Definitely worthy of taking to a holiday party or cookie exchange. I love that these are a non-fruit dessert that seems to please just about everyone.  I recently took these to our “Friendsgiving” dinner and they were a hit.  So much so that two of our friends made them to serve at their actual Thanksgiving dinners the next week.

Salted Caramel Butter Bars
Ingredients
For the Shortbread “Crust”:
1 lb. salted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1½ cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs vanilla
4 cups all purpose flour

For the Caramel Filling:
1 bag caramel candies, unwrapped (I have used bags varying in size from 11 ounces to 14 ounces and they both work great)
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons sea salt, preferably coarse

chocolate chips (probably about 3 ounces worth)

Directions: Preheat oven to 325. Cream together butter, sugars and vanilla. Sift in flour. Mix until it becomes a smooth dough. Butter a 9×13 inch baking pan. Press just over half of the dough evenly into the pan. Place the remainder of the dough in the fridge to chill.

Bake the crust for about 20 minutes until firm and the edges are a pale golden brown. While the crust is baking, prepare the caramel filling. Unwrap the caramels (this is a great time for the kids to help).  Heat caramels, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over low-medium heat until smooth.

Remove the crust from the oven and pour the caramel sauce evenly over the crust. Sprinkle sea salt over the sauce.  ***If you know you’ll be serving a chocolate-loving crowd, I especially love to sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the caramel sauce before sprinkling on the top crust. Because, you know, a pound of butter is just not enough sinfulness in this dessert.

Take the chilling dough out of the fridge and sprinkle over the caramel sauce. Place back in the oven to bake about 30 more minutes.
Enjoy this perfectly gooey, sweet {but still a little salty} treat.