Salted Caramel Shortbread Bars

 

These bars a hit any time.  Place them in a cupcake liner for a fancy display.

Grease a 13 X 9 baking pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

• 1 c butter, at room temperature 
• ⅔ c sugar 
• 1 t vanilla extract 
• 1 t salt 
• 1 c flour

Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat for about five minutes.  Add the salt and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix just until the dough comes together.

Place the dough in the prepared baking pan and evenly press into pan.   Bake for twenty minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

• ½ c butter 
• 14 ozs sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 c brown sugar, packed 
• ½ c heavy cream 
• ½ c corn syrup 
• 1 t salt 
• ½ t vanilla extract

Place  the butter, condensed milk, brown sugar, cream, corn syrup and kosher salt in a medium pan over medium heat and stir to combine.   Continue stirring frequently with a spatula and scraping the side and bottom of the saucepan, until a thermometer reads 240 degrees.  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, then pour onto the shortbread.   Cool at room temperature for an hour and a half.

• 8 ozs semisweet chocolate, chopped 
• kosher salt

Melt the chocolate for 20 seconds in the microwave, stir and repeat until chocolate is melted.  Immediately pour the hot chocolate over the caramel and use a spatula to smooth evenly.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and chill until the chocolate is fully set, at least an hour.

Run an knife around the edge of the pan to release the bars. Then use a serrated knife to slice into bars - carefully cutting through the chocolate layer.