Servings: 24 Prep: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Chocolate Caramel Bars
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 Cup All-purpose Flour
1/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
2 TspCornstarch
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Chilled Unsalted Butter, Diced
1 Tbsp Ice Water
1 Large Egg Yolk
2 Tsp Cook’s Alcohol-free Pure Vanilla Flavor
For the Caramel Filling:
1 Cup Salted Butter
2 Cups Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp Cook’s Alcohol-free Pure Vanilla Flavor
For the Chocolate Topping:
6 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate chips
3 Tbsp Heavy Cream
Flaked Sea Salt
Directions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a 12″ x 8.25″ x 1″ flutend tart pan or cookie sheet
- Blend flour, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in the food processor. Add butter and pulse until coarse meal forms.
- Add 1 Tbsp ice water, egg yolk, and vanilla. Blend until moist clumps form.
- Press dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Piece dough all over with a fork.
- Bake for 22 minutes or until the cookie is golden brown.
For the Caramel Sauce:
- Meanwhile, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until it bubbles rapidly and the solids separate.
- Whisk in brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly until a paste forms.
- Continue cooking until the granular nature of the sugar is gone and you have a uniform texture.
- Remove from heat and add heavy cream slowly and carefully as it will produce steam. Then add the rest of the vanilla.
- Return to heat and stir until the solids from the sugar are combined with the cream.
- Spread the caramel on top of the cookie and refrigerate for 1 hour.
For the Chocolate Topping:
- In a heavy saucepan, bring 3 Tbsp heavy cream to a simmer. Remove from heat.
- Add chocolate chips to the cream and cover the saucepan for 5 minutes.
- Whisk chocolate chips into heavy cream until the chocolate is silky and smooth.
- Pour the chocolate on top of the caramel. Sprinkle flaked sea salt on top.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Slice into thin and long slices. Serve.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit Desserts.