Caramel Cookie Bars
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Butter, softened
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 1/2 Cups Powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt Sea salt recomended
- 4 Cups Flour
- 14 Ounces Caramels, unwrapped Wethers soft caramels recommended
- 1/3 Cup Heavy whipping cream
- Seal salt for toppong (optional)
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) and prepare a 9-by-13-inch baking pan by lining with parchment paper, leaving enough of an overhang for easy removal. Set pan aside.
- COOKIE BASE: Add butter (softened, but not melted), white sugar, and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt; mix until just combined. Add in all the flour and mix until just combined and a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
- BAKE: Press just a little over half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. (Refrigerate the rest, tightly covered, until it is time to use it). Bake for 25 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven.
- CARAMELS: While the base is baking, combine the unwrapped caramels and heavy whipping cream in a medium-sized pot over medium-low heat. Gently stir until melted and smooth, about 5-8 minutes; pour over the cookie bar. Use a spoon to spread the caramel gently to cover the cookie base. Remove the reserved cookie dough from the fridge and crumble the remaining dough into bits and sprinkle it over the caramel.
- BAKE AGAIN: Return the pan to the oven for an additional 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges; be careful to not overbake. Cool completely at room temperature and then cut into small squares. Store leftovers, tightly wrapped, in the fridge.
Notes
This is very sweet so you may want to cut into small bars 1 x 2 inches. You may also want to substitute another filling like a fruit for the caramel.