Monday, April 4, 2011

Salted Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars


The sea salt sprinkled over the chocolate is what really makes these bars pop, they taste like eating a homemade candy bar. The sea salt compliments the sweetness of the of the chocolate and caramel perfectly. The shortbread cookie bottom is not too sweet, a bit crumbly and full of buttery goodness. I think these bars taste best when served at room temperature.

Shortbread
Ingredients
8 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Cut into pieces, plus more for pan
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour, plus more for pan
1/4 cup plus 1/2 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Directions
Butter and flour the bottom of a 9 inch square pan, set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, blend together all of the above ingredients until the dough takes shape, about 2 minutes. Press mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden. While shortbread is baking, make the caramel.

Caramel
Ingredients
12 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Granulated Sugar
3 tablespoons Dark Corn Syrup
14 ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions 
Stir all of the caramel ingredients together in a large sauce pan and heat over medium, (reduce heat if necessary to prevent burning). Allow mixture to come to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture gets pretty thick. Pour caramel over shortbread and cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes then refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours.

Chocolate
Ingredients
7 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
Sea Salt for Sprinkling

Directions 
Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Pour melted chocolate over caramel and sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours. Cut into bars.

Recipe slightly adapted from Baking Bible: From the Oven to the Table





2 comments:

  1. OH!!! this looks so good. I mean, REALLY good. Salted chocolate. I never thought of that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh I love this combo. Salt and chocolate. Yum.

    ReplyDelete

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