Caramel Nutty Explosion Bars Recipes

CARAMEL NUT BARS

Steps:

• ----CRUST-----.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Combine flour, sugar, and egg.
• Cut in 1/2 cup margarine until crumbly.
• Stir in nuts.
• Reserve 2 cups of this crumb mixture.
• Press remainder firmly on bottom of greased 9x13 inch pan.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• -----FILLING----.
• Meanwhile, in heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt caramels with sweetened condensed milk and 1/4 cup margarine.
• Pour over prepared crust and spread evenly.
• Top with reserved crumb mixture.
• Bake 20 minutes, or until bubbly.
• Cool and cut into small bars.
• Store loosely covered at room temperature.

NUTTY CARAMEL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Butter 13x9-inch baking pan; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat 1 cup (2 sticks) butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla.
• Stir in flour until well mixed; press evenly into prepared pan. Bake until edges are brown and center looks dry, about 15 minutes.
• Remove to wire rack while preparing topping.
• Maintain oven temperature.
• In heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, heat remaining 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter and honey until butter is melted.
• Stir in brown sugar; bring to a boil. Boil without stirring for exactly 2 minutes; remove from heat.
• Stir in cream and nuts.
• Immediately spoon caramel nut mixture evenly over crust. Bake until caramel bubbles, about 10 minutes.
• Cool completely on wire rack; cut in 2x2-inch bars.
• Store in tightly covered container at room temperature.

CARAMEL NUT BARS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle 1 cup into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan (do not press). , Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. In a small heavy saucepan, cook and stir caramels and milk until caramels are melted. , Pour over crust. Top with chocolate chips and nuts. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate until set.

CARAMEL NUTTY EXPLOSION BARS

Steps:

• 1. Using your food processor, add all your ingredients for your shortbread crust. Making sure butter is COLD. Pulse ingredients till butter has been incorporated and the mixture looks like it's going to start forming a ball. You do not want it to form a ball, you want it right before that stage. In big chunks like. Dump your dough directly onto pre-buttered 15 X 9 jelly roll pan.
• 2. Preheat oven to 425F. Using your fingers, press the dough across the pan. No worries if not even, you will be spreading this out. Using a plastic spoon (I don't know why, but it really works), spread the mixture out evenly over the pan, making it even.
• 3. Using your fork tines, make grooves all throughout your dough. Freeze for 15 minutes. VERY IMPORTANT!! By freezing you will ensure that your dough will not puff up on various angles. Bake shortbread for approximately 11-13 minutes till nicely golden. Remove onto wire rack and let cool.
• 4. While shortbread crust is cooling, let's prepare our nut topping. In a large saute pan, add 1 tsp butter, allow it to start to melt and add your pecans. Saute the pecans till you literally want to pick one up (okay, I did it 3x) and eat one. About 3-5 minutes. Once nicely toasted, remove your pecans to a plate, set aside and allow to cool. Follow the exact same instructions above for the chopped walnuts.
• 5. Once pecans have cooled, chop them into rough pieces using a knife. I used a knife rather than a machine because I wanted bigger pieces of those succulent pecans ontop. *Note: you do not have to chop the chopped walnuts. Once chopped, set aside
• 6. Now were ready for our caramel sauce. In a non-stick heavy bottomed saucepan add your sugar, your water and your corn syrup. Over medium heat, stirring pretty much constantly with a wooden spoon, you will see your sugar first disolve, then bubble, then bubble harder. When you see the bubbling become harder, this is the *turning point*. You either cook it for a minute more or so and pull of the heat, or you go by your handy dandy candy thermometer. I prefer the latter... what can I say, new technology ROCKS!! Once your sugar has reached 350F (stirring contanstly mind you, don't worry this only takes a few minutes), pull off heat, and add your lukewarm heavy cream and butter. This mixture will rise up and sputter, keep your face away from it, this only takes a few seconds till it calms back down. Keep stirring till your creams and fats have been incorporated and you have a glossy, velveety dream!!
• 7. Once you have poured and spread your caramel sauce over the shortbread, immediately add your toasted chopped pecans and walnuts.
• 8. As caramel sauce is cooling with the nut topping, let's start on our chocolate sauce shall we? Add your cream and your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments stirring thoroughly every time till chocolate is nicely melted and glossy. Drizzle over pan. Let cool bars cool, about 45 minutes to 1 hour and cut into squares. Yield: 36 bars