Salted Chocolate Caramel Bars are a chocolate lovers dream cookie! An easy recipe and delicious too makes for the perfect combination when your sweet tooth gets demanding.

OXO invited me to partner with them once again in support of Cookies for Kids' Cancer during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month to raise funds for research to develop new, improved treatments for pediatric cancer, the #1 disease killer of children in the U.S. OXO will donate $100 for this blog post, as well as all blog posts written, up to $100,000! I couldn't be more thrilled to do my small part for this worthy cause!

OXO sent me a copy of this decadent Salted Chocolate Caramel Bar Recipe straight from Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook, titled Dorie's Cookies, that is scheduled to be released in October 2016. Additionally, they sent me some wonderful OXO products to assist in making these bar cookies.

OXO Products

• Glass 3 Qt Baking Dish with Lid - Made from BPA-free borosilicate glass, OXO Good Grips Glass Bakeware can withstand extreme temperature changes.
• Glass 2 Qt Baking Dish with Lid - Generous handles and slosh-proof lids make moving full dishes easier, and the clean, elegant design means you can take them from the oven directly to the family table. 
• Brownie Spatula - For cleanly cut, crumble-free brownies, OXO designed the unbeatable Brownie Spatula. Its sharp front edge pierces even the most moist, chewy brownies, blondies and other baked treats. The blade flexes to get under brownies but stays rigid when lifting and serving them.
• Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer - With a light to guide you, OXO On Illuminating Digital Hand Mixer includes intuitive digital controls to steadily increase or decrease speed. When you're finished, the on-board beater clip, wrap-and-secure cord, and flat, stable base allow for compact, upright storage.

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter (or spray) an 8-inch square pan. I lined the pan with parchment paper and let it hang over the sides. This made it easy to transfer the bars to a cutting surface when ready to serve.

To make the shortbread base

Whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat one stick of butter, 1/3 cup of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Turn off the mixer, add the dry ingredients all at once and beat on low until the dough comes together. This will take a little longer than you might expect, so don’t get discouraged. Give the dough a few last turns with a flexible spatula and scrape it out into the pan. Using your fingertips, pat the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan; press down and make sure to get the dough into the corners.

Bake the shortbread for 21 to 23 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes, or until it is slightly darker around the edges and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan; it will not feel completely firm if poked gently. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the shortbread to cool completely.

To make the caramel topping

Put a heatproof bowl close to the stovetop, along with a small bowl of cold water and a pastry brush (preferably silicone).

Put 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon light corn syrup in a small saucepan or skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the ingredients to bubble away, brushing down the sides of the pan with cold water if there are spatters and swirling the pan a couple of times once you start seeing some color, until the caramel turns a pale to medium amber. (Don’t let it get as dark as mahogany.)

Lower the heat, stand away from the pan and add 1/2 cup heavy cream, followed by 2 tablespoons butter and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt — ingredients that might cause the caramel to roil.

Remove the pan from the heat, drop in the chocolate and, using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, stir to blend.

Assemble the bars

Pour the hot caramel over the shortbread...

and sprinkle with the nuts. Allow to set at room temperature.

Serve

When the caramel is firm, run a table knife around the sides of the pan, care- fully unmold the cookie onto a rack and turn it over onto a cutting board. Using a long thin knife, cut 21 bars (cut into 3 strips and then cut each strip into 7 bars). Alternatively, leave the cookie whole and cut individual bars as needed.

Storing

When the caramel is fully set, the cookies (cut or intact) can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Remove them from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving.

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Salted Chocolate Caramel Bars

By Life Tastes Good
Published 09/20/2016

Salted Chocolate Caramel Bars are a chocolate lovers dream cookie! An easy recipe and delicious too makes for the perfect combination when your sweet tooth gets demanding.

Ingredients

For the shortbread base

• 1 cup (136 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 cup (21 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons; 4 ounces; 113 grams) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
• 1⁄3 cup (67 grams) sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Caramel Topping

• 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature (or slightly warmed in a microwave)
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce; 28 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces and very soft
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fleur de sel or a good-size pinch of fine sea salt
• 2 ounces (57 grams) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Generously butter (or spray) an 8-inch square pan.
2. To make the shortbread base: Whisk together 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.
   Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat one stick butter, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt together on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Turn off the mixer, add the dry ingredients all at once and beat on low until the dough comes together. This will take a little longer than you might expect, so don’t get discouraged. Give the dough a few last turns with a flexible spatula and scrape it out into the pan. Using your fingertips, pat the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan; press down and make sure to get the dough into the corners.
3. Bake the shortbread for 21 to 23 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes, or until it is slightly darker around the edges and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan; it will not feel completely firm if poked gently. Transfer the pan to a rack and allow the shortbread to cool completely.
4. To make the caramel topping: Put a heatproof bowl close to the stovetop, along with a small bowl of cold water and a pastry brush (preferably silicone).
5. Put 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon light corn syrup in a small saucepan or skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the ingredients to bubble away, brushing down the sides of the pan with cold water if there are spatters and swirling the pan a couple of times once you start seeing some color, until the caramel turns a pale to medium amber. (Don’t let it get as dark as mahogany.) Lower the heat, stand away from the pan and add 1/2 cup heavy cream, followed by 2 tablespoons butter, and 1/4 teaspoon salt — ingredients that might cause the caramel to roil. Remove the pan from the heat, drop in 2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and, using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, stir to blend.
6. Pour the hot caramel over the shortbread and sprinkle with the nuts. Allow to set at room temperature.
7. When the caramel is firm, run a table knife around the sides of the pan, care- fully unmold the cookie onto a rack and turn it over onto a cutting board. Using a long thin knife, cut 21 bars (cut into 3 strips and then cut each strip into 7 bars). Alternatively, leave the cookie whole and cut individual bars as needed.
8. Storing
   When the caramel is fully set, the cookies (cut or intact) can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Remove them from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 21 bars
Prep Time: 15 mins.

Cook time: 25 mins.
Total time: 40 mins.

Tags: Salted Chocolate Caramel Bars, Cookies, Bar Cookies, Sweets, Desserts, Snack, Treat, Chocolate, OXO, Cookies for Kids' Cancer