Caramel Almond Shortbread Bars
Caramel and Almonds in a buttery Shortbread crust.
If you love Caramel, you will love this Bar. Nothing better than a buttery Crust and gooey Caramel Filling. This recipe is easy to make. The hardest part is unwrapping the Caramels!
CARAMEL ALMOND SHORTBREAD BARS
Ingredients:
- 50 Kraft Caramels
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 4 Sticks Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 & 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 4 Cups Flour
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Almond Extract
- 1/4 Cup Sliced Almonds
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and spray the foil with non stick spray, set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the Butter, Almond Extract and Sugar. Using a handheld mixer on low speed, mix until smooth.
3. Add the Powdered Sugar to the Butter mixture and mix until well combined.
4. Slowly add the Flour, one cup at a time, to the Butter mixture. Mix on low speed until a soft dough begins to form. At this point, I like to switch to using a wooden spoon to incorporate all the Flour, because the Dough begins to get clogged in the beaters. Once all the Flour is incorporated, take half the Dough and spread it evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. I use a spatula to press the dough down.
5. Cover the bowl that has the remaining Dough in, and place the bowl in the refrigerator.
6. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
7. While the bottom Crust is baking, unwrap the Caramels and place them in a medium size microwave safe bowl.
8. After 15 minutes, remove the Crust from the oven. Add the Heavy Whipping Cream and Vanilla Extract to the bowl with the Caramels. Microwave the Caramels in 30 second increments, stirring and looking for the Caramels to begin to melt. As the Caramels melt, they will come together with the Heavy Whipping Cream and Vanilla to create the filling. Once the Caramels are completely melted stir well to ensure the filling is smooth, then pour the Caramel Filling, evenly over the Crust and spread to the edges with a spatula.
9. Remove the remaining Dough from the refrigerator and crumble the Dough over the top of the Caramel Filling. Sprinkle the Almonds on top of the Bars.
10. Bake for 24 minutes. Check the Bars at the 20 minute mark because all ovens cook differently. You want the top to be a very light golden brown and the Caramel Filling to be a bit bubbly.
11. Allow the Bars to cool completely. The Caramel is going to be very hot so you need to allow the Bars to cool completely, which will allow the Bars to set up. Use the foil to lift the Bars out of the pan and cut the Bars into 2 x 2 or 3 x 3 squares. You should get about 20 Bars depending on how you slice them. Store any leftover Bars in a covered container.
Recipe by: Hot Dish Homemaker
