Your Just Desserts {I heart Salted Caramel}

Today, I am sharing dessert recipes with Kelly of Kelly’s Korner for her Show Us Your Life series, My Favorite Desserts. My friend Ellen of the food blog, Chez Helene, has certainly prepared many good desserts for J & I in the past. I am using two of Ellen’s desserts as my choices today.

I love these two recipes!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars

These are the perfect mix of salty and sweet.  My friend Ellen of Chez Helene got the recipe from Tracey's Culinary Creations.  She really likes the  caramel/chocolate combination.  I hope you do, too.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/8 C. all-purpose flour
• ½ t. baking soda
• ½ t. salt
• 12 T. (1 ½ sticks) butter, melted
• 1 C. light brown sugar
• ½ C. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ C. chocolate chips
• 32 caramels
• 1 t. sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Line a 8” x 8” baking pan with foil, hanging over each side, and spray with cooking spray
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together
4. In a large bowl, whisk the butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla completely until incorporated
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, a little at a time, and use a rubber spatula to fold everything together (the batter will be very thick)
6. Fold in the chocolate chips
7. Transfer half of the mixture into the baking dish, spread into a layer
8. Place the caramels on top of the bottom layer and sprinkle with the sea salt
9. Use a small scoop to dollop the remaining cookie dough over the salted caramel
10. Press down gently with your fingertips to distribute 
11. Bake for 35 – 45 minutes, or until the bars are brown and firm to the touch

Tips and Tricks:

• This will make 16 bars (2’ x 2”).
• Allow the bars to cool in the baking pan before you remove them with the foil and cut into squares.

 

Salted Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars

These are homemade "Twix".  I LOVE "Twix".  It is one of my favorite candy bars.  These are better.  YES, they are that good.  I got the recipe from Tracey's Culinary Adventures and she got it from someone named Annie.  THANKS, Annie.  This one is a keeper.

Ingredients:

Shortbread:

• 2 C. all-purpose flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• ¼ t. salt
• 1 C. butter (2 sticks), room temperature
• ½  C. sugar

Caramel:

• ½ C. butter (1 stick), cut into 8 pieces
• ½ C. sugar
• 2 T.  light corn syrup
• 1 (14 oz.) can of condensed milk

Chocolate:

• 1 1/3 C. (8 oz.) Nestle Toll House Semi-sweet Chocolate Morsels
• ½ C. butter (1 stick), cut into 8 pieces
• 2 t. light corn syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and the sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes on medium speed with a mixer
4. Reduce the mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients (Don’t over mix, only until ingredients are combined.)
5. Line a 13” x 9” x 2” baking pan with parchment paper
6. Press the shortbread into the pan, then bake for 15 – 18 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown
7. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack
8. While the shortbread cools, combine the caramel ingredients in a medium sauce pan on medium heat
9. Stir until all the butter is melted, then increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil
10. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and start whisking constantly until the mixture gets thicker and starts turning to a caramel color (this takes 10 minutes or longer)
11. Pour the caramel mixture over the shortbread and use a spatula to evenly distribute the caramel
12. Place the baking pan into the refrigerator and allow the caramel to completely cool (at least 1 hour)
13. Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate, butter, and cornstarch until smooth
14. Pour the chocolate layer over the caramel layer and use a spatula to evenly distribute the chocolate
15. Allow the chocolate to sit for 3 minutes, then sprinkle the chocolate with fleur de sel or sea salt
16. Place the baking pan into the refrigerator and allow the chocolate to set before cutting into squares

Tips and Tricks:

• These are SOOOO good.  Don’t try to eat one when you first remove it from the refrigerator.  It is too hard and doesn’t taste as AWESOME as it can, if you wait for it to come to room temperature.
• I don’t have a double boiler.  I use a pot and put a stainless steel bowl over the pot.  This works fine.

Thanks for stopping by. You may want to check out more dessert offerings at Chez Helene: click HERE! You can always count on BFF Ellen to show up with something good in hand.

Thanks to all of you for your nice comments on my Deen Team “audition” blog. Please check out this post and leave a comment. I appreciate all your support and love:) Thanks to great friends…. near and far!

Deen Team post: Click HERE!

Sweet and tasty desserts. What are your faves?

Salted Caramel, y’all!