Pecan Caramel Shortbread Food

PECAN CARAMEL SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a baking pan. Bake until golden and fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. Chop roughly, and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light in color. With the mixer on low speed, add flour, and mix until just combined.
• Line an 11-by-17-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Press dough into the bottom of baking pan in an even layer. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using a microwave or double boiler, heat caramel until liquid; stir in pecans. Spread mixture over the cookie layer. Return pan to oven, and bake until caramel is slightly darkened in color, about 10 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack to cool. Cut into 2 3/4-by-1/2-inch rectangles.

EASY MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly grease and line a 20-22cm square or rectangular baking tin with a lip of at least 3cm.
• To make the shortbread, mix 250g plain flour and 75g caster sugar in a bowl. Rub in 175g softened butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Knead the mixture together until it forms a dough, then press into the base of the prepared tin.
• Prick the shortbread lightly with a fork and bake for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch and very lightly browned. Leave to cool in the tin.
• To make the caramel, place 100g butter or margarine, 100g light muscovado sugar and the can of condensed milk in a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Continually stir with a spatula to make sure no sugar sticks to the bottom of the pan. (This can leave brown specks in the caramel but won't affect the flavour.)
• Turn up the heat to medium high, stirring all the time, and bring to the boil, then lower the heat back to low and stirring continuously, for about 5-10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Pour over the shortbread and leave to cool.
• For the topping, melt 200g plain or milk chocolate slowly in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Pour over the cold caramel and leave to set. Cut into squares or bars with a hot knife.

PECAN SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter/sugar mixture. Add the pecans and mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut into 2 1/2-inch squares with a plain or fluted cutter (or cut into any shape you like). Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve.

CARAMEL PECAN COOKIES

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Grease a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan, then line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both ends, and grease foil.
• Follow recipe for basic butter cookies to make dough (do not chill), then press dough evenly onto bottom of baking pan, using plastic wrap on top to prevent dough from sticking to your fingers, and chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
• While crust chills, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Bake crust until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 20 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
• Make topping while crust cools:
• Cook sugar in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally with a fork, until sugar is melted to a deep golden caramel. Tilt pan and carefully pour in cream (caramel will harden and steam vigorously). Cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in butter, vanilla, salt, and pecans.
• Immediately spread topping over cooled crust and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours.
• Run a heavy knife under hot water, then wipe dry and cut confection into 2-inch triangles, diamonds, or squares.

PECAN CARAMEL MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 10 minutes before baking. Lightly oil and line an 18 cm x 28 cm tin with greaseproof or baking paper.
• Cream together the 125 g butter, peanut butter 75 g caster sugar until light. Sift in the cornflour and flour together and mix in to make a smooth dough.
• Press the mixture into the prepared tin and prick all over with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until just golden. Remove from the oven.
• Meanwhile for the topping, combine the 200 g caster sugar, 125 g butter, golden syrup, glucose, water and milk in a heavy based saucepan.
• Stir constantly over a low heat without boiling until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat, boil steadily, stirring constantly, for about 10 minutes until the mixture turns a golden caramel colour.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the pecans. Pour over the shortbread base immediately. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Break the chocolate into small pieces and put into a heatproof bowl with the 1 tbsp butter.
• Place over a saucepan of barely simmering water, ensuring that the bowl does not come into contact with the water. Leave until melted, then stir together well.
• Remove the shortbread from the refrigeratror and pour the chocolate evenly over the top, spreading thinly to cover. Leave to set, cut into squares and serve.

PECAN CARAMEL SHORTBREAD FINGERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Grease a 10x15 inch baking pan and set aside.
• Toast pecans until fragrant.
• Cool and chop roughly, set aside.
• Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, add flour and mix just until combined.
• Press dough evenly into prepared pan.
• Bake until golden 10-12 min.
• Cool on rack.
• In a heavy bottomed saucepan combine 4 cups of sugar, cream of tartar, salt, and water.
• Cook over high heat wihout stirring until tome sugar begins to melt and turn golden (2-5 min).
• Reduce heat to medium, cook stirring occasionally until all sugar is melted.
• It sould be a deep golden color (candy thermometer reading 300F).
• While stirring pour cream slowly down the side of the pan.
• When the cream is mixed remove pan from heat and add pecans.
• Pour carmel filling over the shortbread crust and return to oven for about 12 min.
• until caramel is a little darker color, turning the pan halfway during cooking (for even browning).
• Cool on wire rack and cut into bars or 1x3 inch"fingers".