Salted Caramel Pecan Bars Food

MARY'S SALTED CARAMEL-PECAN BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil; spray with cooking spray.
• Arrange pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven, stirring halfway through, until pecans are toasted and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Arrange graham crackers in a single layer on the prepared jelly roll pan.
• Combine brown sugar, butter, and cream in a heavy saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Fold in pecans. Pour pecan mixture over graham crackers, spreading to coat.
• Bake in the preheated oven until topping is bubbling, 10 to 11 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with salt. Transfer coated crackers and aluminum foil to a wire rack to cool, about 30 minutes. Break into bars.

CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Gradually beat in flour, mixing well. Press 3 cups of dough onto bottom of a greased 13x9-in. pan. Bake until set, 20-22 minutes. , Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt caramels with cream over low heat until smooth. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with salt, then chocolate chips. Drop remaining dough by teaspoonfuls over top. Bake until light golden brown, 30-35 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

SALTED CARAMEL-PECAN BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.
• Line a 15x10 inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil; lightly grease foil. Arrange graham crackers in a single layer in prepared pan, slightly overlapping edges.
• Combine sugar, butter, and cream in a medium-size heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and pecans. Pour butter mixture over crackers, spreading to coat.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 11 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.
• Immediately sprinkle with salt, and slide foil from pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely (about 30 minutes). Break into bars.
• Chocolate-Pecan-Caramel Bars: Prepare recipe as directed through Step 4. Top warm bars with 1 cup dark chocolate morsels. Let stand 3 minutes, and spread chocolate over bars. Proceed with recipe as directed in Step 5. Chill 20 minutes before serving.

SALTED CARAMEL PEANUT BARS

Steps:

• Butter a 9 1/2-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet or quarter sheet pan and line it with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides. Then butter the parchment.
• Whisk the flour, cornstarch, kosher salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down the sides as needed. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough is just combined; do not overwork.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out as evenly as possible with a silicone spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, then use your hands to press and flatten the dough into a smooth even layer. Pull back the plastic wrap and use a fork to prick the dough all over. Cover again and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F.
• Uncover the dough and bake, rotating the baking sheet from front to back halfway through, until golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Combine the caramels and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture over the shortbread and spread it evenly. Immediately sprinkle with the peanuts and a large pinch of flaky salt. Gently push down on the topping to make sure it sticks to the caramel. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Use the parchment overhang to gently lift the shortbread and slide it onto a cutting board. Remove the parchment and cut into 24 squares. Store the bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

CARAMEL PECAN BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Blend together the flour, 1 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup butter until particles are fine crumbs.
• Pat into an ungreased 9 X 13 glass pan.
• Spread the pecans over the crust.
• Put the remaining butter (3/4 cup), brown sugar (1/2 cup) and vanilla into a small saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat stirring constantly.
• Bring to a full boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
• Pour over the crust and pecans.
• Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven- do not overbake.
• Immediately sprinkle the top with 1 - 2 cups of chocolate chips.
• The amount depends on your preference for chocolate.
• Two cups will give a fairly thick layer.
• When the chips have melted, spread evenly over the crust with a spreader or butter knife.