CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS

 The gooey sweetness of this bar will tempt you from bite to bite for just one more.

A few notes:
1. Carefully and slowly cook your caramel mixture or it will quickly go from creamy to scorched.
2. Score your bars when the chocolate has cooled but not set. This will keep the chocolate from cracking when you cut it.
3. Make sure to wipe your knife clean between cuts to give each bar nice smooth edges.
4. These are sticky, so I like to store mine between parchment paper in the fridge.  If you do this, remove the bars from the fridge and let them rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
5. For best results rest each layer as instructed in the recipe.  

Shortbread
1 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups flour
¼ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line 8×8 pan with parchment.
3. Cream butter until smooth.
4. Slowly add sugars and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
5. Gently fold flour into mixture until incorporated.
6. Flatten dough into parchment lined 8×8 pan. Using a fork pierce holes into dough. Place pan in fridge to chill for an hour prior to baking.
7. Bake 8-12 minutes.
8. Return pan with baked shortbread layer to fridge for one hour before adding caramel mixture.
*Note: This portion can be made two days in advance

Caramel
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup sweetened condensed milk

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a saucepan over low heat, combine brown sugar and condensed milk for 60-90 minutes or until mixture has thicken and turned into a caramel color. Make sure to keep your eye on the mixture and whisk often.
2. Pour caramel on top of shortbread.  Place pan in the freezer for an hour.
3. Remove from freezer and rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before pouring chocolate on top.
Chocolate
1 1/2 cup chocolate
1 tablespoon heavy cream

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place heat proof bowl with chocolate and heavy cream in a skillet or sauté pan over barely simmering water.
2. Pour chocolate on top of caramel.
3. Score chocolate once cooled but not set for easy cutting.