Twelve (More) Days of Christmas Cookies: Caramel Pecan Bars

Crust:
½ cup salted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Caramel Topping:
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
½ cup water
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream
3 ½ cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1 cup melted chocolate chips (semi-sweet or bittersweet)
coarse sea salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light.  Add egg and vanilla and beat for one minute.  Add baking powder and flour; mix well. Spray a 9×13” baking pan with non-stick spray.  Press cookie dough mixture evenly throughout the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown.  Allow to cool.

For the topping, combine water, sugar, and corn syrup in a large sauce pan.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is completely dissolved.  Continue to cook until mixture turns a dark amber color (like a dark honey); turn off heat, but leave pan on the burner.  Carefully add vanilla and heavy cream, stirring until smooth.  Add toasted pecans,  stirring and coating everything.  Spread caramel pecan mixture over the cookie crust evenly.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or until cold.  Cut bars into small triangles.

Drizzle bars with melted chocolate (or dip half of each triangle into the melted chocolate).  Sprinkle sparingly with coarse sea salt.

Makes 48 triangles.

Recipe from Savory Sweet Life

NoEmptyChairs.me