Millionaire Caramel Bars
Ingredients
Shortbread layer:
- 12 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
Caramel layer:
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 tbsp butter, cut up into 6 pieces
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp Sel Gris Sea Salt
Crispy layer (optional):
- 1 cup rice crispy cereal
Chocolate Ganache layer*:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F degrees. Place square flexipat on your perforated baking sheet.
- Make shortbread layer first but mixing butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add flour and salt and beat until the mixture is combined but the texture of coarse sand. Press shortbread mixture into flexipat and bake for 30 minutes. You can make this several hours before you make the caramel or right before.
- While shortbread is baking, make caramel sauce. Heat sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with your heat resistant spatula. Sugar will form clumps and eventually melt into a thick brown, amber-colored liquid as you continue to stir. Be careful not to burn.
- Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. Be careful in this step because the caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added. Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2-3 minutes. Very slowly, drizzle in the heavy cream. Since the heavy cream is colder than the caramel, the mixture will rapidly bubble and/or splatter when added. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to cool slightly before using but caramel should still be warm when you pour on top of shortbread. Pour caramel layer on top of shortbread layer and let cool to set.
- Optional: Add 1 cup of rice crispy cereal on top of caramel layer before layering with chocolate.
- Make ganache layer while caramel is cooling. Heat heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan or for approx. 1 ½ minutes in the microwave. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit for 3-4 minutes for chocolate to begin melting. After 3-4 minutes (do not rush this step or your ganache will not be smooth) stir chocolate mixture with your mini whisk until smooth.
- Immediately pour ganache layer on top of caramel and allow to set for several hours. You can allow to set in the refrigerator for a quicker set.
- Once set, unmold from flexipat for cutting and enjoy.
Notes
*The Chocolate Ganache layer can be reduced by ½ for bars with less chocolate if desired.
