As I sit here and type this post I am currently in a funk.
A funk because it is raining.
A funk because it is crazy windy.
A funk because it is getting colder by the second and soon enough we will be into New Jersey's never-ending winter.
A funk because my "fat" jeans are currently my "skinny" jeans.
A funk because I would like a bowl of soup and no one will make it for me.
A funk because The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills won't be on again until Thursday.
A funk because I just got movies in the mail from Netflix and apparently my husband has been the only one updating the "queue". That means karate, people.
A funk because I stayed home today to get laundry and housework done and all I successfully managed to do was catch up on all my dvr'd Jerseylicious episodes.
A funk because my nails are ugly.
A funk because I got a free sample of Avril Lavigne's new perfume and it is giving me a headache.
A funk because I am still in my pj's and it is 4:56 p.m.
But I will tell you...
If there is anything to get you out of a funk I have it right here, right now, for you.
No, it's not the winning lottery numbers, settle down people.
It's the next best thing.
There is butter involved.
Lots of butter.
Don't hate the player.
These bars will take you from funk to funky.
Trust.
I first saw this recipe over at the cute blog Keep It Sweet, but it looks like the recipe was originally in the uber-cute cookbook Sticky, Gooey, Messy, Chewy.
I don't own that book, but it looks like one that I NEED!
After poking around on google for a bit, it looks like this recipe has made the rounds, but being new to me, I thought I would share with you...plus I changed a few things, for my taste.
Salted Caramel Butter Bars
For the Crust:
1 lb. salted butter room temp
1 cup sugar
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 lb. salted butter room temp
1 cup sugar
1½ cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs vanilla OR - I used Princess Cake Emulsion..it added an almondy/citrus flavor. If you haven't eer used emulsions before you need to give them a try. They're AWESOME!
4 cups AP flour
4 cups AP flour
For the Filling:
1 bag (14 oz.) caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped
⅓ cup milk or cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 bag (14 oz.) caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped
⅓ cup milk or cream
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 T. coarse sea salt (optional)
To make the crust:
In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugars. Using mixer on medium speed, beat together until creamy. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Sift the flour into the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a smooth soft dough forms.
Spray a 9x13 inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust.
Preheat to 325F.
Bake until firm and the edges are a pale golden brown approx 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.
While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.
Pour the caramel filling over the crust. If you are going to salt the caramel sprinkle it on caramel layer now.
Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.
Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 - 30 minutes.
Let cool before cutting into squares.
I will tell you that these bars are delicious. Really delicious.
I might go as far to say that they are one of the best things that I have made in a while.
I know you will love them..that is if you like butter, sugar and delicious caramel filling. Yeah, that's what I thought.
They sure won't help your fat jean/skinny jean dilemma, but they are guaranteed to make you happy while you're wearing elastic :)
78 comments:
I'm out of my funk just lookin' at those! I think these need to make an appearance at T-giving.
Yum! These would be great for thanksgivng!
OH! MY! GAWD! I have died and gone to dessert heaven!(I'm in a funk because it's 60 degrees out - cold to me - and I took my car to the autobody shop. Apparently the pole that connected with my driver-side door is the winner!)
YUM!
Salt and Caramel!!!
Oh...I'm in heaven :)
These are sure to get you out of your funk!
They look delicious.
Wow, a whole lb of butter! I always use light butter, but I'll have to give these a try! They look delicious(:
So what does it mean if my fat jeans are now elastic waste sweat pans? Sigh.
The. bars. look. de-lish!
These are truly a testament to the idea that butter makes everything better. Even funks. Glorious.
so glad you liked these! your pictures look gorgeous. by the way, i can totally relate to your "funk", especially in terms of the skinny jeans....
After these the funk better have been wiped out. The karate movies are enough to funk anyone out.
I'm so sorry you are in a funk. Your list definitely sounds funkable. But after makign these cookies you have to feel better! They sounds so fantastic! I can't wait to make them. Sadly, I'll probably eat them all.
Holy crap! Those sound and look delicious. They're going on the xmas baking short list. Hope you're out of your funk. Skinny jeans are overrated. ; )
OMG - I might die of deliciousness. And let's be honest, a day where you can catch up on an entire season or dvr'd shows is never a waste!
Oh Em Gee. I wish we were neighbors so I could come over and gossip about skeevy Michael Lohan while we scarfed down a bunch of these yummy looking bars.
Didn't you say you were in the market for a vacation home in rural Arkansas?
Yep, pretty sure you did. ;)
These look just awesome.
Hehe - love the post title but most of all love these treats. They look super delicious.
These look delightful...and no wonder with that amount of buttery goodness! Guess what, it's 2.07pm here and I'm in my pj's too!!! Ahh, maybe I should go some buttery treats to get me up and about?
Those look incredible!! I will be trying them for sure!! Good luck with your funk!
I've made these bars from that book before and oh. my. gosh....SO good! We re-named them the 7,000 calorie bars, but they're so delicious we don't even care how sinful they are!
wow
I like it
:)
Any suggestion for a homemade version of the caramel filling? We can't get caramel candies where I live... Thanks for another yummy looking recipe!
Oh man, I've been in my own sort of funk, to the point of not even wanting to bake. That's when you know it's a really bad funk! Maybe these can bring me out of it :)
Ooo, I'm drooling! These look so great!
Lovin' your blog!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
Sadly with all the baking I have been doing my fat jeans are fitting way too well...definite funk moment. But those bars...yummilicious!!!!
Seriously if they didn't help you out of your funk I don't know what would, I've got a bit of a think for salted caramel at the moment.
Off to try these asap!! They sound incredibly perfect!
*drool* looks amazing!!!
I'm a Housewives addict too...my guilty pleasure. I have some caramels that never made it to my apples so I think I will try this.
Thanks!
Great tutorial!! I'm dying to try these.
I posted this on my blog
www.imlovinyourblog.blogspot.com
let me know if you mind.
Um, holy wow. I think this is the fastest I've ever bookmarked something. I can't wait to make these!!
Yum!! Printed this one-looks and sounds soo yummy!
I would be addicted!
These look AMAZING! I have never seen these before and I even have the cookbook. I looked it up, but I like your version better! :)
Funny post!
Oh u have the cutest blog and i have that cutest book:-)
Its a super cool book and i love the colors and prints in there!!
these sound jus the bars i wud lovee to indulge in!!
So lovely!!
BDW, i love princess cookies flavor so muc too!!
Yum!
Hahahaaa, thanks for the giggle! Love the fat jeans being your skinny jeans comment, we've all been there and hello, LOVE all the housewives! Oh yeah, and the treats look delish too! :)
Were we separated at birth? Holy moley -- those look amazing! I've been in a funk these days too. The time change must have something to do with it -- totally throws the whole universe out of whack! Well, I'm glad to hear that you employed a little salted caramel therapy and that your week is on the upswing!
I was working on my blogroll today -- on my blog it's a page called "Good Eggs". I realized that I only had one food-related blog listed and knew just who to add...YOU! Here's the link. http://www.rookno17.com/2008/09/good-eggs.html
As everyone has already mentioned...these look amazing! You had me sold at "salted caramel". I'm sorry you have been in a funk lately (I think a lot of us are in that boat right now). Stay positive and keep on baking!
Oh I have been in a funk for about a month now....oh sweet butter only you can help me...I was passing by to say "HI" and wow glad I did..these are amazing...yum girl yum
sweetlife
Holy stromboli!!!! Do these ever sound yummy. We are having an open house for our business in a few weeks and our customers are always expecting some new and different cookies from me. These might just fit the bill. That is if we don't eat them all before the customers get here!
Hi,
Those bars look wow...yummy...love them...:)
Dr.Sameena@
http://www.myeasytocookrecipes.blogspot.com
These would definitely take me out of any funk, and if you say this is one of the best things you have made, I am buying caramel and more butter today:)
So I just finished making these for a family event today and it is a good thing that the are leaving the house because they are so good. The salt is killer with the caramel.....my new staple square. Thanks!
Jen ~ yay!! SO glad you liked them...I just scraped out the pan and ate the crumbs. I have no shame.
I love emulsions... I love that I am not the only one who gets in a funk for all said reasons... I love butter... I'd love to stay home and get caught up on laundry while watching jersylicious! I have not seen any episodes since season 1. Eeekkk Must add to the DVR list!
Um, love these! These would definitely get me out of funk.
BTW-YOu are too hilarious love the one about the fat jeans being your skinny jeans-I can so relate!
You had me at carmel. These sound wonderful!
Those look like the perfect thing to kick your mood. I totally hear you about the weather lately - the wind on Monday was insane - definitely not looking forward to our Jersey winter.
Looks wonderful. I so have a weakness for caramel. ;)
"My fat jeans are now my skinny jeans." Love it!
These bars look like the perfect solution for a funk!
OH my oh my my mouth watered at the CARAMEL!!! WOW!
These bars sound outstanding...Salty and sweet, what else could you ask for.
These look fantastic! I can't wait to give them a go as my husband is the ultimate caramel guy.
i LOVE caramel :) esp with salt - it complements the sweetness well. i haven't seen these so thanks for posting!
Butter makes everything better! And my fat jeans are my skinny jeans now, too! Darn food blogging! ;)
lol, those are bars are funkilicous! In other words perfect and I don't think I've seen them before so thanks for sharing!
Happy Friday!
~ingrid
Yum...those looks delicious. I think they'd cheer me up if I was in a funk.
You got my attention right at the title! Great post and love how your goodies turned out!
Ahh butter sure makes everything better!! I'm choosing not to say anything about me jeans, denial is the best way :)
I am your newest follower! I love your blog!! I invite you to follow back!
I love love salted caramel, forget the pound of butter used, these bars look delicious, bookmarked it, thanks
buttah, my love. really, the only thing more important to me right now is my netflix supply. :)
your blog is so cute!!!! i really like it! i have a food blog as well, I'm italian but all the recipes are traslated in english if you want to visit me sometimes! bye bye ;)
Oh. my. lordy. Those look incredible. That would take anyone out of a funk!
Hello again! I made these today and holy heck! They are AMAZING!!! I had a hard time waiting for them to cool before I cut into them! Thanks you SOOO much for this recipe!!!
It's a good thing I'm wearing elastic right now so i don't have to worry about my jeans not fitting later on. ha!
Hope you're out of your funk by now!
I loved these! I made them yesterday, brought them to a birthday party but because of the cake and ice cream they weren't really touched. I brought them to work today and one of the guys that tried them only had the reaction, "oh my god, these are so salty." Grrrr......I guess my office is not ready for salted caramel. I was a bit disappointed in his reaction. Oh well, I love them but don't dare step foot out front, where they are, for fear of eating the entire plate.
These look soooo yummy. I'll have to give them a try. Check out my blog (new - only 5 entries so far) but it's all about my indulgence of food too and so far have 2 cookie recipes you should try out. http://epicureanenthusiast.blogspot.com/
omg. those look so good. there are no words for this.
DAMN..I am out of princess cake emulsion! I love love love that stuff!
get your butt out of your funk!!!!
I made these on Sunday and had to take most of them to work for fear that I'd eat the entire pan! They are divine.
I love your writing style. Very witty with fantastic recipes!!
Ohhh, these look killer! And I want that Sticky Gooy cookbook too! I saw Princess Emulsion at Rosses the other day. I might have to go back and pick some up and give it a try!
I just discovered your blog and I love love love it. Everything looks delicious. I am definitely going to be giving these bars a try!
http://hannahinthekitchen.blogspot.com
I'm a bit confused the instructions say to remove the crust from the pan to cool it but then we out it back to cook the topping? Then why remove it at all? Ps: it doesn't actually say to return it to the pan. The photo shows the crust out of the pan to cool.
Rebecca ~ When the crust is done baking the recipe says to transfer to a wire rack to cool, meaning transfer the pan to the wire rack. The photo does show the whole pan on the wire rack cooling, the pan is just clear glass.
I will alter the recipe so it is easier to understand. Thanks.
Me gusta muchisimo todo lo que haces y soy una de tus seguidoras ,besos
http://mary505.blogspot.com/
Amazing!!! I found this post on Pinterest...and I repinned it...must make soon!
Just came across the recipe. I made it today. Divine. So rich it is sinful. Here's my post on the adventure and link back to you.
http://scouttenfineart.blogspot.com/2011/06/salted-caramel-butter-bars.html
OH MY GOODNESS! I tried this today with my dulce de leche and I only made two small batches... I'm glad I made two because the first one didn't make it to the caramel and top step... I had to eat the bottom part. SO GOOD, and easy to make too!
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