Idealogian

Reuven's Recipe corneR - Chocolate Glazed Macadamia Caramel Shortbread Bars

Those of you watching your weight, or even occasionally glancing at it, should skip this next entry. The All-American Cookie Book, from which I got the following recipe (and which I highly recommend), begins its description thusly:

"Yes, these luxurious bars are a bit more trouble than your average cookies. But if you want something to secure your reputation as a dessert maker, this is it!"

After making it, I can agree with both statements (and my roommate heartily agrees with the second). It takes a while to make, though none of it is particularly difficult, and making the caramel is actually kind of fun (if you're the type of person who might find caramel-making fun).

The author of the recipe book has a tendency to make things seem harder than they are; I've tried to simplify things a bit.

Chocolate-Glazed Macadamia Caramel Shortbread Bars

Ingredients:
Shortbread
10 1/2 Tbsp. (1 stick plus 2 1/2 Tbsp) unsalted butter (or margarine), softened
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all-purpose white flour

Caramel:
3/4 c. heavy (whipping) cream
3 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (or margarine)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/3 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 c. (about 5 3/4 oz.) coarsely chopped unsalted macadamia nuts

Chocolate Glaze:
2 1/2 Tbsp. heavy (whipping) cream
2 1/2 Tbsp. light corn syrup
5 1/2 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, morsels or broken up (to be melted)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, broken up (to be melted)
2 Tbsp. (1/4 stick) unsalted butter (or margarine), cut into chunks
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325^o F. Line a 9"x13" pan with aluminum foil, leaving some excess at the ends. (This will make it easy to get the bars out of the pan at the end.)

For the shortbread:
1. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla until very well blended. Beat or stir in the flour until evenly incorporated.

2. Firmly press the dough into the pan, doing your best to ensure that it is even and smooth. (Helpful tip: lay a sheet of wax paper across the top and press that flat; then peel it off and discard.)

3. Bake in the middle of the oven for 27-32 minutes, until pale golden all over and slightly darker around the edges. Remove from oven and set aside.

For the caramel:
1. In a small saucepan, combine the cream, butter and salt. Bring just to a simmer over medium-high heat; then turn off flame.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine the corn syrup and about half of the sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the sugar has fully liquefied, stir in about half of the remaining sugar. When that liquefies, stir in the rest of the sugar. Continue cooking, scraping down the sides of the pan, for 5 to 7 minutes - until all the sugar has liquefied, started bubbling, and turned a medium tan color. Remove from heat.

3. Pour the cream mixture (from step 1) into the caramel (from step 2) (being careful to avoid splatters). Stir and scrape until all the caramel has dissolved into a liquidy mixture. (Don't worry if there are some sugar crystals stuck to the side of the pan.)

4. Return the mixture to a medium-high flame. Cook, stirring gently, for another 5 or so minutes, until the mixture is a nice caramel color and has thickened up a bit, as you would expect hot, melted caramel to look. (If you have a candy thermometer, cook until the mixture reaches 246-247^o F; I don't and had to guess as I just described.) Stir in the vanilla.

5. Pour the caramel over the shortbread, making sure you don't scrape any sugar crystals from the pan or the spoon in along with it. Tip the dish back and forth to evenly coat.

6. Sprinkle the macadamia nuts evenly over the caramel. When it has cooled a bit, use your hand to push the nuts into the caramel to embed them.

For the glaze:
1. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, microwave the cream and corn syrup for 30 seconds, until hot but not boiling. Set aside.

2. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolates and butter. (Start at full power for about a minute; then stir. Continue microwaving at half power for 30 second intervals, stopping before the chocolate is fully melted and letting residual heat and stirring finish the job, so as not to burn.)

3. Stir the cream mixture (from step 1) into the chocolate mixture (from step 2) until well blended and smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Spread the glaze evenly over the cooled caramel.

Let stand until cool; refrigerate until chilled and the glaze is solid. Remove the tin foil from the pan, and peel it from the bottom of the dessert. Slice into 32 bars. Though the dessert is a lot easier to handle when it's cold and solid, it's a lot more fun to eat when it's room temperature and gooey, so let it sit out a bit before eating/serving.

I've still got some left, so those you who know where I live can stop by today for a free sample (first come, first serve).