Groovy Caramel Bars

It's Anna's baby shower and these are her sister's favorite bars. The gold medal goes to these Groovy Caramel Squares. Since Anna is a Gold Medalist these are perfect for her baby shower! This recipe comes from Jemma's recipe box, it's an Irish favorite. I think it will be yours as well. 3 steps for a flaky shortbread crust, a gooey caramel filling and a perfect chocolate glaze.

Combine flour and sugar in a bowl.

Cut in butter until crumbly.

 

Grease baking dish.

Press mixture into bottom of pan and bake.

Melt butter in a saucepan.

Add sweetened condensed milk .

Add packed light brown sugar.

Crust is golden brown.

Add honey to filling mixture.

Boil and stir for 5 minutes.

Pour caramel filling over warm crust.

 

Melt chocolate chips in microwave.

Groovy Caramel Bars

 

 Ingredients

Shortbread Crust

1 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup sugar
10 tablespoons cold butter


Filling

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons honey


Glaze

2 cups bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon shortening


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Shortbread Crust

In a bowl, combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press into a 9" square baking dish. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Caramel Filling

Combine the filling ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil and stir for 5 minutes. Pour over warm crust.

Glaze

In the microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening for 1-1 1/2 minutes, or until melted, stir after 30 seconds. Spread over filling. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares. This recipe is adapted from Jemma's recipe book. This post has been linked up to these fabulous blogs! Nettie

This post has been featured on these blogs

Caramel Nut Revel Bars ( The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap)

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

I signed up for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap with cookieswap@loveandoliveoil.com with Lindsay and Julie. It is a secret Santa style swap- so I am not supposed to contact my matches until after the swap! Lindsay and Julie told me not to ruin the surprise. I am terrible with secrets, this is killing me! I want to call my swap matches and ask- Did you get the cookie bars? Did they arrive in bars and not crumbs? Do you like them? Do you really ? Huh? Huh? Oh yeah, this is torture! So far, I have received one dozen cookies from my secret Santa and they were oh- so- yummy! I baked over three dozen bars and shipped one dozen cookies to three different people! I can't wait for the responses!

These bars are so dreamy and delicious, your kids will be fighting over them, Amy's kids were- LOL!

All of my favorite cookie bar ingredients, Oatmeal crust, caramel, chocolate, roasted almond slivers, marshmallows.....YES!!

This is what the picture looks like in the magazine- oh please let my cookie bars turn out like these!

It came out better than the photo!

Sunshine on my cookie bars, makes me happy, sunshine in my eyes....la dee da......Caramel Nut Revel Bars for The Cookie Swap

•     1    cup butter or margarine
•     2    cups packed brown sugar
•     2    eggs
•     2    teaspoons vanilla
•     2 1/2    cups all-purpose flour
•     1    teaspoon baking soda
•     3    cups quick-cooking rolled oats ( I used regular oats)
•     1    14 ounce can (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
•     1    12 ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces
•     1    cup chopped walnuts ( I used roasted almond slivers)
•     2    teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter or margarine. In a large mixing bowl beat the remaining butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until well mixed. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another large bowl stir together flour and baking soda; stir in oats. Gradually stir dry mixture into beaten mixture. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan combine the reserved butter or margarine, the sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate pieces. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and the 2 teaspoons vanilla.

3. Press two-thirds (about 3-1/3 cups) of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Using your fingers, dot remaining oat mixture over the chocolate.

4. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist). Cool on a wire rack. Cut into 2x1-inch bars. Makes about 75 bars.

    Make Ahead Tip Line the baking pan with foil, extending the foil over edges of pan. Prepare and bake bars in foil-lined pan as above. Cool; lift bars out of pan on the foil. Place uncut bars in freezer bag or container. Seal, label, date, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw bars at room temperature about 15 minutes. Once thawed, cut into bars.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens
Christmas Cookies Magazine.

These are the adorable boxes that I used for the cookie swap!

Santa's elf helping me with packaging and wrapping the cookie bars!

My Christmas Wreath that I made with help from Sweet Annie Designs.

One of the Christmas wreaths from Church.

My beautiful bouquets from my loving friends and paper whites about to pop! Merry Christmas 2011! Love, Nettie This post has been linked up to some of my favorite blogs!!