Welcome to The Daily Dish 2nd Annual Holiday Bake-Off!
Hard to believe, but here we are. The very last weekend before Christmas. For me that means shopping, wrapping, and of course – BAKING! Today’s prize winning recipe comes from the lovely Dianne T. who writes: Here is a great holiday treat perfect for gifting or just enjoying. We make these every year to give out to friends. They are super easy & delicious!! Enjoy!! WELL. ENJOY, you will. These oh-so-fabulous squares are a cross between cookies and candy. Rich with buttery caramel and a sweet brown sugar crust, they’re a sure hit with everyone on your gift list. And then some.
Yields about 40 cookie bars.
SODIUM CONTENT: 5 mg per cookie bar
INGREDIENTS:
Crust:
2 c. flour
1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
Caramel Layer:
2 c. shelled pecans (whole or pieces), dried & unsalted
2/3 c. (10 2/3 T.) unsalted butter
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
2 c. chocolate chips (dark, milk, or semisweet)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get out a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking pan and set aside.
In a small bowl combine crust ingredients. Mix with beater until particles are fine. Pat firmly into the ungreased baking pan.
Scatter the pecans evenly over crust and set aside.
Prepare caramel. In a heavy sauce pan combine brown sugar & butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until entire surface begins to boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring, then remove from heat and pour evenly over pecan crust.
Place pan near center of oven and bake 20 minutes, until caramel layer is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Return pan to oven and bake 2 minutes longer. Remove pan from oven and gently swirl melted chips, leaving some chips whole. Place pan on wire rack to cool. Cool fully before cutting into bars and serving. Store in an airtight container.
NOTE: Dianne recommends doubling the recipe and baking it in a large cake pan. From her experience, these little babies go fast!!
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