Shelly's Recipe

PINE NUT, CARAMEL & SEA SALT SHORTBREAD BARS

Category: Bars

The crust:
18 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups all-purpose flour

The filling:
12 tbsp (1 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
9 tbsp honey
3 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
2 cup pine nuts
3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp coarse sea salt

The crust:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, placing the rack in the center of the oven.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer), combine butter and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add salt and mix again. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Continue to mix until the dough begins to adhere together in large clumps, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl along the way.

Lightly spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Press the dough into the pan. Prick the dough with a fork in about a dozen places. Chill the until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack until the dough cools completely.

The filling:
Reduce the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large skillet set over medium heat, toast pine nuts until they are light golden brown. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Continue to stir while cooking until the caramel coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and add toasted pine nuts and vanilla extract. Pour the filling over the cooled crust.

Bake the mixture until the filling is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack. When the bars are lukewarm, prinkle 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt over the top of the pine nuts, gently pressing to adhere.

Once the bars cool completely, run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan (I had to do this a couple of times). Invert the pan onto the cooling rack, giving the bottom of the pan a sharp rap to loosen the bars. Remove the pan and lay a cutting board over the bars and flip over. Now the bars will be on the cutting board, filling side facing up. Using a sharp knife, cut into 2- by 1-inch bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes 48 bars.