Salted Caramel Millionaire's Graham Cracker Bars

I had been intrigued by this combination and it turned out much better than I expected! A layer of cookie crust, another of caramel and topped by chocolate. Super easy and extremely delicious!

It's the beginning of another month. March is giving us a feel of what the fall will be like. Last week the weather changed, and though we'll still have ridiculously hot days because the seasons have changed for good and they throw completely unrelated temperatures at us whenever they want, the trees, plants, and flowers are changing and so has the sun. So that means a different season has started. And I'm loving it.

Here in Buenos Aires, the month of March is for many, including myself, the beginning of the year.
The school year is from March to December, and summer vacations are usually January and February, so by the beginning of March, everyone is back to their usual routines.

Me, I'm completely out of sync. After working non-stop for three+ years at the Cafe, I'm simply catching up. With just about everything from myself, to friends, hobbies, and family. I don't mind that I didn't have any vacations in the traditional sense of going somewhere beachy or the like. It was enough that I could do.whatever.I.wanted.to for days and days.

It was the best vacation, for my body and my mind. I had a few bouts of guilt, but nothing major really. Why is it that most of us always feel we have to fill every hour of the day with something?

Anyway, extra time also means thinking about what I want for my blog. For starters posts like the homemade graham crackers can happen since I have the time now.

Another thing I'm doing is managing my blogging groups better, which translates into posting when I really like the recipe, whether it's because I want to eat it or because I like to try it and see what happens, and thinking more about what I write.

It had gotten to a point where I participated in so many group posts that it stopped being fun. I know groups are not mandatory in a literal way, but what's the point being part of one if you don't post frequently or end up writing without any interest just because the post has to be up tomorrow.

All in all, it means that I'm not only getting my life back but also that I feel I'm creating a blog that comes more from my heart. And my heart sometimes is more superficial, other times more thoughtful or even boring, but it's me in every post.

Today we have our usual first-Monday-of-every month Chocolate Party!

This month is about chocolate + caramel, which is one of those combinations of flavors that I don't know where to begin. 

Because caramel is good with every single type of chocolate. So, at the risk of being a bore, I made some wonderfully gooey millionaire's bars with salted caramel and a graham cracker crust instead of the usual shortbread.

It turned out like a candy bar. And the graham cracker crust reminded me of milk chocolate with cookies inside that is sold here. Since this is my first time making salted caramel millionaire's bars, I'm quite excited about them. The crust is less buttery than shortbread, and the graham cracker crust has such a unique flavor, I might use it in many other bars. We'll see about that.

Salted Caramel Millionaire's Bars

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• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 9 squares

Ingredients

Units USM

For the shortbread base:

• ½ cup (110g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour

Salted caramel:

• ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (70z or 200g) unsalted butter
• 1 can (397g/14oz) sweetened condensed milk
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons golden or corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

• 120z (340g) semisweet chocolate
• ½ cup heavy cream

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Instructions

For the shortbread base:

1. With a wooden spoon or electric hand mixer on low, cream butter with sugar until smooth.
2. Add salt and flour in two parts, combining well. Do not overmix. It will be crumbly.
3. Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and pat the dough evenly on the bottom. Lightly flour the tips of your fingers if needed to do this. Be sure all surface is covered as evenly as possible.
4. Prick the bottom with a fork and freeze for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 350ºF / 180ºC.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, until it’s dry and fully baked. Reserve.

For the caramel:

1. Combine the butter, brown sugar, salt, vanilla, sweetened condensed milk and syrup.
2. Place over medium heat and whisk until melted and combined then continue whisking over the heat while the caramel bubbles and turns a darker, richer color. If you use a candy thermometer it needs to reach 225°F. If you don’t, you'll see it starts to thicken and pull away from the edge, 5-6 minutes, your caramel is ready.
3. Spread evenly over the cooled shortbread crust.
4. Refrigerate until the caramel sets.

For the chocolate topping:

1. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. 
2. Heat cream in a small saucepan until it's about to break into a boil. 
3. Pour over the chocolate, let stand 30 seconds and whisk until smooth and shiny. 
4. Spread over the cold caramel, covering it completely. 
5. Leave at room temperature until it cools down, and then refrigerate, covered, until it solidifies.
6. When ready to serve, remove from the pan carefully, cut into squares and serve. Use a kitchen knife. 

Notes

Use dulce de leche instead of making the caramel if you want a super fast version of this recipe.

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Refrigeration
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: shortbread millionaire bars

Adapted from Nancy Silverton and bbc.com.uk