Salted Caramel Butter Bars

YUM! These bars are probably one of the best things I've made in a while, so they are definitely worth sharing with you all. I made them for a church function as a favor for my mom, and they were gone in 20 minutes! The original recipe, as well as the photos, come from Pip & Ebby. Hallelujah for this recipe!

Ingredients:

4 sticks of butter

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

14 oz. unwrapped caramel candies

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 a teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F

2. In a large bowl, combine the butter (at room temperature) and powdered and granulated sugar. Beat together with a hand mixer until creamy. Then add 2 tablespoons vanilla and blend in.

3. Gradually add the flour to the mixture, until a soft dough forms.

4. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray and press half of the dough into the bottom of the pan to form a crust. Bake this for about 20 minutes, until edges are golden. Place the remaining dough in the refrigerator. 

5. Combine the caramels, whipping cream, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for one minute and then stir. If mixture is not smooth, microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.

6. After crust has baked and cooled for 15 minutes, pour caramel mixture over crust, sprinkling with sea salt. 

7. Take the excess dough from the refrigerator and crumble over the caramel to form the top. Bake until lightly golden, about 30 minutes. Cool before cutting into squares. Now, enjoy and indulge!