caramel* pecan bars

when i realized how easy it is to make caramel and that it contained butter and cream, i went a little crazy looking for recipes with caramel. i got real obsessed and went on a caramel bender. caramel on ice cream, in coffee, in chocolate drinks, with bananas and over rice - okay, i'm kidding with the rice. obviously i did not go THAT crazy.
until my recent success in making my own caramel, i was never a big fan of it. maybe because of the plastic-y taste i get in the ones i have tasted and most of them were also too sweet. after a few disappointing tries, i was damaged. i developed hatred toward those things they pass up as caramel.after the new year rolled in, i have noticed a lot of blogs posting recipes on caramel with different kinds of salt. it caught my attention and the idea of salt and caramel together was something i am very excited to try out. i did not care too much about the different french salts because they were kind of expensive. well not kind of, relative to the the big boxes of diamond crystal salt i buy on a regular basis, those small tins of designer salts are a bitch on the wallet. it could be because my taste buds are super underdeveloped that i don't appreciate those kinds of salt or it could also be because i grew up in the philippines where most things are salt laden, thus making my taste buds immune to it's taste.
after trying a lot caramel recipes, i decided that the method i loved the most was the one using condensed milk and brown sugar because of the flavor it gives to the finished product. also, i don't have to stand in front of the stove to wait for the sugar to change color and the risk of the sugar burning my hand or bubbling over into the stove is quite low. any method that will make my life easier is the one i'll take, any-freaking-time.
let's talk about what i love about the flavor of this particular caramel recipe. it does not have that bitter aftertaste that you get in some recipes. it's also not too sweet after you add a few pinches of salt. i also love the smooth and creamy of it. then there's the shortbread crust that is underneath all the caramel-y goodness which is crumbly and sweet with a hint of subtle saltiness. let's get to it!

caramel pecan bars

instructions:

crust
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups + 1 tbsp flour
1 1/4 tsp salt

caramel topping

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
16 oz brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans

tools and equipment needed

9 x 13 in metal baking pan
parchment paper or foil to line baking pan
candy themometer

instructions:

1. preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. line a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with parchment or foil buttered/oiled well. if you're using raw pecans for this recipe, you might want to toast them placing the nuts in single layer on a baking sheet and place it in a 350 degree F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes until it's fragrant.

2. in a large bowl or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream 1 cup (2 sticks) room temperature butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar together until fluffy.

3. add salt and flour and continue mixing gently or on low speed until it resembles coarse crumbs and some of it is starting to pull away from the bowl.

4. transfer this mixture into the prepared baking pan and press firmly until it's in one even layer.

5. bake this for 30 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. set aside and let it cool.

6. for the filling, melt the other 2 sticks of butter in a non-stick saucepan. once melted add brown sugar and whisk until the oil from the butter is incorporated well with the melting brown sugar.

7. once the butter and sugar mixtures is incorporated well, add condensed milk, corn syrup and salt. whisk until mixed well and place the candy thermometer into the saucepan.

8. make sure that you stir this frequently to avoid burning your caramel. when the candy thermometer reads 235 degrees F or 112 degrees C, take it out of the heat and pour it over the cooled crust and sprinkle the chopped pecans over the caramel topping.

9. let this set at room temperature for about 4 hours or until the caramel is firm but not hard. cut in 2 inch squares, wrap in parchment or just eat it out of the pan. don't worry i won't tell.

*about the ingredients. a lot people would say that this is technically butterscotch since it's using brown sugar and butter, but a lot of other people call this combination caramel, so i'll go with that bandwagon. and besides it's my blog. kthxbye.