Caramel Butter Bars for #FoodieExtravaganzaParty

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays by cooking and baking together with the same ingredient or theme each month.

Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

For the month of October, Kelley of Simply Inspired Meals invited us to make dishes using caramel! Why? Because October is National Caramel Month! 

Other Caramel recipes on Making Miracles:

• 10/14 Caramel Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing
• 8/15 Caramel Apple Buttermilk Muffins
• 9/15 S'moreo Caramel Bundt Cake
• 11/16 Caramel Cashew Bars
• 11/17 Caramel and Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods

These bars are DECADENT. Super rich, super buttery, super chewy. Cut them into small squares and plan to share! They are really delicious - they'd be the perfect treat on a desert buffet in little squares, or enjoy a rich bite with a cup of tea or coffee in the evening. The caramel lovers in your life will thank you.

Come take a peak at all these delicious recipes for the caramel lovers in your life!

• Caramel & Orange Cake Pudding Trifle by Sneha's Recipe
• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Caramel Butter Bars by Making Miracles
• Caramel Stuffed Brownie Bites by Food Lust People Love
• Disney's Caramel Shortbread by Simply Inspired Meals
• Easy Caramel Modjestkas by Palatable Pastime
• Galaxy Cake by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Hopjesvla (Dutch Coffee Custard) by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Salted Caramel Mudslide by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Caramel Butter Bars 

Ingredients

For the Crust

2 cups salted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1½ cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

4 cups all purpose flour

For the Filling

14 ounces soft caramel candies, unwrapped

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place softened butter and both sugars into the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Start speed off on low and bring speed up as sugar incorporates (so it doesn't fly out)! Whip together until light and creamy. Turn speed down to low and blend in the vanilla extract and the flour, until a soft crumbly dough comes together. Scrape down the sides as needed.
3. Place about 1/3 of the dough into the prepped baking dish and press with your fingers until it comes together to cover the bottom with a thin shortbread layer. Bake in the preheated oven about 20 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Place the remaining shortbread in the refrigerator while the base bakes.
4. Allow the base to cool about 15 minutes while you prep the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels with the cream into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 60 seconds, then stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 30 second increments until the mixture blends together into a smooth and creamy caramel sauce. Blend in the vanilla and then pour / spread the caramel layer over the shortbread base.
5. Sprinkle the chilled remaining shortbread dough in small pieces evenly all over the top.
6. Return to the oven for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned all over and cooked through.
7. Allow caramel layer to cool completely before slicing into small bars (a little goes a long way)!

Recipe from Cookies and Cups