Oreo Brownies

Go ahead. I dare you. Google "best ever brownies". Don't worry I will wait. Done yet? Of course not! Google best ever brownies and you may as well kiss goodbye your afternoon your week.  Wait, I can hear you saying, I thought this was a post about "oreo brownies". It is! I promise.  But it started with a best ever brownie search and took shape from there. Every site, big to small, seems to have a "best ever brownie" recipe. I'm not a big of such claims to be honest.  I, mean, have they tasted every brownie recipe out there? From what my search did tell me, is that cocoa powder is the key ingredient. I know!  Simple cocoa powder. Everyone has a container of that in their pantry right? Not fussy tempered melted chocolate or a combination of both. So, I heeded advice from those that came before and went for it.

A good, nay, great brownie recipe should have two characteristics.  A crackly top. And a fudgey (fudgy?) interior.  Sorry, cakey brownie lovers, but fudgey wins over here. If I wanted cake, I'd eat cake! When I bite into a brownie, I expect to crunch through a chocolatey exterior to discover that ooey, gooey, fudgeyness (that's a word, right?) on the inside. These brownies delivered on both counts.  Crackly top? Check.  Fudgey interior? Check, check. Best ever brownies? Who knows, but they were d*#@ good! Have I got you clamoring to your cupboards to fish out that container of cocoa powder yet?

To be even more of a sweet genius, I threw in some crushed Oreos.  Have you seen the latest study on oreos? So you can't blame me for throwing them in. Perhaps, that also explains how when I had the idea earlier in the week to make oreo brownies and picked up a package that only a mere 3 days later only a dozen cookies remained.  Self control wasn't exactly my forte this week, people. It can't be helped, it's scientifically proven! Where are the oreos in those photos? I can hear you, out there! The recipe calls for pouring a hot butter and sugar mixture into a egg mixture. If you add the oreos in to the hot mixture, they tend melt into the batter. Trust me, you will still taste them, but you won't necessarily see them. If you are more patient then myself, wait about 20 minutes then add in your oreos. But, if you are like me then you throw them in and get to eating your brownies a little earlier! This is not a moment for delayed gratification.

I adjusted this recipe from a site I visit frequently, King Arthur Flour.  The original recipe called for Dutch-process cocoa powder. I could uncover a container of natural cocoa powder.  Fear not if you are in the same boat! Natural cocoa powder can be substituted for dutch process. So row on people!  If you want the full nitty gritty on these two cousins of powder, I highly recommend skipping on over to Joy The Baker, and read her post on Dutch vs. Natural Cocoa Powder. Then you should skip off to the pantry and whip up some of these brownies!


Oreo Brownies
Note: I used natural cocoa powder because that is all I had on hand. The original recipe calls for dutch process cocoa powder.  I can only speak for how my brownies came out. So use what you have! And I used 12 oreos because sadly that is all I had left! Of course, I highly recommend you use more!

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Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 12 oreos, crushed

Directions:


1.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

2. Crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth.

3. In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Or simply combine the butter and sugar, and heat, stirring, until the butter is melted. Continue to heat (or microwave) briefly, just until the mixture is hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating the mixture to this point will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

4.Add the hot butter/sugar mixture to the egg/cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth.

5. Add the flour and oreos, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the oreos to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

6. Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan.

7. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.

Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

Ok so it's been awhile since I've posted. I can hear you scoffing over there. Ok it's be a loooooong time- oh about six months give or take a day.  I decided to give this blogging thing a go one more time. I have to admit I got a little discouraged, blogging ain't easy! I decided if I was going to get back into though I was going to need to invest in a new camera.  My point and shoot just wasn't going to cut it. So with my new (ok used off of Amazon- I am a teacher folks and those fancy cameras aren't cheap!) camera in hand I'm giving this blogging thing a go one more time. So what did I make to celebrate my return? These delicious no wait... insanely delicious ok...so good that I hate to admit how many I ate- Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars.  I had a bushel? a lot of apples staring at me on the counter that I had to find something to do with. My friends and I had gone apple picking the weekend before and not being an apple picking expert I bought the BIG bag to fill. Well, folks, in case you are planning on going apple picking that BIG bag is way more apples than you know what to do with.  Consider yourself warned. 

These bars were a perfect little package of Autumn. And salted caramel anything? Count me in.  So apples, cinnamon, salted caramel. You can't go wrong. To me, they were like eating apple pie. Only you know easier to make and I didn't feel as guilty. Desserts in small form do that to me. Ok, so yea I ate probably way more than equivalent to a slice of pie so that logic totally doesn't count.  But if the crisp Fall air has you yearning for pie and simpler times these bars can deliver that. Well maybe not simpler times, but hey these bars should put a smile on your face.  What will I do with the rest of the apples adorning my countertop? Guess you will just have to wait and see... 



Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars
original source: Two Peas and Their Pod
Please note:  I cheated a little and used good jarred caramel sauce.  Feel free to do the same or go ahead and make your own.  Two Peas and Their Pod's original recipe includes a recipe for caramel sauce.  Either way, don't forget the caramel sauce at the end. Drizzle that stuff all over these little babies. Seriously, the caramel sauce at the end puts the bars over the top. (I apologize my picture does not include the final drizzle of caramel sauce!)

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ingredients:

For salted caramel sauce

1 cup of your favorite jarred caramel

1 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus extra for sprinkling

For the Apple Filling:

5 cups peeled and diced apples
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice

For the crust:

3 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. For the apple filling- place the diced apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground all-spice. Pour over the apples and carefully combine. Set aside.

3. For the dough-in a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or by using your hands, until butter is mixed in, but you still have small chunks of butter. Mix the egg and vanilla together. Add into the flour and butter mixture and combine. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.

4. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom crust. Drizzle about salted caramel sauce over the apple filling, about 3/4 cup. Crumble the remaining dough over the apple caramel layer and pat gently.

5. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Drizzle  the extra caramel sauce (feel free to drizzle as much as you like- 1/4 cup is just my suggestion, but who am I to tell you when to stop?) and an extra sprinkling of fleur de sel over the squares and serve.

Brown Butter Blondies with Chocolate and Almond

I have to admit when I want a sweet treat my mind doesn't gravitate towards blondies. I know...it's terrible. I want a fudgy brownie or a cupcake. A treat laden with chocolate. I see you nodding your head in agreement.  My mind doesn't think...mmm a blondie. I decided to re-think blondies after making these, and decided to make blondies again.  So I turned to the Bible of Cooking and Baking.  I knew they wouldn't steer me wrong. 

I did, however, have in my head that I wanted to change it a little bit. Eek, am I allowed to say that I think I improved upon the recipe? Am I allowed to say that? Well not having made the original recipe, I have no claim on that. I decided to brown the butter to up the caramelly flavor with the brown sugar. Trust me, if you do one thing. Brown. The. Butter. Don't be scared, follow this step by step tutorial on how to do so. The original recipe called for pecans, but I had almonds on hand. To ump the almond flavor, I decided to also swap out the vanilla extract and use almond extract instead. So if you don't like almond extract, what's wrong with you?! How do you not like almond extract?! I mean..keep the original vanilla extract and pecans. I finished off the delicious blondie by still adding in dark chocolate chunks and white chocolate chips.  I mean, come on, it's chocolate. You don't omit that.

All I can say is that after making these I have started thinking of all the endless possibiliteis of blondies.  Hmm...what to add next? Coconut? Peanut butter chips? Pretzel bits? All three....any suggestions?

Chocolate and Toasted Almond Blondies
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated
Please note: I actually ran out of brown sugar in the middle of making these! Eek! Luckily, one of my favorite bloggers came to the rescue and showed me how to quickly make my own brown sugar.

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1 cups almonds, toasted and chopped
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted, browned and cooled
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cups dark chocolate chunks

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread nuts on large rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside.
3. While nuts toast, cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking pan, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet (if using extra-wide foil, fold second sheet lengthwise to 12-inch width). Spray foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.
4. In a saucepan, melt and brown your butter. As it cools, prepare your other ingredients.
5. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.
6. Whisk browned butter and brown sugar together in medium bowl until combined. Add eggs and almond extract and mix well.
7. Using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix.
8. Fold in chocolate and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula.
9. Bake until top is shiny, cracked, and light golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes; do not overbake. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Cake Batter Blondies

I am writing this post as I sit and wait for my flight to D.C. I am off on a little mini vacation this week to visit a good friend. And it couldn't come at a better time as Boston is about to get more snow! Where is everyone going to park?! Of course D.C. is going to get lots of rain while I am there, but I will take that any day over snow. Anyway on to the recipe! I found this recipe on Sally's Baking Addiction website. These cake batter blondies were very easy, especially if you use a cake mix. Of course I decided to make things more difficult and make cake mix from scratch. I got the recipe from Brown Eyed Baker. Check her site out! It is fantastic! So whether you go the 100% homemade way or the Sandra Lee way (aka semi- homemade) no one will mind. They will if you decide not to make these.

Cake Batter Blondies

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 -1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sprinkles
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.  Spray 11×7 baking pan with nonstick spray. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add the milk slowly. You want to cake batter to be as dense & thick as possible. Mix in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips.  Pour into prepared baking pan, sprinkle a few more sprinkles on top, and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are just turning brown. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the center sets, before cutting into squares.
*The blondies will look like they are not fully done because the center will be quite gooey, but that’s what you want! After about 30 minutes of cooling, they will be easy to cut using a serrated knife.
* If you do make your own cake mix, I used 3 cups of my homemade yellow cake mix. I have read some people have used a little more- 3 1/2 cups up to 4. I would gauge your mix by the dryness. Start with 3 cups...you can always add more!

Salted Caramel Flourless Fudge Brownies

During my trip to Washington D.C. I stopped in at Dean and Deluca. BIG mistake. Have you ever watched Julie and Julia? If not, rent it immediately. If you have then you know the scene where she says she stopped in there and spent "half her take home pay".  After perusing the well-stocked shelves, I know this was not at all an exxageration.   Shopping there is worse than taking me to a clothing store. If you have never had the privilege of shopping at Dean and Deluca it is like a food lover's dream come true. A mecca shopping experience overloading your foodie senses.

Let me take you on a little tour...  When you first walk in you are greeted with a glass display case filled with artisanal truffles with interesting combinations like honey, ginger, and lavender. From there you can buy locally made breads, cheeses, and pastries. Along the walls are exceptional products from a rainbow of icing sugars to hard to come by salts.  I had to find my self-restraint.  Ok I gave in a little who am I kidding? It's Dean and Deluca. It's a good thing that is not around the corner from me everyday.  What I did splurge on was some...

Fleur de sel ($13 for this tiny little bag)... Well worth it in my opinion.

and a jar of Fran's caramel sauce.  Forget the spoon, ladies. Dive in with two fingers. No one is looking I promise.

My friend of course simply shook her head at me in disbelief that anyone would spend thirty dollars on salt and caramel.  Hey I am on vacation people!  What I had in my mind when purchasing these two lovely souvenirs was these...salted caramel flourless fudge brownies. Yum, yum, and yum! Just look at that crackly top...perfection in brownie form.

 I knew when I came across this flourless fudge brownie recipe at Yammie's Gluten Freedom blog I wanted to add caramel and sea salt..that much I knew. I also knew that I really didn't feel like making my own caramel for this recipe.  OK yea fleur de sel may be out of your price range. Any sea salt will do. You definitely can also make your own caramel. It would save you a few bucks. Feel free. I on the other hand still wanted to catch this week's episode of Sean Lowe...err I mean the Bachelor.

These brownies make me wonder why flour ever was invited to the brownie party in the first place. They are ooey, gooey, fudgy bites of wonderfulness. Even if you are a person who walks around with an "I heart flour" t-shirt on, trust me make these. You will be donating that shirt to good will in no time.

Flourless Fudge Brownies
Slightly adapted from Yammie's Gluten Freedom
Print this recipe!


* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 3/4 cup vegetable oil
* 4 large eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla
* 1 1/2 cup cocoa powder
* 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup caramel sauce
* 1/4 tsp. fleur de sel (or another kind of sea salt)

Please note: I sprayed my pan with a cooking spray only. These guys were definitely tricky to get out! I suggest lining your pan with parchment paper and saving yourself the struggle in the end!Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Combine the sugars and oil and beat until well combined. Add in the eggs and whisk together. Mix the vanilla and espresso powder together until the coffee powder is dissolved and add to the egg/sugar/oil mixture. Beat for about two minutes. Stir together the cocoa and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and blend until smooth. Swirl in your caramel and sprinkle with salt. Pour into prepared pan and bake about 25 minutes.

Seven Layer Bars

It has been a week or so since I have posted anything. School ended. Summer started. The sun blazed on. In the simplicity and heat of summer I wanted a simple and easy dessert. Seven layers. Ladies, if you want a dessert to impress, and not a lot of fuss start here. The ooey gooeyness presented in this bar recipe, will let anyone forgive you for really not stretching your baking muscles here too much. This is a light day at the gym. This is a lazy Sunday, keep the pajamas on, I don't feel like doing much kind of dessert. And boy, oh boy is it much appreciated.  I made these for a Pampered Chef party I hosted and unfortunately for my waistline I made too many to be eaten for the small group of us and now I have a large plate of them left behind. My tummy appreciates. My thighs, not so much.

There are seven easy layers to put together. Let me break it down for you.

1. Crush a package of graham crackers (there are 9 in one package- that is how many you need. How easy is that?)
2. Add a stick of melted butter. Mix and press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.
3. Then (are you ready for this?)..sprinkle on your walnuts, your three different kinds of chips, and coconut (that has been toasted in the oven prior for 4 minutes..that is as culinary as we get here folks).
4. Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk over.
5. Done. Bake. Enjoy.

A few of my baking challenged friends came by for the P.C. party, and I convinced them this is a recipe they need to try. You really can't get any easier. I am now on though to thinking how can I change this gooey concoction. Add nutella? Hmm. Pecans? Salted caramel. Oh boy...Possibilities. Are. Endless.

Oh all these free things I get to purchase through Pampered Chef? Yea, expect me to be making delicious things with all of those gadgets soon. Oh boy, I can't wait to use those!

Seven Layer Bars
15-24 bars (depending on how big you like your bars!)

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
9 graham crackers (5 ounces), crushed
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the pan with two overlapping pieces of foil or parchment paper, leaving overhang to act as handles for lifting the bars out of the pan. Spray with non-stick spray.

2. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake until the outer flakes just begin to brown, about 4 minutes. (Keep a close eye on it – coconut can go from slightly browned to burnt in a matter of seconds.) Set aside.

3. Melt the butter and combine with graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl. Toss with your fingers until the butter is evenly distributed. Press the crumbs evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

4. In order, sprinkle the walnuts, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, and coconut over the graham crumbs. Pour the condensed milk evenly over the entire dish.

5. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.

6. Remove the bars fromthe pan using the foil or parchment handles and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut into 2 by 3-inch bars.

raspberry coconut oat bars

Meet Leona. She is sweet. Unassuming. Another streusel bar you're saying. Sigh..next blog...but wait! There is  more to this girl's story. Is that coconut I smell? And oats I see? Yes and yes. These bars were the second recipe I decided to try in the cookbook I borrowed from the library, One Girl Cookie. A cookbook I have since returned to the library, but added to my amazon shopping cart. Each cookie has been given a name from which a good story I am sure lies behind each and every name chosen.  The desserts are wonderfully rustic, yet simple, and so far proven to be quite delicious. These bars are a close cousin to a raspberry streusel bar, but which calls for yes the aforementioned coconut and oat addition, but also a touch more salt then you may be used to adding. Don't be afraid, you read right. A WHOLE teaspoon. The salinity, Dawn, cookbook author and owner of the Brooklyn-based bakery, says marries wonderfully with the sweet raspberry jam. "Bottle rockets in your mouth" she promises..and well she delivers folks.

For me, I have my own little story now for this cookie. Does anyone remember the sunscreen song? I am pretty sure that this song was my senior year song. "If I could offer you one piece of advice for the future. It would be this. Wear sunscreen." Well sunscreen, yes that's important. My advice? Turn the oven on. I can hear you laughing now. Obviously you didn't turn the oven, you're saying. You got it. Perhaps you have been there? You know those days, where everything you touch doesn't work out quite right. It is like the anti-Midas touch I call it.  I am happy to say though it was a mistake that did not cost me in the end for these scrumptious bars. (Of course, they took a little more time then I was expecting. A bar cookie! Perfect I will be in and out of the kitchen in no time!) Right if you remember to turn the oven on.

Ideally, the recipe calls for you to bake the bottom layer. Let the bar cool for 10 minutes. THEN spread the jam and sprinkle with a reserved portion of the coconut and oat mixture. Me? Nah. I decided to let the bar get acquainted with my oven first, sans heat. I then, took the bars out. Spread the jam on and sprinkled the crumbly, yummy coconut, oat mixture and popped them back in. Seven minutes later...Hmm, my raspberry filling is not bubbling. I wonder, why? Oh- Oven. Not. On. Right. So my bars cooked all at once, all three layers. The good thing?... nothing seemed to compromised. Granted, I have nothing to base this on, except myself and co-workers gobbled them up. So if you try this recipe, let me know what you think if you bake them the way you are supposed to. You know, oven on first.


Raspberry Coconut Oat Bars
Makes 24 small, or 12 large bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 raspberry preserves

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and toast it in an oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Let cool. (Leave the oven on.) I am not kidding it actually says that in the recipe! So much for that!

3.  Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan by greasing it with cooking spray and then lining the bottom with parchment paper.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt.  Mix on low speed to combine.  Add the butter and mix on low speed until the dough just starts to come together.  Add the toasted coconut and the oats.  Mix on low speed for 1 minute.

5.  Reserve 3/4 cup of the dough.  Transfer the remaining dough to the prepared pan.  Using your fingers press it evenly over the bottom of the baking pan.  Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through for 14 minutes, until the crust is golden around the edges.  Let the crust cool for 10  minutes.  Spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the crust, leaving a 1/2-inch border.

6.  Crumble the reserved dough over the preserves.  Bake for 7 minutes, or until the preserves are bubbling. Let the bars cool completely.

7. Loosen the edges of the crust with a small metal spatula.  Invert the pan over a large baking sheet, releasing the bars onto the baking sheet. Remove the parchment paper, and invert the bars again onto a cutting board.  Using a thin, sharp knife, cut them into 2-inch squares.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies Bars

 You know a recipe is good when someone says, "I wish you hadn't cut them so small!" I had a faculty meeting to attend and it was our team's job to provide the snacks. I, of course, chose to make something sweet (always looking for an excuse to bake and try a new recipe!)

Chocolate and caramel. Sweet and salty Yum and yum. Two blissful reunions made in heaven. The original recipe used caramel candies to make the salted caramel sauce. I wanted to try my hand again at making caramel. I really truly believe a person (albeit- chef, doctor, whoever) is as only as good as their tools. In my case- a candy thermometer. I used my candy thermometer, but luckily grabbed the pot off the stove before my precious caramel went from perfect to burnt.  If you have never made caramel- trust me, the perfect to burnt timing happens very, very quickly.  My thermometer, unfortunately did not reach all the way into the caramel. (Seriously, who designed this?!?) After making these bars, I am already on the hunt for a better thermometer.  Any suggestions?

So if making caramel scares you, try using the candies. Either way find a way to make these! And take my co-worker's suggestion..don't cut them so small!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Originally from Two Peas And Their Pod

Note: If making caramel using the candies, substitute the homemade caramel sauce with

10 oz. of caramel candies (unwrap them of course!) with 3 Tbs. of heavy cream. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Microwave caramels on High until caramels are melted, stirring every 20 seconds. This will take about 2 minutes, depending on your microwave.

Ingredients:

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 to 1/2 cup of salted caramel sauce (I tended to lean towards the more side with this stuff)
Sea salt, for sprinkling over caramel and bars

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking pan (which is an 11 X 7 pan-I used a glass Pyrex dish) with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the melted butter and sugars together until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Divide the cookie dough in half. Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula. Pour hot caramel over the cookie dough. Sprinkle caramel with sea salt. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough over the caramel and spread dough with a spatula until the caramel is covered. Sprinkle the bars with additional sea salt.
6.Bake cookie bars for 30 minutes or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Cool bars on a wire rack to room temperature. Cut bars into squares and serve.


Salted Caramel Sauce:
Originally from Baked bakery, in NYC

* 1 cup sugar
* 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon fleur de sel (I used the sea salt I had in my cupboard and it seemed to be just fine!)* 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions
1. Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 350 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, mix together cream and salt. Bring cream to a boil and cook until salt has dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. When the caramel mixture has reached 350 degrees, remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Carefully add the hot cream to the caramel; stir to combine. Whisk in sour cream. Cool, and store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days.