Caramel Nut Bars


gluten free shortbread crust pressed into 9x13 pan
gluten free caramel nut bar filling ingredients
boiling caramel filling
filling with walnuts and cream added
gluten free caramel nut bars before final bake
baked gluten free caramel nut bars

Description

It is hard to type with sticky fingers. And I haven't stopped eating these gluten free caramel nut bars since they were cool enough to cut. I think wow will suffice.

Ingredients

13 oz
Cheatin' Wheat Pie Crust Mix
1⁄4 c
Powdered Sugar
6 oz
Unsalted Butter (Cut into Cubes)
4 oz
Cold Water
8 oz
Brown Sugar
6 oz
Honey
1⁄4 c
Sugar
8 oz
Unsalted Butter
2 oz
Heavy Cream
1 lb
Nuts (Coarsely Chopped)
1 t
Vanilla Extract
1⁄4 t
Salt (Optional)
Prep time: 20 minutesCooking time: 50 minutesTotal time: 1 1⁄6 hours

Instructions

Line a 9x13 pan with foil so that it comes up and over all the sides. This will help remove the bars from the pan after they have cooled.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Crust:
Put the Cheatin' Wheat Pie Crust Mix, powdered sugar and the 6 oz of cold butter into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is crumbly and there are no visible butter pieces. Add 3 oz of cold water and pulse until the dough comes together to form a ball. Add more water 1 T at a time if the mixture looks too dry and will not come together.

Press the dough into the prepared pan so that it covers the bottom and goes about halfway up the sides. Prick with a fork all over to create steam holes and chill dough. I put mine in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Bake 375 for 20-30 minutes until dry, set and lightly golden. Let cool.

Filling:
Combine the honey, brown and white sugars and the 8 oz of butter in a medium saucepan. Put over low heat until all the butter is melted. Turn the heat to medium-high. Do not stir but allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in the cream, vanilla, salt and nuts. Pour this mixture into the pre-baked shell and bake until the topping is amber colored and bubbly all over, 25-35 minutes. Cool well or chill before removing from pan and cutting into small pieces.

Notes

Pecans and walnuts are the most obvious choices, but try using pinenuts and infuse the caramel with fresh rosemary.