High Tea Caramel Chocolate Bars With Shortbread Crust

Copied from the Tribune, posting for safekeeping and I'm tired of news clippings laying around everywhere. Sooo yummy and decadent! Great for parties and high tea, although I'm going to be honest and say that I ate these after I knocked back a bottle of cheap Chianti while watching The Jeffersons when I had nothing else to do on a Friday night.

• Ready In: 1 hr 25 mins
• Serves: 16
• Yields: 16 bars

Ingredients

• CRUST

• 6  tablespoons unsalted butter (make sure it's really, really soft)
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup all-purpose flour

• CARAMEL LAYER

• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1  tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1  tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt

• CHOCOLATE LAYER

• 3  ounces bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened, coarsely chopped)
• 1⁄3 cup heavy cream (whipping cream also works)

Directions

1. Arrange a rack at center position and preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 square pan with butter or cooking spray.
2. Make the crust: In a mixing bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer on medium speed, then beat in sugar and salt.
3. Beat 1-2 minutes to blend well, then beat in the flour. Gather dough into a ball and place in mounds, about a teaspoon each, on the bottom of the pan.
4. With your fingers, press to form a smooth, even layer. Poke the dough with a fork. Bake until it starts to color lightly, about 10-15 minutes more if needed.
5. Remove the pan but keep the oven on at 350.
6. Make the caramel layer by placing the butter and light brown sugar in a heavy medium saucepan over low-medium heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until sugar has dissolved.
7. Add the sweetened condensed milk and salt, and whisking constantly, bring mixture to a slight simmer.
8. Cook, whisking constantly and never letting mixture come to a boil, until it thickens and becomes a light caramel color, about 10 minutes.
9. Pour caramel over the crust, smoothing into an even layer with a metal spatula or back of a knife.
10. Return the pan oven and bake for 10 minutes.
11. Remove and cool to room temperature. You can shut the oven off now.
12. Place the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.
13. Cool 5 minutes, then pour the melted chocolate cream over the caramel layer and spread evenly with a metal spatula or back of a knife.
14. Refridgerate until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes or longer.
15. Run a sharp knife around inside edges of pan to loosen, and cut into 16 squares.
16. Bars can made 2 days in advance; store in an airtight container at room temperature Can be served chilled or at room temperature.