Chocolate Glazed Macadamia Caramel Shortbread Bars Recipe

Ingredients

• 10 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose white flour
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
• 2 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 5 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarse chop
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, coarse chop
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened, chunked
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a 9×13 glass baking pan or coat it with nonstick spray.
3. Line the pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil overhang the two narrow ends by about 2 inches.
4. To prepare the shortbread, in a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low speed, then medium speed, to beat together 10 1/2 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until the mixture is light and very well blended, about 2 minutes.
5. Beat or stir in 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour until evenly incorporated.
6. Firmly press the dough into the baking dish, then lay a sheet of wax paper over the dough, pressing it out to the edges and smoothing the top. Peel off and discard the paper.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 27 to 32 minutes, or until the shortbread is pale golden all over and slightly darker at the edges. Transfer the dish to a wire rack and set aside.
8. For the caramel, in a small, heavy saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream, 3 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring just to a simmer over medium-high heat, then immediately remove from the heat.
9. In a medium, heavy saucepan, combine half of the 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 3 tablespoons of light corn syrup over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is fully incorporated and liquefies. Stir in about half of the remaining sugar, then add the rest when the previous sugar liquefies.
10. Cook, stirring and scraping down the pan sides, for 5 to 7 minutes more, until all the sugar liquefies, bubbles, and turns a medium tan color. Immediately remove from heat.
11. Carefully pour the hot cream mixture into the caramel, stirring and scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a long-handled wooden spoon until the caramel completely dissolves. Rinse all sugar crystals from the spoon before returning the caramel mixture to the burner over medium-high heat.
12. Insert a candy thermometer into the mixture, making sure the tip doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking, stirring gently, until the thermometer registers 246 to 247 degrees F. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla.
13. Pour the caramel through a fine sieve over the shortbread while being careful not to scrape any caramel or sugar crystals from the pan sides. Tip the baking dish back and forth to distribute the caramel evenly, then sprinkle 1 1/4 cups of coarsely chopped macadamia nuts over the caramel, pressing down gently to embed them.
14. For the glaze, in a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave 2 1/2 tablespoons of heavy cream and 2 1/2 tablespoons of light corn syrup on 100% power for 30 seconds, or until very hot but not boiling; set aside.
15. In another microwave-safe bowl, microwave 5 1/2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter on 100% power for 1 minute. Stir well, then continue microwaving on 50% power, stirring at 30-second intervals until melted, stopping before the chocolate is completely melted to let residual heat finish the job.
16. Slowly add the cream mixture into the chocolate mixture until well blended and smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and then spread the glaze evenly over the cooled caramel. Let stand until completely cooled before refrigerating the shortbread until chilled.
17. Using the overhanging foil as handles, transfer the shortbread to a cutting board. Carefully peel off and discard the foil and use a large, sharp knife to cut the shortbread into 36 bars, wiping the knife between cuts. Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week.