Caramel Crumb Bars
This cookie reads like a bit of a so-what. Shortbread. Yup, you’ve had that. Caramel. Sure, caramel is sweet and nice. Crumbled toppings are always likable. Every year I get out this recipe and try to remember what the fuss was about; why everyone went all swoon-y for them.
Then I eat one, just cooled down enough from the pan so i don’t burn myself with lava-hot sugar.
MY GOD THESE ARE GOOD.
Put two cans of sweetened condensed milk on your shopping list, because either you’ll want to make more than one pan, or it will be demanded of you.
This recipe is adapted from The Modern Baker, by Nick Malgieri. Nick oversaw the pastry program at the Institute of Culinary Education when I attended. His books are worth seeking out for their flawless recipes.
CARAMEL CRUMB BARS
What You’ll Need for the Dough:
8 ounces (2 sticks/ 225 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup (320 grams) all-purpose flour (NOTE! YOU WILL ONLY PUT 2 1/4 CUP [288 grams] INTO THE DOUGH. HOLD BACK 1/4 CUP FOR THE TOPPING. I REGULARLY FORGET. THAT’S WHY THIS IS IN CAPITAL LETTERS.)
What You’ll Need for the Topping:
4 tablespoons (57 grams) butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 brown sugar (55 grams), firmly packed
1 (14 -ounce/307 ml) can sweetened condensed milk
What You’ll Do:
Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. Spray or grease a 9 x 13-inch pan (33 x 23 x 5 cm). Don’t forget the corners. Line the pan fully with foil or parchment. I like to create a sort of sling, so I make sure the foil comes up and over the short edges of the pan so i can lift the bars out when cooked.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and salt until lightened and soft. Add the vanilla and beat to incorporate.
Add the 2 1/4 cups flour (NOT ALL THE FLOUR) to the bowl. Drape a large dish towel (or an ex-lover’s t-shirt that they left behind) over the mixer and bowl and turn the mixer to low. The towel/t-shirt is to prevent big floofs of flour flying up your nose when you turn the mixer on. Continue to beat until the dough looks smooth and there is no sign of flour, scrapingthe sides and the bottom of the bowl occasionally.
Put three-quarters of the dough (NOT ALL. I often forget this part, too, as squirrels live in my brain) into the pan. Pit-a-pat the dough across the bottom of the pan. Try to keep an even thickness. Don’t Hulk out on the dough or you will ruin the delicacy of the shortbread. Chill the dough.
Take the remaining dough and the remaining flour and mix them together with your freshly washed hands to create the crumb topping. Crumbs should vary in size from 1/8” to 1/4”. You will think to yourself, maybe I should add cinnamon, this looks dull. Don’t. Set aside on the counter.
Put the filling ingredients in a medium pan, and bring the mixture, stirring frequently, to a boil. Let it boil gently (bubbles should occasionally appear on the surface like big bloops of lava), continuing to stir, until the mixture darkens slightly in color and thickens. It will be the color of a milky cup of tea. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
Spread the filling over the chilled dough. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake about 25-35 minutes, depending on your oven. The filling should turn a deep caramel color and be bubbling gently in places.
Cool on a rack until lukewarm. Remove the bars from the pan using that sling I asked you to make in step 1. If I’m not serving immediately, I will score the bars one-quarter way through. I typically freeze them, so they’re fresh for the day I want to serve them. Scoring them makes it easier to cut when they are cold.
