CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PRETZEL BARS

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bars image

Like turtle bars with a twist, these squares are gooey, crunchy and salty in all the right places. If you can, use chopped bar chocolate as called for in the recipe. If you use chocolate chips, they will seize, and the chocolate layer will look uneven and a little chalky. That said, beauty is only skin deep, and these bars taste great either way, so if chips are all you can find, bake away.

Provided by Samantha Seneviratne

Categories cookies and bars, dessert

Time 50m

Yield 16 to 20 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

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Ingredients

8 ounces/225 grams pretzels (about 6 cups)
1/4 cup/50 grams granulated sugar
8 tablespoons/115 grams unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
4 ounces/115 grams pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped
10 tablespoons/140 grams unsalted butter (1 1/4 stick)
2/3 cup/160 milliliters heavy cream
2/3 cup/145 grams packed dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups/215 grams semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
About 2 cups/75 grams pretzels, crushed

Steps:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. In the bowl of a food processor, combine pretzels and sugar and process until you have fine crumbs. Add melted butter and process until evenly moistened. Transfer mixture into prepared pan and press down into a compact, even layer. Bake until crust is fragrant and edges are browned, about 17 minutes. Sprinkle with pecans and set aside.
Prepare the caramel: In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cream, brown sugar and salt. Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring, until butter melts and everything is well combined. Turn heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour over pecans and prepared crust. Bake until caramel is bubbling and has darkened slightly, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack.
While caramel cools slightly, melt chocolate in short bursts in a heatproof bowl in a microwave or over a pot of simmering water. Let chocolate cool for a few minutes, then spread evenly over caramel. Sprinkle with crushed pretzels and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator to set for 30 to 60 minutes.
To serve, lift the bars out using the parchment overhang and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 20 squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 577, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 83 grams, Fat 25 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 9 grams, SaturatedFat 12 grams, Sodium 986 milligrams, Sugar 19 grams, TransFat 0 grams