Brown Sugar Shortbread Caramel Squares

Brown Sugar Shortbread Caramel Squares

Okay, I'm gonna say it, this is my favorite new cookie of the Holiday baking season so far! I am a complete sucker for shortbread of any kind and brown sugar shortbread is a particular favorite. Add to that a layer of soft, rich, creamy, chewy caramel and well, I am in heaven! I ate two of these as I was cutting them into squares and recognizing my new calorie nemesis for their awesome addictive power, quickly scurried them into the basement freezer out of easy reach.

Somehow I see that strategy as an inevitable epic fail, with visions of 3 AM creeps over 2 flights of stairs to rendezvous with these cookies in a quiet corner of the basement. If any of my family members happen to find me sitting on the deep freezer in my underwear, eating them frozen straight out of the container, I apologize in advance for the scarring visual. I am weak.


Lightly grease and line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub together using your hand  or pulse together in a food processor until crumbly:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter

Press about 2/3 of the crumble firmly into the bottom of the pan and bake for 15 minutes.

To a small saucepan add:

• 1 ten ounce (300g) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp corn syrup

Bring to a very gentle boil, stirring constantly at all times. You have to stay with this caramel at all times and NOT stop stirring it or it will definitely stick to the bottom and burn. I find a wooden spoon is best for this and if you have one of those straight bottom paddle types that can scrape the bottom of the pot continuously as you stir, definitely use that .What you are trying to do here is develop a little color in the caramel, not too much or your caramel will go hard. It will pick up a bit more color in the oven so just a light golden color is fine. This process should take about 10-15 minutes while the bottom layer of the cookies bakes.

Pull the bottom layer of the squares out of the oven and quickly pour on the hot caramel. Quickly evenly sprinkle on the remaining shortbread crumble mixture and press down very lightly. Return the pan to the oven for an additional 10  minutes or so or until the top begins to turn golden.

Cool completely to room temperature in the pan before cutting into squares. Makes about 2 dozen.