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We are a house divided. My hubby loves sweets and I love all things salty. These treats are the perfect compromise to satisfy his sweet tooth and keep my salty hankerings at bay! When the buttery shortbread crust marries with the rich amber caramel, you have pure dessert heaven. Throw on that crumbly top layer with just the slightest hint of vanilla and sea salt, and our house is divided no more!

For crust:

  • 1 pound (4 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 4 cups flour

For filling:

  • 1 bag (14 ounces) caramel candies
  • 1/3 cup milk or cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

To make crust:

  1. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugars, and vanilla; use a mixer on medium speed to blend until creamy. Add flour and mix on low speed until a smooth soft dough forms. Press one third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic and chill it in the refrigerator.
  2. Bake the crust for 20 minutes until it’s firm and the edges are golden brown. Let it cool for 15 minutes.
  3. While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make your filling.

To make filling:

  1. Place unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the milk/cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir until smooth. Continue to microwave and stir at 30-second intervals until caramels are completely melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla.
  2. Pour the caramel filling over the cooled crust. If you want, sprinkle the caramel with coarse sea salt.
  3. Remove the chilled dough from refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled topping is firm and golden brown.
  4. Let it cool before cutting. We used a round cookie cutter, but a heart-shaped cutter turns this into a sweet treat for Valentine’s Day!

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