Caramel Crumble Bars

Caramel Crumble Bars

While perusing FoodGawker, looking for blogs whose designs I was interested in, I ran across a picture of these caramel crumble bars on Emily Loves Food. I immediately pinned the picture on Pinterest and then looked through my cupboards to make sure I had all of the ingredients. I don't know if "golden syrup" is even sold in the U.S., so I substituted light corn syrup. I've seen other recipes calling for golden syrup, so I'm going to have to locate some and try a recipe like this with it.
If you like caramel and super sweet things, you'll like these. It just tastes like a tender brown sugar shortbread with soft, thick layer of caramel baked on top. If I make these again I will add something to give it a little more flavor character, like vanilla or finely chopped pecans, or both. While I like these, I'm not craving more after trying two little triangles. Maybe that's just because I'm a chocoholic. I'm not sure. At any rate, these look good, hold together well, and were very, very easy to make. A must-try for caramel lovers, I'd say.

Caramel Crumble Bars 

     --Adapted from Emily Loves Food

Ingredients:

•             1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
•             1/2 cup brown sugar
•             1 teaspoon baking powder
•             1/4 teaspoon salt
•             1/2 cup butter, melted
•             1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
•             1 1/2 tablespoons butter
•             2 tablespoons corn syrup

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 7x11 inch pan with parchment paper. (If you don't have a 7x11 pan, use a 9x9 inch brownie pan.)

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Pour the butter over the top, then mix it through until it’s evenly combined. Mixture will be crumbly with some crumbs larger than others.

Reserve 1/3 of the crumble for the topping, and press the remaining 2/3 into the lined pan.  Press in firmly all over and make it flat. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes, or until it starts to brown on the edges.

While the base is baking, make the caramel filling. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk, butter and corn syrup, stirring continuously. Bring it to a gentle boil and keep it there, stirring continuously for 4-5 minutes until caramelized slightly and thick.

Remove the base from the oven, and pour the caramel filling over the base. Smooth the caramel to create an even surface, and sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of the dry mixture evenly over the top.

Return the whole thing to the oven for another 10-13 minutes, or until the crumble topping is cooked through and slightly browned.

Allow to cool, then cut into triangles.

 - Makes about 20-30 pieces

I think the triangle cut on these makes them super cute.