Cashew Caramel Cracker Bars
by Sara Perry
from Holiday Baking
(Chronicle, 2005)
Makes 35 to 40 bars

With their flaky crust, smooth caramel filling, and deep chocolate glaze speckled with toasted cashews, these scrumptious cookies are rich, habit-forming, and perfect for gift giving. (In Ghana at Christmastime, the cashew tree grows freely, and in courtyards throughout the country, it's often decorated like a Christmas tree.)

The secret to the flaky crust? It's not complicated pie dough, layers of transparent phyllo, or something even more exotic. No, this crust is made from simple supermarket soda crackers. The crackers take on a taste and appearance that would impress the most discerning cookie connoisseur. (The secret is revealed when the baker inverts the cookies to cut them.)

NOTE:This recipe requires a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan.

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1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). To make the cookies easy to remove, line a 10-by-15-inch jelly roll pan with a sheet of foil, shiny side up, leaving a few inches hanging over the longer edges. Drizzle 1/4 cup melted butter onto the foil-lined pan, and brush to cover the bottom of the pan. Line the pan with the crackers (don't worry if there are small gaps).

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining 1 cup butter and the brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, until the mixture forms a thick syrup (248°F/120°C) on a candy thermometer). Remove from the heat and slowly whisk in the condensed milk until blended. Pour the mixture over the crackers, making sure all the crackers are covered.

3. Bake for 10 minutes. The top will be bubbly and brown. Remove from the oven, scatter the chocolate chips over the topping, and allow them to melt for 5 minutes. Using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula, spread the chocolate over the surface and sprinkle with the nuts. Using your fingers or the back of a spoon, press the nuts into the chocolate. Freeze until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

4. Remove from the freezer and invert the pan onto a clean surface (don't worry if you lose some nuts from the surface; they'll be great for topping an ice cream sundae or for adding to cookie dough). Carefully peel back the foil to reveal the soda-cracker underside of the cookies. Using a sharp knife, cut the cookies along the cracker outlines. This is easier to do when the cookies have begun to thaw slightly. Invert and cut the squares into quarters for bite-size pieces or thirds for finger-size pieces.

Variation: For Crunchy Nut Caramel Bars, follow the main recipe, substituting your favorite toasted nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds, peanuts, or walnuts.

 

On 1.14.06 Cary wrote:
I bought the cookbook because of this recipe (and one other) and made the cookies right away to take to someone who did something nice for me. I kept a small plate of cookies for our family and had an immediate request to make another batch right away. The caramel is really tasty, the cashews are a nice change from the usual toffee bars, and you'd really never know there are crackers in there. I'll continue to make these cookies for years to come. 

On 5.23.06 Cathy Gladitsch wrote:
This is the easiest, most delicious cookie. When I am baking several varieties, I always include this one and leave the copies of the recipe on the table! Don't worry if you don't have nuts; I like mine "clean."