2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 cup Pecan Halves
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, Softened
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 cup White Chocolate Chips
1 cup Caramel Bits or unwrapped Caramels (about 20)
1/4 cup Whole Milk
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8" x 8" pan with parchment paper or greased tin foil.
In a small bowl, combine flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
Place pecans in a ziplock bag and pound with a mallet or a rolling pin until all nuts are crushed. You want tiny bits, but nothing to really chew. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and crushed pecans for about 3 minutes on medium. Add in both sugars and combine until fluffy. Stir in vanilla and mix until just combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture until there are only streaks of flour. Your dough will be crumbly, but will stick together when pinched. Mix in the white chocolate chips. Put about 1/2 cup of the dough in a small air tight container and place in the fridge. Press the remaining dough into the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Melt the caramels, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla in the microwave for 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Pour caramel over the crust, spreading it out in an even layer. Sprinkle salt over caramel. Pull the dough from the fridge and crumble the dough over the top of the caramel layer.
Return to the oven for 25 - 30 minutes. The filling should be bubbly and the top firm and slightly golden. Cool the bars completely in the pan before cutting into 16 equal bars.
With some of the left over ingredients, you could make my Pear Surprise Mini Pies or Caramel Apple Tartlets.