Caramel Fudge Bars

Crust

16 Tbls. butter, softened on the counter for about 20 minutes
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups flour

Fudge topping

2 cups heavy cream
2 cups dulce de leche
8 egg yolks from jumbo eggs
10 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped finely

Yields 1 (9×13 inch) pan
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan lightly with oil. Line it with parchment paper,
so that the paper hangs over two sides. This will make it easier to air lift the
whole thing out later, if you like.

Put the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of your mixer.
Toss in the vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.
Beat on high until you have a homogeneous paste.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Turn it over a few times with
your spatula to be sure you don’t have stray sugar in the very bottom of the
bowl.
Toss in the flour and mix a little with your spatula to get the dough started.
Then mix on high for maybe 30 seconds, until the dough just comes together.
You want it to look about like this (think really fresh Play-Doh).
Transfer the dough to your prepared pan.
Smoosh the dough down with your hands, spreading it out so that it fills the
entire pan.
Try to get it fairly level (so it bakes evenly), but don’t make yourself nuts.
Next, prick the dough all over with a fork. The holes will let steam out as the
shortbread cooks, which will keep your cookie crust from developing big bubbles.
Pop the pan into your preheated 375-degree oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
The shortbread is done when the surface is firm to the touch and the edges are
golden brown.
Set the pan aside to cool to room temperature.

Next, grab your eggs.
Separate the yolks from the whites. (Save the whites, and turn them into
chocolate-swirled Tuxedo Meringues or use them for a flavor-packed Fresh-Herb
Egg-White Omelet.)
Put the yolks in a large mixing bowl.
Beat them well, then set them aside while you deal with the cream.
Grab your dulce de leche. Try not to gobble down the whole jar. Put the cream
and dulce de leche in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot.
Set it on the stove over medium heat.
Whisk gently to break up the dulce de leche.
Keep whisking until all the dulce de leche has melted and the mixture is
uniform.
Bring it up to a simmer, whisking often. As the mixture gets hot, it will
thicken.
When it comes to a simmer, remove the pot from the heat. Pour about half of the
hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks in a slow, thin stream. Whisk constantly.
You want to temper the egg yolks (raise their temperature gently) so they don’t
scramble.
When you’ve poured in about half the mixture, add the rest to the bowl, whisking
continuously.
Next, pour the contents of your bowl back into the pot. Pour through a strainer,
if you like, to catch any errant bits of egg that may have cooked solid.
Clip a candy thermometer to the inside of your pot and set it on the stove over
medium-high heat.
Whisk continuously. Cook like this until the mixture reaches 175 degrees and has
thickened.
When it’s ready, the mixture should coat the back of a spoon and hold a line,
like this:
Warning: Keep a good eye on your candy thermometer and be careful not to
overcook the mixture. (If you do, it can break and separate, making it basically
unusable.)
When it’s ready, remove the pot from the heat and toss in the chopped chocolate.
Whisk to combine. The chocolate will start to melt immediately.
Keep whisking until all the chocolate has melted.

Pour the chocolate mixture on top of your cooled shortbread crust.
Spread it out with a spatula so that it’s relatively even. Let it cool to room
temperature on the counter. Then pop it into the fridge uncovered to chill
completely, about 3 to 4 hours. (This is the hard part, where you wait.)

When the bars are ready to cut, the fudge topping will be pretty firm. Slice
with a knife dipped in hot water, wiping it down in between each cut.