Chocolate Caramel Macadamia Nut Bars

Oh boy, do I have a recipe for you! I found it in the food section of the newspaper a couple of years ago. The topic of the article was macadamia nut farms in Hawaii.  Cathy Haber, a chef at the Aloha Angel Cafe on The Big Island, created these bars and it is now their specialty.

Buttery, crunchy and chocolatey..... these bars are rich tasting and delicious. Believe it or not, they are easy to make too!!

Crust:
1-1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts, toasted

Caramel:
3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup brown sugar

Topping:
1-1/2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (I like to use the mini ones.)

Preheat over to 350F. Grease (or spray) a 13x9 inch baking pan.

In a skillet on low heat, lightly toast the chopped macadamia nuts. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar. Cut the butter into small chunks and work into the flour mixture with a pastry blender. Or, using a cheese grater, grate the butter in, stirring often. Use your fingers to mix it all until crumbly. Pour into pan and spread. Sprinkle toasted macadamia nuts on top and press firmly to make a compact layer.

In a heavy medium saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Add brown sugar and stir until thoroughly combined and smooth. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until entire surface of caramel is bubbly. Immediately pour hot caramel over crust and spread using off-set spatula or the back of a metal spoon.

Bake 18-20 minutes or until caramel is bubbly.

Remove pan from oven. Wait 1 minute and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over caramel. Let stand a few minutes for chocolate to melt, then spread evenly with off-set spatula or back of metal spoon. Cool completely then refrigerate to set. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Happy Baking!