Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups room-temperature salted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 14 ounces Kraft caramels (50 pieces), or Kraft caramel dots
• ½ cup whipping cream
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ tablespoon sea salt
• Mini chocolate chips, a few, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Cream the butter with the sugar and powdered sugar, beat in the 1 tablespoon vanilla, then work in the flour until it comes together.
2. Pat ½ of the mixture in the bottom of a 13 x 9 cake pan. Cover the other ½ and place in refrigerator.
3. Bake for about 15 minutes at 325 degrees, or until it is just barely brown.
4. While the crust is baking, unwrap 14 ounces Kraft caramels (50 pieces) or use the Kraft caramel dots.
5. Take crust out of oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. While it is cooling, prepare the caramel layer.
6. Melt caramels in microwave, 1 minute at a time, stirring between each minute. Add whipping cream and vanilla, stir until smooth.
7. Pour over crust after cooling for 15 minutes. Sprinkle sea salt over the top of the caramel.
8. Take ½ the crust mixture from the refrigerator and crumble over the caramel layer.
9. Sprinkle with a few mini chocolate chips on the caramel layer and on top of the crumbled crust before baking.
10. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on top.