Caramel Apple Walnut Bars
There is a bakery in Cambridge, Massachusetts, called Sofra. They make these caramel cashew bars that are to LIVE for.
Whenever anyone I know is anywhere in the vicinity of Boston, I beg them to visit the incredible baker, Maura Kilpatrick, and bring me home a box (or four) of her creation.
However much they bring me, it’s never enough, so I set out to find my own way to a Tosi version of the Kilpatrick classic.
This is something I can make at home, subbing in any juice and nut for the apple juice and walnut, respectively. On a dense, buttery shortbread crust, you really can’t go wrong with any choice.
This is my go-to when the fall feels hit and I find myself wrapped in plaid and flannel.
→ These bars are set after they come out of the oven. Many of you will be tempted to leave them in the oven longer, but that will destroy the caramel’s texture once cooled. Trust me on the short baking time!
Ingredients:
Shortbread Crust
160g flour 1 cup + 2 T
40g light brown sugar 3 T
1g kosher salt ¼ tsp
84g unsalted butter, melted 6 T
Caramel Apple Layer
200g sugar 1 cup
110g light brown sugar ½ cup (packed)
62g apple juice ¼ cup
30g heavy cream 2 T
56g unsalted butter 4 T
2g kosher salt ½ tsp
210g walnut halves 2 cups
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Instructions:
Heat the oven to 350°F. Pan-spray an 8 × 8-inch square baking dish.
Shortbread Crust: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and salt with a spatula until well combined. Mix in the melted butter and toss to combine.
Transfer the mixture to the greased baking dish. Using your palm and fingertips, firmly and evenly press it in, fully covering the dish’s bottom.
Bake at 350°F until the crust is a light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.
Caramel Apple Layer: Make a dry caramel: In a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan, cook 50g (¼ cup) of the sugar over medium-high heat.
As soon as the sugar starts to melt, use a heat-resistant spatula to move it constantly around the pan you want it all to melt and caramelize evenly to a gorgeous amber color.
Add an additional 50g (¼ cup) of the sugar to the existing caramel in the pan, repeating the previous steps cook and stir, cook and stir, until the mixture is once again a gorgeous amber color.
Continue adding 50g (¼ cup) of the sugar twice more until all your sugar has become one pretty pan of caramel. Stir in the brown sugar, mixing just until it dissolves.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Very slowly and very carefully, stir in the apple juice and heavy cream. The caramel will bubble up and steam; stand away until the steam dissipates.
Use a heat-resistant spatula to stir the mixture together. Then add the butter and salt, stirring continuously.
If the mixture is at all lumpy, put the saucepan back over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar bits have dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
Stir in the walnuts, mixing carefully to coat them entirely. Let the caramel cool to room temperature.
Pour the caramel apple/walnut mixture onto the crust, spreading evenly to cover the bottom layer entirely.
Bake at 350°F until the nuts have toasted deeply, about 15 minutes.
Cool completely in the pan. Cut into 9 squares. Then cut each square on the diagonal to make 18 triangles. Store in an airtight container or plastic wrapped on the counter for up to 5 days or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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