Caramel Snickerdoodle Bars

JEAN SCHANEY, MIAMISBURG

The recipe, from the “Taste of Home Holiday Baking Special Edition for 2014,” makes four dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2½ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 cans 13.4 Nestle La Lechera dulce de leche

12 oz. white baking chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup heavy whipped cream

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, letting ends extend over sides by 1 inch.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into cream mixture. Spread onto bottom of prepared pan.

3. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the mixture over batter. Bake 25-30 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

4. Spread dulce de leche over crust. In a small saucepan, combine white baking chocolate, cream and corn syrup; cook and stir over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Spread over dulce de leche. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar, refrigerate covered at least 1 hour.

5. Lifting with parchment paper, remove from pan. Cut into bars. Refrigerate the leftovers.