Pretzel Cookie Bars with Caramel and Chocolate Drizzle

Some friends of mine got together for a cookout yesterday evening out at Arcadia. It was a rare, beautiful summer evening. The weather was just perfect. I ended up throwing these bars together because I had everything I needed, and it was quick. Yesterday was pretty crazy, so time was kind of an issue. Like I got these in the oven and left the brother in charge...and he now knows that you have to actually take things out of the oven to stop the baking process...not just turn the oven off. Needless to say, the edges got rather dry (still pretty good dunked in milk). Thankfully, the center was still super tasty and great. All the bars disappeared, so I'm guessing people liked them!


Pretzel Cookie Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup butter flavored shortening (cringe! I know. Use butter instead. I didn't have time for it to soften.)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup broken pretzel pieces (more if you want some on top too!)
15 Velata milk chocolate pieces 
Caramel sauce (see recipe below)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugars. Add the eggs, beating between each one. Add the vanilla; beat. 
• In a medium bowl, combine the soda, salt and flour; whisk together. Add the dry mixture in with the wet mixture. Mix it all up. Add the pretzel bits. Mix.
• Place the batter into the prepared dish, using your hands to even it out. Bake until the top is golden brown. Let cool.
• Melt your Velata in a microwave-safe dish for 30 seconds. Use a spoon to drizzle it over the bars.
• Using a different spoon, drizzle the caramel over the bars.
• You may break apart more pretzels and sprinkle the pieces on top, if you wish.

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/8 cup half and half

1 TBSP butter

Pinch of salt

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, combine brown sugar, half and half, butter, and salt. Cook while gently whisking for about 4 minutes, until it gets thicker. Add vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further.
• Remove from heat. Cool slightly and pour into a glass jar.
• Let the sauce cool more before drizzling it on the bars!