MAKES: About a dozen squares
TIME: About 1 hour
A baked crust topped with walnuts coated in a rich and buttery caramel; it's simultaneously crunchy, chewy, and soft not to mention completely delicious. Any nuts will work here.
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus a little for greasing the pan
11/4 cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cream
Pinch salt
1/4 cup honey
1 cups roughly chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350В°F. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan.
Use an electric mixer to cream 1 stick of the butter with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Stir in the flour. This mixture will be quite dry; press it into the greased pan and bake for 15 minutes, no longer. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Put the remaining cup of sugar and a tablespoon of water in a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until it melts and turns a light brown color, 5 to 8 minutes.
Carefully stir in the remaining stick of butter, the cream, and the salt; stir until the mixture is combined, then add the honey and walnuts. Immediately pour the walnut mixture over the baked crust and refrigerate until set. Cut into squares or rectangles and serve. Store, covered, for up to 5 days.
