How to Make
Salted Caramel Bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch dish with non-stick spray.
2. For the crust, cream together the butter and sugars in a large bowl for 3-5 minutes, or until light & fluffy.  Mix in vanilla extract, then gradually add in flour until just incorporated and the dough comes together.
3. Take less than half of the dough (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan completely) and gently press it into a greased baking dish, then bake for 20 minutes. Wrap the remaining dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until further use.
4. Remove the crust from the oven when it is golden brown and let it cool.
5. For the filling, place caramels and heavy cream in a large, microwave-safe bowl and cook for 1 minute. (Or heat on the stovetop on med-low). Stir vigorously. If not melted after 1 min, microwave in 30-sec increments, stirring in between, until smooth.
6. Stir in vanilla extract, then pour caramel over the cooled crust, sprinkling sea salt over the top. Crumble all of the chilled dough evenly over the caramel. Bake for 26-28 minutes, or until the top crumble is a light golden brown. 
   
7. Cool completely, then cut into squares and enjoy.