Harvest Pear Blondies with Salted Caramel Sauce Elaine Cable, 2014 Adult Dessert Winner

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil or parchment paper, making sure it extends over the edges of the pan for easy removal. Place prepared pan in the freezer.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the oats and sugar. In a separate small bowl, stir together the melted butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix liquid mixture into the oat mixture.

Press half of the dough into the prepared pan. Set aside.

Place the remaining dough between two 15-inch lengths of wax paper. Roll out into a 9x13 inch rectangle. Slide a flat cookie sheet under the dough and wax paper and transfer it to the freezer for a few minutes.

Peel, quarter and core the pears. Cut each quarter lengthwise into five or six slices. Place the pear slices in rows, each slice slightly overlapping the last, on top of the bottom layer of dough.

Remove the rolled-out rectangle from the freezer. Peel off the top piece of paper and turn the dough over the pears. Remove the remaining paper and press down on the edges of the dough to seal it.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool in the pan. Lift cake out using the edges of the foil and cut into squares or bars. Chilling makes the bars easier to cut and freeze well.

Salted Caramel Sauce Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar

12 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature and cut into pieces

1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

1 tablespoon fleur de sel (or another sea salt)

Instructions for Salted Caramel Sauce

In a 2 to 3 quart saucepan, melt the sugar over medium-high heat. Watch carefully, so sugar doesn't burn.

Once all the sugar has melted watch your caramel CAREFULLY ... seriously ... do not walk away; swirling the pan occasionally. As soon as the sugar turns amber in color add your butter and whisk vigorously. It will bubble up aggressively, but just keep whisking until all the butter has melted.

Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in the cream while whisking vigorously. The caramel is going to bubble aggressively again, (that's what you want). Whisk until all the cream is incorporated and then whisk in the fleur de del.

Set the sauce aside to cool for 15 minutes prior to pouring it into a glass jar to cool completely.

You can refrigerate the sauce for up to 2 weeks but you will need to warm it before using. I gently heated mine in a sauce pot with warm water or at 5 second intervals in the microwave (yes, 5 second intervals).

Other winning recipes can be found on our website: www.lamorindaweekly.com under the "food" tab!



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