Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
Cinnamon
Kosher salt
Dough & Crumb Walnut Topping
1 1/8 cups unsalted butter (2 1/4 sticks, or 18 tablespoons), softened and divided
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, divided
2 tablespoons dark rum, divided
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup dulce de leche, to serve (optional)
Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and then line the pan with parchment paper so the ends hang over the long sides.
Make the filling: Whisk the butter, honey, brown sugar, and sweetened condensed milk in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. The mixture will turn from a creamy pale caramel color to a darker, browned-toast color (see photo above). Whisk frequently to prevent too many scorched bits from developing. After 15 minutes, whisk the mixture thoroughly one more time and remove from the heat.
Make the dough: While the filling is simmering, make the dough. Beat 1 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon rum in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Stir in 2 1/4 cups flour, the salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir just until a soft dough forms and the dough pulls away from the bowl.
Pat 3/4 of the dough into the prepared baking pan. Pat and spread it into an even layer. Pour the finished filling over the dough and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly.
Make the crumb walnut topping: Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour to the dough that is left in the bowl. Add the walnuts, the remaining teaspoon of cinnamon, and the remaining 1 tablespoon rum. Drop in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and use your fingers to mix everything together until it forms soft, clumpy crumbs.
Sprinkle these crumbs over the filling in the pan. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.
Remove and let cool for 15 minutes. The use the parchment paper ends to lift the cookies out of the pan and place them on a rack to finish cooling.
Serve at room temperature or slightly warm. If desired, you can drizzle warm dulce de leche over the bars before serving. Slice into 2-inch squares to serve.\
Dulce de Leche
makes about 1 cup
1 quart milk, preferably whole, organic and as fresh as possible
1 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
In a large, heavy pan with tall sides, combine the milk and sugar. Split the vanilla bean along its length and scrape the seeds into the pot, then throw in the pod. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
When it has reached a simmer, remove from the heat and add the bakin soda and water, stirring vigorously. When the mixture settles down, return the pan to the heat and bring to a brisk simmer. Simmer for about one hour, or until it turns golden brown. You don't have to stir - go about your business and keep an eye on it.
After the milk mixture has changed to a deep golden brown check it more frequently. This is where you can decide just how dense and thick you want it to be. If you want it pourable, like caramel sauce, wait just until it reaches the consistency of maple syrup - about 20 minutes after the color
change - and take it off the heat. Strain through a mesh strainer into a glass jar or container and let cool. Or, if you prefer a jam-like consistency to spread on toast, crackers, and anything else you can think of, let it cook longer. It will solidify into chewy candy if you cook it long enough.
Tightly covered and refrigerated this will keep a long time - at least a month.
Variation: If you want to make cajeta, often found in Mexico, use goat's milk instead of cow's, and put in a cinnamon stick instead of the vanilla bean. This has a more aggressive, complex flavor, which many people prefer.
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