Wind & Willow Caramel Macchiato Shortbread Bars

Ingredients:

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temp. 

¼ cup white sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all purpose flour

1/8  tsp salt

8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

1  package Wind & Willow Caramel Macchiato Cheeseball & Dessert Mix

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 TBS butter



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Line a 9x9 pan with foil hanging over the sides and spray with cooking spray.


In electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla extract.  Add the flour and salt and beat until the dough just comes together.  Press onto the bottom of foil lined baking pan and bake for 20 mins. Remove from oven and place on wire rack. 
Next, mix together cream cheese and Wind & Willow Caramel Macchiato Cheeseball & Dessert Mix and spoon over warm crust in pan. Next, drizzle chocolate caramel packet over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate 10 mins. 


Melt chocolate over double boiler or in microwave with 1 Tbs butter. Pour melted chocolate over caramel layer and let set up. You can refrigerate to quicken the set up time. 


Remove entire shortbread from pan using foil over the sides and remove to a cutting board. Cut the shortbread into pieces using a sharp knife. Keep leftover refrigerated.


Recipe by Julie Jester, The Cook’s Station