Salted Nutella Bars

These bars have a shortbread crust on the bottom, and a crumbled shortbread topping with Nutella in between.  My entry in the 2019 Maman Chili Cook Off Bake Off.

1 pound salted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons pure vanilla

4 cups flour

1 cup Nutella

1 - 2 teaspoons flaked sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray.  Set aside.

With electric mixer combine butter and sugars.  Using mixer on medium speed, beat together until creamy.  Add the vanilla and beat until combined.  Slowly add the flour into the butter mixture stirring until dough combines together.  

Press about one third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust.  Wrap remaining dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.  Bake crust until firm and edges are a pale golden brown, approximately 12-14 minutes.  Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.  

Spread Nutella evenly over crust, about 1/4 inch away from the edge of the crust.  Remove remaining dough from refrigerator and crumble remaining dough on top.  Finish baking 20-25 minutes until top is set and lightly golden.

Sprinkle immediately with flaked salt.

Cool and cut into small squares.

Adapted from cookiesandcups.com