Adapted from a recipe clipping found in my Fancy Lady Recipe Box / $25K Grand Prize Winner in Pillsbury’s 13th Bake-off in 1961 / Entered by Mrs. Vernon Reese
Some of the best recipes are found in old recipe boxes, and I’m so glad that I came across this award-winning Candy Bar Cookie recipe!
This is another fabulous recipe from what I call my Fancy Lady recipe box. I purchased it on eBay and am not completely sure of the provenance, although I do believe that the owner lived in California. It is chock-full of fantastic recipes from the 1940s through the 1960s — at least that’s what I’ve been able to discern. There are many handwritten recipes, others from promotional recipe cards (think Gold Medal Flour), and magazine clippings. This one comes from the latter.
This recipe won the Grand Prize in Pillsbury’s 13th Annual Bake-Off in 1961. It was entered by Mrs. Vernon Reese, and her prize was a whopping $25,000, which was an astronomical sum. For context, the average cost of a home was around $19,000 at that time*, and a new car cost around $4,000.** I wish I could find out what she did with that money!
After tasting these cookies, I can say that they absolutely deserved the Grand Prize. They have a shortbread-like base, which is rolled and cut into squares or rectangles. The baked cookies are then topped with a soft caramel that’s loaded with chopped pecans, then dressed up with a dollop of chocolate icing. A pecan half garnishes the top, and…they are perfection.
Now, the caramel-pecan topping on this cookie is soft and plush when fully set — it’s not a hard caramel layer. Right after topping the cookies, the caramel will be a little runny and slightly warm and tacky. It firms up as it cools to room temperature, typically within 1–2 hours, until the surface feels set enough to add the chocolate icing on top.
The chocolate icing, once set, is soft and slightly dense, with a little glossy-to-matte sheen, and a texture closer to fudge frosting or a soft ganache than to a chocolate shell. It won’t crack or shatter when bitten, and it will give a little, similar to the caramel layer underneath — so the two layers are texturally complementary (soft caramel, soft-set chocolate) rather than a hard shell over a soft filling.
Once both the caramel and chocolate icing have fully set you can package them for storing. Layer the cookies in an airtight container with parchment or wax paper between layers — the caramel stays slightly tacky even when “set,” and the chocolate icing can also mar if cookies touch or stack directly. The pecans on top add a bit of protection from that!
While they will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days, I prefer to refrigerate them as they hold up a bit better and last a little longer. Note that after refrigerating for a few days, condensation from the refrigeration may dull the shine of the chocolate. This is cosmetic, though – the cookies still taste great and are best eaten within 5-7 days. Also, if you do refrigerate them, just take them out at least 10-15 minutes before serving.
I promise you that these special cookies will be a hit at a Halloween party (when candy bars take center stage), Thanksgiving celebration, holiday cookie exchange, or any get-together!
Drop me a comment below if you make these – I’d love to know!
*DQYD which combines several historical sources ; **Cheapism.com which uses data from J.D. Powers NADA Guide
Candy Bar Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie Base
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Caramel Topping
- 8 ounces light colored candy caramels (about 29)
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
- ¼ cup salted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup toasted finely chopped pecans
Chocolate Icing
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz.)
- ⅓ cup evaporated milk
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Pecan topper
- 1 cup pecan halves
Optional
- Flaky sea salt for topping the caramel
Instructions
Make the cookies
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Line cookie sheets with parchment.
- Sift together the flour and salt and set aside.
- Cream the butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the evaporated milk and vanilla.
- Mix in dry ingredients until just combined; do not overmix.
- Split the dough in half, shape each into a small rectangle, and chill the dough for 20-30 minutes for easier handling.
- Roll out the dough, half at a time, on a floured surface into a 12×8 inch rectangle (roughly); trim sides.
- Cut into 2×2 inch squares and place on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake until firm to the touch and very lightly golden, about 12-15 minutes (check at the 10-12 minute mark to see how things are coming along).
- Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool fully before topping.
- These can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container on the counter until you’re ready to top.
Make the caramel topping
- In a double boiler, combine the caramel candies and evaporated milk.
- Heat until the caramels melt, stirring frequently.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a heat safe bowl.
- Place the butter in the bowl and pour the caramel mixture over the butter. Stir until melted.
- Fold in the powdered sugar, and then the pecans.
Top the cookies with the caramel
- Top each cookie with about 1 teaspoon of the caramel and allow to fully set, uncovered.
- Top each with a few grains of flaky sea salt at this point, if you’d like a little salty contrast.
- Right after topping the cookies, the caramel will be a little runny and slightly warm/tacky. It firms up as it cools to room temperature, typically within 1-2 hours, until the surface feels set enough to add the chocolate icing on top. Even fully "set," the caramel will be soft and a little tacky – it is not a hard caramel layer.
Make the chocolate icing
- Combine the chocolate chips and evaporated milk in a small saucepan.
- Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the butter until melted
- Stir in the vanilla.
- Stir in powdered sugar.
Top the cookies with chocolate icing and a pecan half
- Top each cookie with about ½ teaspoon of chocolate icing.
- Garnish with a pecan half.
- Allow to fully set, uncovered at room temperature for until set enough to handle, stack, and store.
- This icing sets to a soft, matte, fudgy chocolate topping, not a hard, snappy shell like tempered chocolate or a chocolate candy coating.
- This will take 1-2 hours at room temperature or you can speed up the cooling by placing them in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before boxing.
- SEE STORAGE NOTES BELOW
- YIELD: Approximately 3 dozen
