Caramel Chocolate Bites of Heaven/ Torte

I had to up the name on this version of Decadent Bars. They are yummy with a scoop of vanilla icecream or all on their own, cut into bite sized squares warm from the oven. It was a huge hit at a recent soiree we hosted over appetizers and good conversation. I did realise that with recipes like this, cutting corners isnt so easy. However, margarine, half-and-half and reducing the sugar in this recipe didnt seem to eat into the decadence.

Makes about 20 servings. Preparation time about 60 minutes.

Crust
100 g all purpose flour
50 g brown sugar
50 g pecans or hazelnuts
100 g cold butter, cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until crumbly. Press into a springform pan and bake in a 355F oven for 20 minutes or until golden at the edges.

Filling
250g heavy cream (100 g cream + 150 g half-half is okay)
25g butter (10g butter + 15g margarine is okay)
100g brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp hazelnut liqueur or grand marnier
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp orange peel, grated fine
100 g pecans/hazelnuts
100g walnuts
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat all the ingredients except the orange peel and nuts in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Add the orange peel and lower the heat. Cook for 10 minutes.
Arrange the nuts over the cooled crust and gently pour the filling over the crust.

Bake in a 355F oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden.

Topping
125g dark chocolate, chopped

When the torte is out of the oven, sprinkle the chocolate and wait a couple minutes until the chocolate melts. Spread it evenly around and let it cool before cutting into it.

Serve as bite size pieces or small slices with whipped cream or ice cream.