Chocolate bar with cookies and caramel

Ingredients:

• 2 cups premium flour + extra for dusting
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 110 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 560 g milk chocolate, chopped
• 2 tbsp. l. rapeseed oil (canola)
• 2 cups soft caramel candies, unwrapped (54 pieces)
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• Special equipment: wooden skewer, kitchen electronic thermometer and plastic pastry bag

Preparation:

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture and knead on low speed until the dough comes together (do not overmix). Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and shape it into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of approximately 20 cm (8 in) and 0.5 cm (1/4 in). Divide the dough into quarters, then cut each quarter into 8 sticks. Each cookie will be approximately 10 cm (4 in) long and 1 cm (0.4 in) wide. Using a wooden skewer, poke three holes in the top of each cookie, spaced approximately 2.5 cm (1 in) apart. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 25-28 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack.
5. Meanwhile, combine the chocolate and canola oil in a small microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring in 30-second intervals. Using a butter knife or offset spatula, spread the chocolate on the bottom of each cookie and place them chocolate-side up on a wire rack. Refrigerate until the chocolate sets, about 20 minutes. Turn the cookies over.
6. Combine the caramel and heavy cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl and melt, stirring in 30-second intervals, for about 2 minutes. Let the caramel cool to 98°F (37°C), then transfer to a pastry bag. Snip off a corner of the bag and pipe a strip of caramel onto the uncovered side of each cookie. If the caramel stripes look uneven, shape them with your hands (the caramel will be pliable at this point). Return the cookies to the wire rack, caramel side up, and refrigerate until the caramel sets, about 20 minutes.
7. Drizzle each cookie with chocolate or dip the caramel-side into the chocolate until completely coated. Once the cookies are completely coated, drizzle them with chocolate again to create horizontal stripes. Return to the wire rack to set, about 2 hours. Store in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days..