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1
Line the bottom and sides of a 9x13x 2 inch pan with buttered parchment or foil.
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2
Set a rack in the lowest level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
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3
For the dough, beat the butter, sugar and salt with an electric mixer that has a paddle attachment, on medium speed, until soft and light, about 2-3 minutes.
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4
Beat in the vanilla and then on lowest speed add the flour, scraping the bowl and paddle with a rubber spatula and continuing to mix until the dough is smooth.
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5
Scrape 3/4 of the dough into the prepared pan.
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6
Use the palm of your hands to press the dough down evenly, without compressing it any more than necessary.
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7
Chill the dough lined pan, and reserve the remaining dough at room temperature.
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8
For the filling, bring the butter, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan, stirring occasionally.
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9
Allow the mixture to boil gently until it starts to thicken and becomes a very light caramel color.
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10
Pour the filling into a stainless steel bowl and let it cool for 5 minutes.
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11
Remove the dough lined pan from refrigerator and scrape the filling onto the dough, spreading it out evenly to cover the dough.
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12
Use the remaining dough to make a crumbly topping. Using your fingertips separate the dough into medium crumbs and evenly scatter them on the caramel filling.
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13
Bake until the filling is a deep caramel color and the dough amd crumb topping are baked through, about 30 minutes.
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14
Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack, then lift the slab of baked dough out of pan to a cutting board, before it has cooled completely.
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15
Cut the slab into 24, 2 inch squares, store at room temperature, and serve within a couple of days.
