Bleak House Bars
¾ cup pecan halves
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
14 ounces (1¼ cups) sweetened condensed milk
18 ounces (3 cups) semisweet chocolate chips, divided
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup seedless raspberry jam
In a large sauté pan, toast the nuts for about ten minutes, until they are slightly brown and emit a nutty scent. Remove them from the heat, cool, and coarsely chop.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until it is very soft and creamy. Keeping the mixer on medium speed, beat in the dark brown suga
