Sweet Saturday: Oatmeal Carmelita Bars

Happy Saturday, my crafty friends! Feeling snacky? :o)

Yesterday I made a treat for my sweetheart who loves oatmeal, chocolate, and caramel. I showed him the recipe months ago and instantly knew I would surprise him with it eventually. I'm happy to say he loved it as much as anticipated! And yes, it does taste as good as it looks...

Gooey chocolate and caramel beneath a marvelous oatmeal crumb topping makes for one tasty bar cookie! (And it starts with an oatmeal shortbread crust. Yum.) The recipe is simple, but the result is quite rich. Every flavor shines individually, while collectively they make any chocolate-caramel lover swoon. :o) My family and I don't particularly love nuts in desserts, so I omitted them and added extra chocolate chips. You can never have too much chocolate. ;) I sent most of these home with my sweetheart, which gives me warm fuzzies. It's no fun only seeing him on his days off, but it helps when I can supply him with sweet confections baked with love. :o) A seasonal delight is up next!

Thank you for twirling on by! I wish you a weekend sparkling with all things beautiful. :o)

Oatmeal Carmelita Bars
Yield: 24 bars

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar
2 cups quick-cooking oats
14 ounces caramel candies, unwrapped
½ cup evaporated milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the flour mixture until fully incorporated. Add the oats and mix on low speed briefly just to combine.

Transfer approximately half of the dough mixture to the baking dish. Spread and press the dough into the baking dish until you have an even layer with no cracks or crumbles. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove from oven.

While the dough is baking, combine the evaporated milk and caramels in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir the mixture constantly until all the caramels are melted and you have a thick sauce. Allow to cool until the cookie base comes out of the oven.

Once out of the oven, sprinkle the cookie base evenly with chocolate chips and pecans. Carefully pour the caramel sauce over the cookie base, chocolate, and nuts. Use an offset spatula to spread the caramel sauce into an even layer.

Sprinkle the remaining cookie dough over the top of the caramel-chocolate-nut mixture a handful at a time, making sure to get an even coating over the entire dish.

Return the dish to the oven, baking until the topping is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Once out of the oven, cool the dish to room temperature and then refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Source: Brown Eyed Baker