Shelly's Recipe

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BARS

Category: Bars

For dough:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Topping:
6 oz. (about 1 cup) semi sweet chocolate chips (or bittersweet)
4 oz. walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Sweetened condensed milk homemade caramel (boil 1 can of milk completely covered at all times in large pot of water for four hours, cool before opening can)

Cookie dough: Combine the flour, oats, baking soda and salt in medium sized bowl. Whisk together, set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in the dry ingredients just until homogenous and crumbly. Scoop out one cup of the "crumbles" and set aside.

Butter the sides only of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Press the remaining crumbs of dough into the pan in an even layer. Bake in a 350 degree for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Spread the caramel evenly over the cooled crust. Scatter the walnuts, chocolate and reserved crumbs of dough evenly over the caramel. Return to the oven and bake until the caramel is bubbling over the entire surface of the bars--about 20 minutes.

Allow the bars to cool completely in the pan. Use a small sharp knife or metal spatula to separate the bars from the sides of the pan. Lift from the pan onto a cutting board. Cut into desired sized bars. Store in an airtight container with wax paper in between layers.