Oatmeal Caramel Bars

Oh. Yum.  I mean, really.  Yum.

Oatmeal Caramel Bars

Okay, I've been baking up a storm the past few weeks so now need to post some of these things!  This recipe is from my rockin' friend, Kelly (her delicious blog is The Wooden Spoon Diaries).  I think I have made them once a week since she posted the recipe and friends and family have loved them.  They are just so good.  Plus once you cut them into nice squares, you have all this messy caramel border to dispose of.  It is good to be the chef. :)

1 bag (about 50 pieces) soft caramel candy cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 cups flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Coat a 9x13" pan with cooking spray.  Place a sheet of parchment in the bottom, so that it hangs over on each side - this will be a sling that you use to remove the bars from the pan later.  Spray parchment with cooking spray.

3.  Melt caramels and cream in small saucepan - cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Let cool.

4.  Stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl,  Blend in butter with your fingers until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the lined pan.  Bake until just set and starting to color around the edges, about 20 minutes.  Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

5.  Sprinkle the baked crust with the chocolate chips.  Drizzle the caramel mixture over the chips and crust and spread until smooth..  Top with the remaining crumb mixture and gently press into the caramel just slightly.  Bake until pale golden, about 20-25 minutes.  Let cool completely in pan (Important step!  Even though you are dying to dig into them, let them cool so the caramel doesn't ooze all over when you try to cut them.).  Once cool, lift from pan and cut into squares.  Try not to eat entire batch yourself.

I think these taste best within 3 days of baking, but they rarely survive that long in our house so I'm not exactly sure.  :)