Caramelita Bars...in a word A-MAZ-ING

I've been trying to find a recipe that incorporates chocolate and caramel for a long time...I've found it. When I say "it", I mean it. This recipe is divine. It is gooey and rich with oozing caramel and semi-sweet melted goodness. They are soooo good! This will be one of my new favorites for any party to which I'm asked to bring a dessert because, really, can you think of anyone who doesn't love chocolate and caramel? Me neither.

Divinely Gooey Caramelita Bars

68 caramels

1 C whipping cream

1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 C)melted

3/4 C brown sugar, packed

3/4 C + 2 T whole wheat flour

1 C rolled oats

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 C chocolate chips

Melt cream and caramels in a sauce pan over low heat, stirring constantly. This takes a while, but keep stirring. You don't want the caramels to stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. When caramels are completely melted, remove from heat and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine butter, oats, flour, brown sugar and baking soda. Pat 1/2 of this mixture into a 13X9 pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips all over the hot crust. Pour melted caramels all over the chocolate chips. Top with remaining oat mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool for several hours! They are VERY hot and take a long time to cool. I even put mine in the refrigerator for an hour or so once it was cooled to help it solidify. Just be sure to remove it from the refrigerator so it has a chance to get back to room temperature before you serve them!

If you prefer a thicker crust, you can double the crust. Here are the new measurements for the crust if you want a thicker caramelita bar. You will still need to divide it in half and put half on the bottom and top with the other half. The layers will just be a lot thicker. I've made it both ways and they are DELICIOUS both ways!!!

Thicker crust:

1 1/2 C melted butter (3 sticks)

1 1/2 C brown sugar

1 3/4 C whole wheat flour

3 tsp. baking soda

2 C oats

P.S. I put these on and then immediately overshadowed them with my Easter treats. So, here is the limelight for my Caramelita bars.