Oatmeal Carmelitas

Doesn't that sound fancy??  Maybe it's Mexican or something.  This is what I made for home fellowship last night.  I did not put the pecans in, even though I love pecans, because then not everybody would have liked them.  Next time I am definitely putting them in, and then it will practically be a granola bar and I can eat them any time of day.  This is from the cookbook my mom gave me for Christmas, America's Best Recipes: Comfort Food.

Oatmeal Carmelitas
2 cups flour (I used Bob's Red Mill GF baking flour in the blue bag)
2 cups quick oats
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups chocolate chips
½ cup chopped toasted pecans, (optional)
1 14 oz pkg caramels, unwrapped
1/3 cup half-and-half

Preheat oven to 350. 

Stir together first 5 ingredients in large bowl.  Add butter, stirring until mixture is crumbly.  Set aside half of the mixture.  Press remaining half of mixture into greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips and pecans (if using).

Microwave caramels and half-and-half in a microwave safe bowl at 50% power for 3 minutes.  Stir and microwave at 50% power 1-3 more minutes or until mixture is smooth.  Let stand 1 minute.  Pour evenly over chocolate morsels.  Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack before cutting into bars.

In the baking aisle near the chocolate chips, they have these caramel morsels in an 11 oz light brown bag...they are the shape of chocolate chips, but it's the same caramel that comes wrapped in those insanely frustrating little plastic cubes.  I actually planned to make this on Friday because I knew Barbie would be here and she could unwrap the cubes while I made the rest of the recipe hahaha.  But then I saw these and thought I would try them.  I used the morsels just like the recipe says to use the caramels, and they worked fine.  And it was way faster.

Some people thought these were too sweet.  I actually did think that, and didn't finish mine...and I had one for breakfast too and thought the same thing.  But other people didn't feel that way and happily ate their whole portion.  I think adding the pecans will cut some of that sweetness.  And, I will cut them smaller next time.  A very yummy recipe that I will for sure make again.