Food Fun Friday- Oatmeal Chocolate Caramel Bars

ok, this is going to be hard... I REALLLLY wanted to make these bar cookies. I haven't had any sugar for 9 days. But Mr, Produce has been working really hard (physically hard) and caramel is his favorite.. then add chocolate chips.... my mouth is watering... but the question is can I NOT take a bite. we'll see...

Oatmeal Chocolate Caramel Bars

*Makes 9X13-inch pan of bars

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup melted butter

14 ounce bag of caramels
1/2 cup whipping cream or milk (I used milk)
1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degree. Mix the first six ingredients together and sprinkle half on the bottom of a 9X13-inch baking pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, melt the caramels and whipping cream or milk in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave at 50% power, (I used the microwave on defrost.. took about 6 minutes-stirring often) until the mixture is smooth. When the bars have been removed from the oven, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crust
and pour the melted caramel over the top.
Sprinkle the rest of the crust over the top and bake in the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes, until the caramel is bubbling and edges are lightly browned. Cool the bars completely before serving so they can set up properly
ok, Mr. Produce couldn't wait until they set up properly!! haha

THEY looked great and between melting mouthfuls he said that they were yummalicious, ok he didn't say yummalicious he would never say that but frankly I couldn't understand what he was saying, his mouth was full.

ah, success
without taking a bite...
now what am I going to do with a 9x13 pan of delicious goodies?????

POSTSCRIPT

I took a plate to work. They all loved them...but... they said that no one could do any baking this weekend in Sequim be Lisa used all the brown sugar!

well with that, I did have to have a taste. yep TOOOOOO sweet. The whole wheat flour is just heavy enough but I would cut in half OR MORE the brown sugar. I only used milk with the caramels and that is fine (if you were out to break the scale you could use the heavy whip cream and that would probably thicken/stiffen up the caramel) (or you could use the old recipe of heating the can of sweetened condensed milk to make caramel sauce)

WHAT EVER the case they really are good and sweet and certainly fills the need for the afternoon slump! ZING