Carmelitas

This recipe comes from my friend Abby, who I met when we worked together at a public relations and advertising agency in Salt Lake City. She described these delicious bars as "heavenly", and I couldn't agree with her more! I made them yesterday for the first time and brought them out at a game night at my house with some of my cousins. The pan made about 24 bars and I ended up with 6 by the end of the night. My brother-in-law especially loved them. They are so good! People will be asking for this recipe wherever these bars end up - forever!

from the kitchen of

Abby DeGraff

Ingredients

• 1 jar Mrs. Richardson's butterscotch caramel ice cream topping (Try to get this exact kind. The consistency works so much better! I couldn't find it at Walmart but they had it at Albertson's.)
• 12 oz. (1 bag) milk chocolate chips
• 2 c. flour
• 2 c. oats
• 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 sticks of butter
  

Directions

1. Combine flour, oats, sugar, soda, and salt in a bowl. Melt the butter and pour it over the dry mixture. Mix it in with a spoon or rubber scraper.

2. Pat half of the mixture in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 17 minutes.

3. Take the pan out of the oven (but don't turn off your oven) and sprinkle a layer of chocolate chips over the top. You will use the whole bag. Then warm the caramel in the microwave for 60 seconds (30 seconds at a time) and pour over the chocolate chips.

4. Top with the remaining dry mix. You won't be able to pat it onto the caramel. The easiest thing to do is to sprinkle the mixture over the caramel till it is completely covered. Put it back in the oven for 17 more minutes at 325 degrees. Allow the bars to cool COMPLETELY before cutting. It helps to put them in the refrigerator after they've had some time to cool on their own.