Oatmeal Carmelitas
A "Best of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Cookies and Bars" Recipe
Base
2 cups flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups butter or margarine, room temperature
Filling
1 jar caramel topping (1 cup)
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.
In large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or another bowl with hand mixer) mix together the butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until crumbly (careful not over-mix or you will have a dough rather than crumbs).
Reserve half of crumb mixture (about 3 cups) for topping. Press other half into bottom of pan and bake 10 minutes.
In a small bowl mix caramel topping and 3 tablespoons of flour.
When crust is done partially baking, sprinkle with chocolate chips and walnuts. Next drizzle caramel topping evenly on top of chocolate/nut layer. Top with remaining crumb mixture.
Bake 18-22 minutes longer until top is golden brown. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until filling is set, 1-2 hours. Cut into bars.
