Caramelita bars remind me of the Seven Layer Bars my mother used to bake for nearly every occasion, and for good reason, they were always an ooey-gooey hit. Considering the number of elements comprising Caramelitas, their greatest virtue, besides the fact that they taste like a slice of caramel heaven, is that they're incredibly easy to pull together. Consisting of a toasty pecan and chocolate layer sandwiched between layers of brown sugar oatmeal streusel and caramel, they deliver toothsome nuance with every bite.
I tried to research the history of Caramelita Bars. I hoped to discover a captivating story of how the hermits of the Carmelite Order avoided being burned at the stake for heresy by bribing their captors with a pan of sticky-sweet streusel capped bars from heaven, but considering the fact that the names aren't even spelled the same and I doubt that this silent order of pious monks had bags of chocolate chips and caramel at their disposal, I was not surprisingly able to make a connection. Caramelita Bars will therefore have to stand on their own merits but considering how tasty they are, I believe they will have little trouble coaxing a smile onto the face of whoever indulges in one.
Caramelita Bars
48 soft caramel candies
6 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
for the caramel layer
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan.
2. In a small saucepan combine the caramels and evaporated milk. Over low heat, gently melt the milk and candy until thoroughly combined and creamy and thick. Stir constantly to avoid scorching. Remove from heat and reserve.
for the streusel dough
3. Combine the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the melted butter at medium speed until a batter like consistency is achieved.
4. Press half the streusel dough into the baking pan. Bake for ten minutes.
to assemble
4. Drizzle most of the melted caramel over the baked streusel layer, reserving enough to drizzle over the fully assembled bars. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and pecans over the caramel and top with the remaining portion of dough. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and drizzle with remaining caramel, reheating if necessary to soften it up. Refrigerate for a few hours before cutting and serving.