Caramelita Bars

The reaction this dessert gets is what I love about this one.

You see, I love when Amy bakes. She has an innate gift, or some sort of crazy killer instinct when it comes to baking treats. I am convinced that the job I have now was less earned by my general merit and more earned by the baking Amy would do for the people who would ultimately hire me. That's what good baking/cooking does, in essence: it tips the scales.

We had a Gigantic Worship Rock Concert at the church I work at last weekend, and Amy baked several treats for the army of volunteers helping load in amps and stage lifts. I think one of my boss's kids said it best: "It's like Turkish Delight."

Think about that reaction for a second; Turkish Delight. A reference to a sinful addiction that leads to the corruption and eventual downfall of a young child in C.S. Lewis' The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

I can live with that. (DW)

I always see these cookie bars in Starbucks or other coffee shops. When I ran saw this recipe on the Sister's Cafe blog, I decided to try to make them. I made 1.5 times the recipe and baked it in a 13x9" pan, instead of the 11x7" pan they say in the directions. I tell you what, these bars where a huge hit with everyone that ate them. They all raved about how good these were!

1 cup flour
1 cup oats
¾ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup chocolate chips
½ pecans
¾ cup caramel topping
3 tablespoons flour

Mix all flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and butter until well combined. Press ½ the mixture into an 11x7 pan, and set the other ½ of the mixture aside. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans on top of the crust. Blend the ¾ cup caramel topping with 3 tablespoons flour. Drizzle on top of chocolate chips and pecans. Sprinkle the rest of the oat/flour mixture on top of the caramel. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes or until light brown. Allow to cool before slicing.