Oatmeal Carmelitas

This is a recipe I found on Pinterest, the most addicting yet useful place in the world. Maybe this is a common recipe that many are familiar with, as I found many results on a Google search. However I had never heard of them or tried them. I was surprised how quickly and easily these come together. In the end you will have a rich, gooey bar full of caramel, chocolate and crunchy oat crust. The best part are all of the edges, where the caramel is hardened. Yum! These would be perfect to take to get-togethers, new moms, etc, as they are perfect at room temperature. Delicious and come together in about 10 minutes! Can't ask for more than that!

What You Need:
32 caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces chocolate chips (around 3/4 cup)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare an 8x8 baking pan. In a large bowl, combine melted butter, sugar, flour, oats and baking soda. Press one half of the oat mixture into the bottom of your baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes. While this is baking, melt the caramels and heavy cream together. In an oven safe bowl, microwave in one minute increments and stir until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Or, use a double boiler and stir continuously. Once your oat mixture has baked 10 minutes, remove from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the crust. Pour the caramel mixture over the chocolate. Sprinkle the second half of the oat mixture over the top of the caramel. Return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes. Let cool completely and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!