Crack! Oops, I meant Caramelitas!

Caramelitas aka "Crack"

Mmmmmmm..... I'll be the first to admit I am a caramelita addict - I've made them twice in one week! Not sure if it's good or bad that they're so easy to make - the hardest part is waiting for them to cool! This recipe should come with a warning: you WILL become addicted to these (they are often the first thing my 4 year old asks for when she wakes up in the morning!)

If you dare, here's the recipe:

32 caramel squares, unwrapped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely smooth; set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda. 

Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8" pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. 

The most important thing to remember is to cool completely before cutting. You can't BS it even a little! Believe me - I did this the first time I made these and ended up with caramelita goo (which is still delicious, by the way). A couple of hours in the fridge will help them cool off if the wait becomes too much for ya. They shouldn't be served cold, but all of that caramel magma takes a long time to cool down. 

They should be stored and served at room temperature.

Enjoy!

C