Salted Carmelitas

I don't know if I can even begin to tell you how much I love these magical, gooey, chocolate, caramel with the perfect hint of salt dessert bars.  If there is dessert served in heaven this has to be one of the options.  I don't think an afternoon goes by where I don't crave these Carmelitas.  Love chocolate?  Yes.  Love caramel?  Yes.  Love to try to eat healthy so when a dessert says it has oatmeal in it, it makes it all the more enticing?  Yes.  And then add that pinch of salt and man... this dessert is maybe just all around perfection.

These Carmelitas whip up in a snap.  They save me on those days when at 3pm I am craving something sweet but don't have a ton of time.  I make it, let it cool during dinner and once all the kids are in bed I bite into it and a smile instantly appears on my face.  Maybe because all the kids are in bed?  Or maybe because these bars are just that wonderful.  

Salted Carmelitas

Yield: About 12 bars

Ingredients

32 caramels, unwrapped (such as Kraft)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Flaky sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Pour cream over caramels in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 second intervals until the mixture is melted and smooth.  Stir well after each 30 second interval.  Set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Set aside.  Place butter in a microwave safe bowl and heat in microwave until melted.  Stir vanilla into butter then pour over dry ingredients and stir well until evenly combined.  Press half of the oat mixture into a well greased 8x8-inch baking pan.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.  Remove and sprinkle chocolate chips in an even layer onto the baked oatmeal crust, then pour caramel mixture evenly over the chocolate chips.  Lightly sprinkle sea salt over caramel layer (about 1/2 a teaspoon).  Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture on top and bake for an additional 16 - 20 minutes until lightly golden brown.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  (To speed up the cooling process you can place it in the refrigerator.)  If you cut it before it's completely cooled it will be pretty gooey.  Some think this is wonderful where others may like it a little more set in place.  If that's the case - wait a few hours until it has completely cooled.

Source: adapted slightly from Cooking Classy.  She does 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips and 1/2 cup semi-sweet.  That's a little too much chocolate for me (I find 3/4 does it just right for us).  And I unfortunately don't have milk chocolate chips on hand very often so we go all out with semi-sweet.