Oatmeal Carmelitas

This yummy recipe has been posted everywhere and has been added to many cookbooks. The original recipe was a Pillsbury Bake-Off winner in 1967, the year I entered high school. Oh, my goodness, that was a long time ago, but the recipe has stood the test of time. It is wonderful. The crust is buttery-rich and the filling is made simple with caramel ice cream topping, chopped pecans and chocolate chips. It's a great go-to recipe when you need something to please a crowd or the family. Blessings...

Recipe:

Crust
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking dry oatmeal
1-1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/4 cups butter, softened
Filling
1 (12.5-oz.) jar caramel ice cream topping (1 cup)
3 tbsps. flour
1 (6-oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I like pecans)

1. Grease a 13 x 9- inch pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, blend all crust ingredients on low speed until crumbly. Measure out 4 cups and place in baking pan; press the crumbs to make the bottom crust.
3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
4. While crust is baking, in a small bowl combine the ice cream topping and the 3 tbsps. flour. Remove partially baked crust from oven; sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts. Drizzle evenly with caramel mixture; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
5. Return to the oven for an additional 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.
6. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours until filling is set. Cut into bars.

Yield: 36 bars
200 calories each, 1 gm. fiber