Caramel Brownies

Sometime last year I clipped this recipe out of our local newspaper and my goodness, we are sure glad that I did. These brownies are rich and gooey with a layer of caramel and milk chocolate chips between two layers of cookie base made from a German chocolate cake mix. They were delicious with a glass of milk last evening for dessert. This is a kid-friendly recipe, whether the kid is young or old. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 German chocolate cake mix
1 pkg. (11 ounces) caramels
1 cup milk chocolate chips
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
3/4 cup butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
2. Melt butter and mix with cake mix and 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Spread half of this mixture in pan and bake for 7 to 9 minutes. (Remaining batter will thicken up as it sits). Remove baked layer to rack while preparing caramel mixture.
3. In a saucepan, combine unwrapped caramels and remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Pour over baked layer and smooth out evenly with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the caramel.
4. Pinch off pieces of the remaining cake batter and make a layer over the top of the caramel layer. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes.

Yield: 36 bars
102 calories each

Nutty Nougat Caramel Bites

This recipe is another that has become a fast favorite, and with good reason. They are made up of four rich and delicious layers that lovers of chocolate, caramel and butterscotch will greatly appreciate. I tell you that before I tell you that this is a time consuming recipe that requires patience, but is so worth every moment invested. And, the recipe makes a large pan of cookies, so there are plenty to enjoy. This recipe comes from Taste of Home's Fall 2002 cooking school magazine. Blessings...

Recipe:

COOKIE BASE:
2-1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) instant butterscotch pudding mix
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups butterscotch flavored morsels
NOUGAT FILLING:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups (about 8 oz.) chopped salted peanuts
CARAMEL LAYER:
1 pkg. (14 oz.) caramels-Kraft no longer makes a 14 oz. bag, it is now 11 oz., so you will have to buy two bags.
1/4 cup whipping cream
ICING:
1 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 cup butterscotch flavored morsels
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1. For cookie base: In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, brown sugar and sugar in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Add pudding mix, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in butterscotch morsels with a large spoon. Spread and pat dough evenly into parchment paper-lined 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 13 minutes or until light golden brown. Carefully hold pan 2-3 inches above a heat-resistant surface and allow pan to drop. (This creates a chewier cookie base. Interesting, huh?) Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
2. For nougat filling: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and evaporated milk; stir. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in marshmallow cream, peanut butter and vanilla. Add peanuts; stir well. Spread nougat mixture over cookie base. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set.
3. For caramel layer: Combine caramels and cream in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Spread caramel mixture over nougat layer. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set.
4. For icing: Melt milk chocolate morsels, butterscotch morsels and peanut butter in a medium saucepan over low heat stirring constantly until smooth. Spread icing over caramel layer. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. To serve, let stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container. These are best at room temperature; rich and gooey, and worth every calorie, however many there are!!

Note: The recipe creator wanted me to cut the pieces into 1 x 1-inch pieces, hence the usage of the word "bites" in the title. I cut them into bars.

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