Kelsey Nixon's Caramelitas

Happy Tuesday!  I don't mind Tuesday.  It's one day closer to Friday. Plus, I have nothing I have to do on Tuesdays.  At least until soccer practice starts up again.  Mondays I don't enjoy, except for yesterday wasn't so bad. Yesterday I worked out with a trainer at the gym.  It was great.  I only wish he would make me work out every day.  That would be the best, wouldn't it?  I honestly don't mind working out, but I like having company.  Who wants to be my workout partner? I really need one.  Working out is essential if you want to eat things like caramelitas. I made the caramelitas as promised in my salted caramel sauce post.  If you already have the caramel sauce prepared, it's a really fast and easy recipe to put together.  These are very rich and I found them very sweet.  I'm wondering if maybe I should have put a little more sea salt into my caramel sauce...?
My kids, of course loved these.  I also gave some to my neighbor.  He texted me as soon as he got home saying they were sooo good.  I think I am going to bring some to my trainer as well.  That would be nice.  Do healthy people eat things like this?  Maybe not all the time, but who would turn down a homemade gift, right?  Oh, I almost forgot to mention, I left out the nuts in these bars.  My daughter's best friend, a.k.a my other daughter, was recently diagnosed with a nut allergy.  She's almost 14 years old.  Just goes to show you really can develop an allergy at any age.  It's a good thing she never liked nuts, I guess.



Caramelitas
by Kelsey Nixon

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 3/4 cups quick-cooking oats

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups Salted Caramel Sauce, recipe follows

2 1/2 tablespoons flour

Salted Caramel Sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch pan.



Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and softened butter in the bowl of a mixer. Mix on low until crumbly. Divide the mixture into 2 equal portions.



Press half the crumb mixture in the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and cool slightly.



Sprinkle the chocolate chips, and chopped pecans over the cooled crust. Mix the salted caramel sauce, and flour together, and drizzle over the chocolate chips, and nuts. Top with the remaining crumb mixture.



Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust starts to brown. Allow the pan to cool, and refrigerate it until the caramel filling is set.



Cut into bars and serve.