Chocolate Oatmeal Caramel Bars

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for almost anything that says 'caramel' or 'peanut butter'. Although this one is just the caramel, it blends some of my most favorite baking flavors - chocolate, oats and caramel. I made them tonight for a meeting I have tomorrow afternoon. You have to make sure to continually stir the milk mixture so it doesn't burn, but other than that, it's a piece of cake! The recipe calls for Dutch process cocoa powder, which has a deeper chocolate flavor than regular cocoa powder, but either will work. Yummy and comforting. Happy cooking!

Chocolate Oatmeal Caramel Bars

1 1/4 C old fashioned oats

1 C flour

1/2 C plus 2 T brown sugar, divided

2 T unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder

3/4 C butter, melted

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/3 C butter

1/2 C chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, mix together oats, flour, 1/2 C brown sugar and cocoa powder. Mix together thoroughly and then mix in 3/4 C melted butter. Stir to combine. Reserve 1 C oat crumb mixture, and press the remaining into an ungreased 8x8 pan. Bake for 15 minutes to set the crust.

In a medium saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk, butter and reserved 2 T brown sugar. Cook and stir on medium heat until thickened and pale in color, about 10 minutes.

Cool milk mixture slightly until thickened; spread evenly over baked crust. Let stand 5 minutes or until set. Mix chopped pecans into reserved crust mixture and sprinkle over caramel layer. Press lightly into caramel.

Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.