Oatmeal Caramel Bars With Chocolate

• 1 12 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 14 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
• 1 cup butter (softened)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 teaspoon salt
• 1 14 cups chocolate chips
• 40 pieces caramel candies
• 5 tablespoons milk
• 12 cup pecans (finely chopped) (optional) or 12 cup walnuts (finely chopped) (optional)
• 1 12-2 cups of fruit preserves in place of chocolate chips and caramels

1. PREHEAT - Preheat oven to 325 Degrees Farenheit.
2. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan with Crisco or Baking Spray.
3. BOTTOM CRUST - Combine Oat, Flour, Brown Sugar, Baking Soda, and Salt in Large Bowl and mix well.
4. Cut in butter using Pastry Blender or by hand until mixture is crumbly.
5. Separate out 1/2 of Oat mixture and place off to the side and add 1/2 Cup Pecans or Walnuts.
6. Pour remaining half of mixture into prepared baking pan and press firmly into bottom of the prepared baking pan.
7. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. FILLING - Remove baking pan with from oven and Sprinkle choclate chips over hot crust.
9. Let stand until chocolate chips have melted and spread melted chocolate chips evenly over the crust using spatula.
10. Combine Caramels and milk in a double boiler.
11. Cook over high heat , stirring frequently, until caramels melt.
12. Drizzle over chocolate layer in baking pan.
13. ** Note** If you do not have a double Boiler you can combine Caramels and milk into 5 quart Sauce Pan and cool over Meduim to Low heat stirring frequently uintil caramel pieces have melted completely.
14. Once Caramels have melted remove from heat completely and drizzle melted Caramel over chocolate layer in baking pan.
15. Sprinkle reserved oat mixture over caramel mixture.
16. Bake for 15 minutes or until top layer is a light Golden Brown.
17. Transfer to wire cooling rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
18. Cut into bars and serve warm or completely cooled.

flour, oats, light brown sugar, butter, baking soda, salt, chocolate chips, caramel candies, milk, pecans, chocolate chips

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/oatmeal-caramel-bars-with-chocolate-384561 (may not work)