Carmelitas (Oatmeal Caramel Chocolate Bars)

Oatmeal and caramel and chocolate all rolled into one decadent dessert bar? Yes please.

That’s what you get when you bake these carmelitas — a double-layer of oatmeal cookie goodness sandwiching layers of smooth, chewy, ooey-gooey caramel, melted chocolate chips and toasted nuts.

It’s not even Christmas and I’m already getting out my fat pants.  I also love these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!

etI’ve had the pleasure of being a brand ambassador for Bob’s Red Mill this year (brand ambassador = fancy talk for, “I loooooove Bob’s Red Mill products and they ask me to bake and cook with and write about them every once in a while and it’s super neat”) and it’s been so much fun to experiment with their grains, grits, gluten free flours, etc. I even made an entire post of bakers’ tips and tricks along the way! I thought I’d go out with a bang on my set of recipes for 2014 by baking up what are one of my favorite desserts in all the lands, these carmelitas. If you’ve never tried a carmelita bar before, WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING. I mean, please ever so kindly skidaddle thyself to the grocery store and get the necessary ingredients to make this dessert — though you probably already have most of them on hand — and then make it immediately. I don’t care if you’ve already got a truckload of cookies in your fridge/freezer/countertop/belly from all those holiday cookie exchanges. Trust: you’ll still want to make room for these.

Because I am not one to a) choose sides but more likely b) make decisions, I used equal parts Bob’s Red Mill’s organic whole wheat and all-purpose flours for the recipe. As a regular baker I am fairly keen on the differences between flour brands, and I have to say that Bob’s does a mighty fine job with just about any recipe, from pizza dough to cookies to bagels to sandwich loaves. Also, carmelitas, clearly.

So I know you’re just dying to know what, exactly, is going on in these bars and I’ll tell you: First, there’s a layer of oatmeal cookie dough that gets par-baked in the oven. While that’s baking, you’ll make a melty, smooth and thick caramel sauce using those store-bought caramel candies or caramel bits, if you can find them, mixed with some heavy cream (remember, fat pants). Once the dough is done, you’ll scatter some chocolate chips and toasted nuts on top (I used a mix of chopped walnuts and hazelnuts, but pecans work fantastically, too) and then drizzle on the caramel sauce. Finally, sprinkle the rest of the oatmeal cookie dough on top and bake it until it’s all golden brown and such. Once the bars are cooled, it’s best to give them a chill in the fridge for a couple hours so the caramel can harden a bit and keep everything together, but pssst — sometimes (a lot of times) I don’t have the patience to wait, so I cut right in. They’re a little messier that way, but hey, they also get into my belly faster so who really cares, amiright? Ahem.

Truth be told, I haven’t taken more than a sliver of these bars to my mouth yet because I’m saving them for my family’s Christmas, which we are celebrating early (as in, this coming weekend. TWO CHRISTMASES!). So they’re just staring at me every time I open the fridge, asking — nay, begging — to be eaten. Even a few days early, Christmas can’t come soon enough.

Let’s be real: All I want for Christmas is a carmelita bar in my face.

Psst — One more week to get my eCookbook, “Quick Bread Love,” for 30% off (use the code HOLIDAYS)! Here’s what a few peeps have to say about it:

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Disclosure: I am an ambassador for Bob’s Red Mill and received compensation for recipe development purposes. All opinions are my own.