I have to apologize. I didn’t quite
realize that I’d pressed the button of a potentially lethal calorie bomb. This
page is about to explode, so close it quickly before the butter gets the better
of you. Yes, it’s rich, but it’s not my fault if winter temperatures are
setting in.
I ate these Caramelita Bars for the first
time in San Francisco and have always remembered them fondly. So now I bring
you my version: a moist, soft dough made with oatmeal, a layer of caramel,
pecans, and chocolate, all covered by a crisp oatmeal topping. I did say
‘lethal.’ You’ve been warned.
Recipe for 9 (or 36 bites) Caramelita Bars
Base
• 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons / 160 g
butter, very soft or just melted
• Generous ¾ cup / 170 g brown sugar (or
light brown sugar)
• 1 cup plus scant 1/2 cup / 6 oz. / 175 g
flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups / 100 g oatmeal,
quick-cooking rolled oats
Filling
• ¾ cup / 250 g caramel sauce (click here for the recipe)
• 1 scant cup / 3 ½ oz. / 100 g whole
pecans
• 5 oz. / 150 g chocolate discs, or
roughly chopped baking chocolate
Crunchy topping
• 5 tablespoons / 70 g butter
• 2 ½ tablespoons / 35 g brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon / 70 g flour
• 3 tablespoons / 35 g granulated white
sugar
• 4 tablespoons / 35 g oatmeal,
Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Line an
8-inch / 21 cm square
pan with wax or parchment paper.
To prepare
the base, begin by combining the butter and brown sugar.
Add the
flour, baking soda, and oatmeal.
Mix with a
flexible spatula just until smooth.
Spread out
evenly on the base of the prepared pan.
Flatten
lightly, but don’t crush it.
Bake for 15
minutes.
Pour over
the caramel sauce. It’ll melt instantaneously. You can either make your own,
or use store bought caramel sauce.
Spread over
the pecans and chocolate.
Here, I
used milk caramel discs made by chocolate maker Barry.
Prepare the
topping, following the directions for the base. It will form a crumble-type
texture. Scatter it over evenly in large chunks.
Bake for 20
to 25 minutes, until the topping is a light golden color.
Cut into 9 generous portions. Oh, you can cut them small if you insist. It’s rich, after
all …
5 comments:
Hi, again. I do not know if my previous comment has been sent, but I have a question. In the description you said "covered by a crisp oatmeal..". Should it be oats, not normal flour in the crumble?
Hello! You're my first comment ever! :-) Yes, you were right. I wrote "brown sugar" twice in the topping ingredients list. I corrected it, so now you can enjoy my recipe. You have oats AND normal flour. Have a good day!
Bernard, that´s what I wrote in my first comment: how happy I am that I found your site in English! (but I do not know why it did not appear!). I was astonished to find it by accident. Being a Danish, my English is better than my French. So thank you again for your wonderful recipes on your French site, where I could not comment. Looking forward to October for your book in English!
Hello Bernard! I have been following your blog for a few years and I love it! I have been perusing the English recipes and there are no links that work. For example - the caramel sauce above is not linked. I'd like to make these bars. Thanks you very much for your fantastic recipes and humorous approach.
Chocolate, Banana, and Peanut Butter Brownies will be a healthy one to have I guess. It looks simply amazing and mouthwatering. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe with us
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