Oatmeal Carmelitas

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1.5 cups firmly brown sugar light packed
• 1 cup butter melted
• 14 oz caramels 
• 2 cups flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup half-and-half 
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats uncooked
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate morsels 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• oven
• mixing bowl
• wire rack
• microwave

Directions

1. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add butter, stirring until mixture is crumbly. Reserve half of mixture (about 2 3/4 cups). Press remaining half of mixture into bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.
3. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate morsels, and, if desired, pecans.
4. Microwave caramels and half-and-half in a microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 minutes. Stir and microwave at MEDIUM 1 to 3 more minutes or until mixture is smooth.
5. Let stand 1 minute.
6. Pour evenly over chocolate morsels.
7. Sprinkle evenly with reserved crumb mixture.
8. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
9. Cut into bars.