Chocolate Carmelita Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 4 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 34 mins

Ingredients

• crisco® original no-stick cooking spray
• 1 3/4 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 3/4 cups flour, divided
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 stick crisco® baking sticks butter flavor all-vegetable shortening or 3/4 cup crisco® butter flavor all-vegetable shortening
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped pecans or 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (6 oz. pkg.)
• 1 cup smucker's® caramel sundae syrups ice cream topping

Recipe

• 1 heat oven to 350°f spray a 13 x 9-inch pan with no-stick cooking spray.
• 2 combine oats, 1 1/2 cups flour, brown sugar, shortening, water, baking soda and salt in large bowl; stir with spoon until well blended. reserve 1 cup. press remaining into bottom of prepared pan.
• 3 bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light brown. remove pan to cooling rack. cool 10 minutes.
• 4 sprinkle with nuts and chocolate chips.
• 5 combine caramel topping and remaining 1⁄4 cup flour. stir until smooth. drizzle over chocolate chips to within 1⁄4 inch of pan edges. sprinkle with reserved oat mixture.
• 6 return to oven. bake 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. loosen from sides of pan with knife. remove pan to cooling rack to cool. cool completely.
• 7 cut into bars about 2 x 1 1/2 inches.