Oatmeal Carmelitas

I really loved the oatmeal banana muffins I made a few months ago using oat flour instead of regular flour. Since then I've been looking for other ways to use oat flour. These carmelita bars are also flourless and made using oat flour. They are so delicious you'll never guess that they actually contain about 15 grams of oatmeal per serving!
As I was making these bars with all their hidden oats, I was reminded a bit of one of the latest fads in cooking. You know the one where you puree up vegetables and sneak them into brownies and chicken fingers so your family doesn't realize they're eating vegetables. I'm not really a fan of this fad. I mean shouldn't we be trying to encourage or families to try new things and broaden their palate as well as their world? This is just my opinion but I'd hate to think we're raising a generation that will only eat veggies as long as they're disguised as something else. I've read the argument that at least the kiddos are eating veggies. I suppose that is true but at what point do you learn to enjoy vegetables that look and taste like vegetables? *stepping off soapbox now*


Carmelitas

Yield: 1 – 13" x 9" pan (35 squares)

Base and Topping
1 1/3 cup oat flour (go here for instructions for making oat flour)
1 cup oats, rolled, old fashioned or quick cooking
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 cup butter

Filling
32 caramels
5 tbsp cream
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

Combine oat flour, baking soda, salt and stir well. Stir in oats and brown sugar. Cut butter into dry ingredients until crumbly.
Pat half of the mixture into a lightly greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
While the base is baking, in a small saucepan, melt the caramels in the cream until smooth.
Remove pan from the oven. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and nuts on top of the base. Drizzle the caramel mixture on top. Add remaining oat mixture. Return to the 35 degrees oven for another 10 - 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow bars to cool before cutting. Because they don't contain any flour or eggs the carmalites are not as thick and a little most crumbly than most bar cookies but they taste so good you won't mind.


So chock full for nuts, chocolate and gooey caramel you'll never miss whats missing from these carmelitas.