Caramel Apple Bars Recipe

Great bars for the Halloween season.

• Meal Type: Cookie
• Ethnicity: American
• Holiday Category: Halloween
• Preparation Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 1 (21-ounce) can apple pie filling
• 20 caramels
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine flour, oats and brown sugar in a bowl; mix well. Stir in baking soda and salt. Cut in butter, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, until crumbly.
2. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of oat mixture. Press remaining mixture oat mixture over bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes; cool slightly. Spread pie filling over baked crust.
3. Combine caramels and condensed milk in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring continually, over low heat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Pour over pie filling.
4. Mix reserved oat mixture and walnuts in a bowl. Sprinkle over caramel layer. Bake until set, about 20 minutes; cool. Cut into bars. Makes 24 bars.