Oatmeal Caramel Bars

These would be great to try for your upcoming cookie exchange. (You planned one after I challenged you, right???)

2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
40 caramels
5 T. milk

Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 9x13 pan. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until crumbly. Press half of oat mixture into prepared pan, reserving the remaining half. Bake for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot crust. Let stand until chocolate melts. Spread melted chocolate evenly over crust. Combine caramels and milk in a double boiler. Cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until caramels melt. Drizzle over chocolate layer in baking pan.

Sprinkle reserved oat mixture over caramel mixture. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely and cut into bars. These are sticky, so store them in their original pan or on another flat surface; do not stack them on top of each other!