Soothe your inner chimp with one of these

I am not a neat and tidy person.  I am especially not a neat and tidy cook.  My Dad always said we should "clean as we go", but it didn't take in me. 

 

It has not affected the quality of my baking.  Reach right down and grab one of these if you don't believe me.  Yes, one of these White Chocolate Caramel Cashew Oatmeal bars.  You can try two if one isn't enough to convince you.  I made plenty.

 

They are sweet, salty, buttery, crunchy, and chewy all at the same time.  And they have oatmeal so they are 100% good for you.  These are a Paula Dean recipe and I just improved on it slightly.  Sorry Paula, but it's true.

White Chocolate Caramel Cashew Oatmeal Bars
1 package caramels - between 11 and 14 oz no need to be exact 
½ cup milk
2 cups quaker oats 
2 cups flour
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ cups butter, softened
1 ½ white chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped salted cashews

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13 X 9 pan with foil and grease. Combine milk and caramels in bowl and microwave until melted, takes a few minutes, stir well.  Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, and soda. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Press half of oat mixture into the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle white chocolate morsels and cashews evenly over crust, drizzle with caramel, and then add 1/4 tsp salt to remaining crust mixture, stir and sprinkle over top. Bake 20 more minutes. Allow to cool completely and cut into squares.

 

When you get the urge to shake the bars and rattle the cage because my sisters' class hasn't started yet http://dispatchfromla.typepad.com/ you can eat a few of these to soothe your inner chimp.  

Comments

[Cathy Graves]

I can't remember the last time I baked a dessert but these bars look so AWESOME!!! (wiping drool off my chin!!) Muchas gracias for the recipe!!

[Liz]

I love everything about your blog and reading it is one of my happy moments every day - keep up the good work! You've got me so enthused about drinkies - going to make a trip to the liqour store as I have
absolutely no booze since I used the last of my amaretto for my trifle at x-mas!

[Jenny]

Carol I am enjoying your blog so much! My question is how you stay so svelte; you know, with all the cocktails and baking and such? Anyway, I've had so much Chambord Lemonade lately, that I had to switch the lemonade concentrate to to pink lemonade crystal light and the ginger ale to diet 7-up. It's not the same I tell you but I pretend it is.

[Nancy Lynn]

I am going to need several of your drinks and a plate of your bars if your sister doesn't post that class pretty soon. I'm like the Mervyn's commercial of long ago.........Open Open Open. Have a great day Carol. I love your blog.

[Leslie J. Moran]

I was going to write to you to ask for a good recipe for my "Absolut Pear Vodka" that I was given as a gift. Then, I see these bars...to heck with the recipe, I'm going straight to the bars and washing them down with the full blast! But, if you do have a special recipe...I'm there!