I love going shopping but I have staying in line waiting for my turn to pay. It’s not the wait that I hate, so to speak, it’s all the temptations that are waiting for me to pick while waiting. If Tiffany goes for the kids coloring or story books I go for the cooking magazines, actually for everything that has chocolate on the cover.
Last time I picked Brownies and Bars by Better Homes and Gardens. I knew it’s going to be love at first sight. And few days ago it was love at first taste.
Warm out of the oven, soft cookie streusel topping, rich melting chocolate, ooey gooey caramel and fudgy brownie cookie. 4 layers in one bite.
I’m pretty sure these bars made it to the list : 1000 foods you must eat before you die
There was just one little problem with the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. It called for a German chocolate cake mix. If you have been reading my blog for a while you know I do not use any store-bought cake mix. I have nothing against people who do, I just prefer to make everything from scratch. It may take a little bit more time, I feel better knowing what’s exactly is in my food.
Since I’ve never made my own cake mix a quick Google search pointed me to this homemade chocolate cake mix from Tammy’s recipes.
I was a little hesitant, not because Tammy’s recipe wasn’t a German chocolate cake mix, but I was afraid it may be more or less than the recipe in the magazine called for. There was just one thing left to do, give it a try. If it’s not working, I’ll eat few a caramels and call it dessert.
But it worked! I can’t say if using a store-bough cake mix you’ll have the same results. Haven’t tried it, nor do I plan to.
Except using a homemade cake mix I did a little adaptations to the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens.
I used more chocolate chips that it called for. Since my husband doesn’t care much for walnuts didn’t use any and added few more caramels.
The bars turned out so good I had to force myself to leave the kitchen before doing more damages to the warm bars. My tongue still hurts for that night’s burning. Do I regret? Oh no! I’d do it over and over again. So worth it!
There’s just one minor thing I’d change to the recipe. After you mix the cake mix with the evaporated milk and melted butter it yields around 3 cups. The recipe suggested to spread half of the dough in the baking pan and the remaining half to be used as a streusel topping. I think it would be better to reserve around 3/4 to 1 cup of dough for the topping to leave room for the caramel and chocolate to ooze out a little bit more. Just my 2 cents.
Chewy chocolate caramel bars - Warm out of the oven, soft cookie streusel topping, rich melting chocolate, ooey gooey caramel and fudgy brownie cookie. 4 layers in one bite
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (56 grams) diced cold butter
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
- 1 cup (80 grams) cocoa
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (168 grams) melted butter
- 5 oz (1 small) can evaporated milk
- 14 oz caramels, unwrapped
- 1 1/2 cups (226 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 12-14 extra caramels
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F.
- Line a 13X9 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a food processor add the flour and cold diced butter. Pulse a few more times until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and all the butter is cut in. You can also use a pastry blender, a fork or rub the butter and flour with your hands.
- Add the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and whisk to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl add the dry ingredients mix and pout the melted butter on top. Add 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk and mix until well combined. The dough it's going to be similar to a light crumby cookie dough.
- Spread 2/3 of the dough in the prepared baking pan and set aside. Refrigerate the remaining dough until needed.
- In a small saucepan place the remaining evaporated milk and the unwrapped caramels. Stir continuously over low heat until the caramels are melted. Pout over the cookie dough base.
- Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel layer.
- Take the remaining cookie dough out of the fridge and crumble it on top of the chocolate chips.
- Top with the remaining caramels.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- It may seem bubbly and undone but once cooled the caramel and chocolate layers will set.
- Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.
I’m submitting these bars to this month chocolate party
1.) Blog about your chocolate treat. Your recipe must include the two ingredients we choose. It can be a simple no bake treat or a sophisticated layer cake, the complexity level of the recipe is totally up to you.
2.) Include a link back to a monthly round-up or the Chocolate party page. Optional, add the Chocolate Party logo in your blog post or on your sidebar.
3.) Your recipe must be published during the current month. Please do not link old recipes, they will be deleted.
Check out other chocolate treats below
Sending love your way,
Roxana
{ 38 comments… read them below or add one }
If you were to ask me what would be my ideal dessert (for the last couple of months), it would look exactly like this, with chocolate and caramel together. Wow, Roxana, these are amazing.
I’ve been picking up those magazines while waiting at the checkout, too. Was happy to be able to resist the temptation yesterday.
Now I’ll be dreaming about these bars all day.
Ok, even I’m drooling over these. Look at that gooey caramel peeking through the chocolate. I agree with using less topping wholeheartedly. Wow. Even though It’ll just take one to fill me up, I know Dudette and Hubby would lay waste to the rest. they look yummy. Roxana.
These bars are right up my alley my two favorite foods are chocolate and caramel. I have made many bars just like this and plan to make these one day too! The pictures are gorgeous, I love how the caramel and chocolate oozes out!
These look and sound pretty darn awesome!!
GIRL – I just drooled. For real those look amazing. LOVE!
Roxana, I’d gladly burn my tongue eating these too! These are so perfectly rich and decadent. Gorgeous photos as always!
I’m happy to have a chocolate cake mix recipe. Saves a trip to the store! These do look divine. I know what you mean about those checkout line temptations.
I fall prey to them when I am hungry.
We’re having a party at Tumbleweed Contessa – What’d You Do This Weekend? I’d love for you to share these and take a look at what everybody has done.
http://www.tumbleweedcontessa.com/blog/whatd-you-do-this-weekend-4
Have a great week,
Linda
You had me at Chocolate…and Caramel… and Chewy… and well, prolly even the word bars. I’m easy
Holy sweetness, Roxana! These bars are over the top!
Chewy gooey and caramel – so tempting, I think I will have to make a batch
Yeah, about these, I’ll take one for each hand. They look amazing!
I have been making this recipe (with the cake mix) for ever! My grandma called it Caramel layer bars – so good! Love all the gooey caramel oozing out!
Holy yum Roxana! These look stunning, and ooey-gooey good!
These are some serious bars! Anything with chocolate and caramel is always a safe and delish bet!
they look ooey, gooey, rich and delicious and just simply amazing. WOW
Those brownies looks so good they make me want to cry!
These bars are making my mouth water BIG time! Oh Roxanna – I so wish I had one right now. These are divine! Lovely photos.
Whoa, mama! These look heavenly!
These are just amazing! I love all that gooey caramel!
These were all the rage when I was growing up…and I’ve done the same as you lately, swapped out the cake mix for a homemade brownie. And the hubby doesn’t like nuts here either, so I skip those. I love your suggestions…these look just amazing!!!
My, my, my!!! These chocolate caramel bars look outrageously delicious…My mouth is watering. Great job with the photos, Roxana! xx
Oh yum! Caramel and brownies go together soo well!
Thank you for hosting
Hi Roxana,
These bars look totally irresistible. Wish that I can sink my teeth into these :p
Zoe
My tongue would be burning too because there is no way I could wait to eat one of those awesome looking bars!!!
I don’t even know where to begin with this – it’s amazing looking! The fact that you made a homemade cake mix from Tammy’s site and used that is a great idea. I was reading in her recipe she said the cake mix WITH the shortening cut in, is shelf stable for months. Interesting. I noticed you used butter though, as would I.
Then the caramels…and the layers. Wow. Pinning for sure!
Chocolate and caramel…my ideal combo. These bars would have to be far from me. I would not be able to control myself. So gooey and wonderful, Roxy.
Um, whoa! You have hit a weak spot of mine…chocolate and caramel…whew!
Found you just in time.
How have I been living w/o these bars?
Life has no meaning without chocolate and caramel – that’s all I can say! This is the perfect marriage of eternal yumminess!
My mouth literally watered when I saw these pics! Great recipe. I’ve never baked with evaporated milk before but I can imagine it adding a nice creaminess to the mix.
These look absolutely incredible–oh my goodness! I think I could eat 5 of these in one sitting.
I didn’t know that it was possible to make a homemade cake mix – I’ve passed on so many recipes because, like you, I don’t like using anything pre-made. I’m so happy you posted this recipe! These bars look decadent, rich, and irresistible! The oozing caramel is calling to me.
Oh. Well. Don’t know what to say here. They look like the most amazing morsels of goodness in the history of baking. I think that covers it!
Hubby’s favorite! Can’t wait to try your version
Oh lordy, these look bangin’! I made brownies kind of like these a few months ago and they didn’t last a day!
Good heavens these are amazing! I love you photos too! I am like you and much prefer to make everything from scratch. These look so gooey…just what I like! Pinning!
These look so, so, delicious!!
Goodness! These look sooooo rich and gooey and delicious!!! Your photos are begging me to lick my screen. YUM!
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