Caramel Chip Bars!!!

These chewy cookie bars are packed with 4 types of chips and a thick layer of soft caramel- YUM!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 box of yellow cake mix

1/3c. oil

2 eggs

1c. each of white chips, semi-sweet chips, milk chocolate chips and butterscotch chips

1/2 c. margarine

32 unwrapped caramels

1 (14oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13pan.  Combine cake mix, oil and eggs.  Blend well and stir in all of the chips (mixture will be very thick).  Press half of the mixture into bottom of pan (it will press into a very thin layer).  Bake for 10 minutes.

While this is baking, in a medium saucepan, combine butter, caramels and condensed milk.  Cook over low/medium heat until melted and smooth (stir constantly!)  Spread caramel over partially baked cake mixture.  Top with remaining cake/chip mixture (it will not completely cover, but you can press the mixture flat with your fingers and lay it in sections over the caramel.  Bake and additional 25 to 30 minutes.  Cool 20 minutes.  Run knife around edges.  Cool completely before cutting. Makes about 20 bars.

My thoughts:  I’ve been making these bars for years and its fun to try them with different types of chips and flavors of cake mix.  These were inspired by a recipe given to me by a friend of a friend.  Her name is Lily and for years we called these Lily Bars in her honor :0)  They have evolved into this recipe (my personal favorite combination of ingredients) –but next time I am adding some coconut!  If you like experimenting with flavors, this is a perfect recipe for you!  Another note:  the caramel sauce used in this is SO good and wonderfully soft that I’ve incorporated it into many other desserts – so when you see this caramel appear in another post you’ll know– it all started here!   Have fun with this one– I hope you enjoy it!   -r