Chocolate-Oatmeal Carmelitas

• doses: Makes 24 bars
• tempo ativo: 20 minutes
• tempo total: 3 hours

Ingredientes

(15-oz.) jar dulce de leche (about

1½ cups) (see Note)

3 cups (about 12 3/4 oz.) plus 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided

1½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. kosher salt

3 cups quick-cooking oats

2¼ cups packed light brown sugar

2 cups unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing

1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

¾ cup chopped pecans

Instruções

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-x 13-inch baking pan with butter, and line with parchment paper. Whisk together dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons flour in a small bowl; set aside.

2. Beat baking soda, salt, and remaining 3 cups flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fit- ted with the paddle attachment on low speed until combined, about 10 seconds. Add oats, brown sugar, and butter; beat on low speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Press half of oat mixture (about 3 cups) into prepared baking pan in an even layer. Bake until edges puff and begin to set, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven.

3. Scatter half of the chocolate chips and pecans over cookie crust. Dollop half of the dulce de leche mixture over top. Crumble remaining oat mixture evenly over dulce de leche; top with remaining chocolate chips and pecans and remaining dulce de leche mixture.

4. Bake until edges are set and top is golden brown, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Cut into bars, and serve.

Notas

These soft and chewy bar cookies feature buttery oats layered with melty chocolate, chopped pecans, and swirls of dulce de leche. Use an offset spatula or the bottom of a drinking glass to help evenly spread the initial layer of dough in the pan. While it's tempting to eat them warm, let the bars cool completely before cutting for clean, even slices.

MAKE AHEAD Carmelitas can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.

NOTE Opt for jarred dulce de leche (such as N'Dulce), as opposed to thicker canned dulce de leche, to give the bars a soft and chewy texture. Find jarred duice de leche at most grocery stores or online at worldmarket.com.