German Chocolate Caramel Brownie Bars

One of my favorite kinds of recipes are the ones shared and passed around through families. We spent a lot of the month of July traveling, and one of the extra perks that came along with seeing wonderful family was acquiring this recipe from Chris's Aunt Deb and Grandma Ida. I had tried these bars once before during a previous trip to Kimball, Nebraska, but never thought to ask for the recipe until this time. I am so glad I did! They are super easy to make, and so delicious! As a family, we love them.

As an added bonus, one of my coworkers recently celebrated a birthday, and as one of the designated office "birthday bakers," I asked her what she wanted me to make and bring into work for her. She told me that two of her favorite things were brownies and caramel... and alas, the perfect opportunity to bake these bars and share them with you all came to be. (By the way, she also mentioned ice cream, and I think these would be heavenly topped with a nice, cool scoop of creamy vanilla!)

I really don't remember what these bars were originally called in the recipe that Aunt Deb and Grandma Ida shared with me, so I re-named them and came up with some possible suggestions for tasty variations of this recipe, but I am saving those for later when I have actually had a chance to try them. I don't know where the recipe originated from, so I don't really know who to give credit to since it is not my original creation... just one of those family recipes passed down through the generations I suppose?

Here is what you will need to make German Chocolate Caramel Brownie Bars:

- 1 box German Chocolate cake mix
- 1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon water
- 14 ounces caramel pieces
- 1/3 cup evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13" cake pan with two overlapping pieces of aluminum foil, leaving excess foil at each end to create handles for easy removal later. Grease and flour the foil. Set aside.
2. Combine cake mix, butter, and water in a large bowl, using a fork to mix. Incorporate the butter and water fully into the cake mix. When you're done, the mix should be crumbly but still stick together. Set aside.
3. Combine caramels and evaporated milk over low-medium heat until melted and smooth, about 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Once melted, remove from heat and keep warm.
4. Take half of your prepared cake mix and press it evenly into the bottom of the 9x13" pan to create the bottom layer. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the milk chocolate chips. Pour caramel over the chocolate chip layer and spread evenly.  Take the remaining cake mix and press it evenly over the caramel layer to create the top layer. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. ***This part is a little tricky- be prepared to get your hands sticky! The good part is you can lick them clean after you're done and get a preview of the chocolate caramel goodness that is coming your way.*** 

Shhh.... don't tell anyone. Then you won't have to share yet!

5. Place your assembled bars into the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until bars are mostly set. They will jiggle a bit at first because of the caramel, but they should still be done. They will solidify as they cool.

6. Cut into bars and share the love! Enjoy!

As I mentioned before, I thought of a couple variations that I think would work fantastic in this recipe. I have not actually had the opportunity to try them out yet, but I will eventually! Unfortunately, I can't bake as often as I would like, due to both lack of time and the fact I am attempting to slim my waistline a bit, but I try to write down ideas as they come to me so I can save them for a later date! So, with that in mind, you can expect AT LEAST one variation of this recipe still to come! Until then.... happy baking!