Caramel Bars
Gramma Carolyn (wheelchair) she used eagle brand caramels I use the agave caramel recipe to avoid the corn syrup
Gramma Carolyn (wheelchair) she used eagle brand caramels I use the agave caramel recipe to avoid the corn syrup
- Carbohydrate 704.691187957265 g
- Cholesterol 396.599671919559 mg
- Fat 226.806101731579 g
- Fiber 27.3832728115709 g
- Protein 49.7443254090359 g
- Saturated Fat 116.290775845947 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (1431g)
- Sodium 63919.4686992053 mg
- Sugar 677.307915145694 g
- Trans Fat 14.4313682660858 g
- Calories 4826 calories
Step-by-step
- mix together oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 1 tsp baking soda,and 1/4 tsp salt.
- press half of mixture in 9X13 pan. bake 15 minutes
- melt caramels with 4 Tablespoons cream and pour over crust or:
- make dairy free caramel recipe (below)
- use 1/2 of caramel recipe to pour over crust
- sprinkle with nuts and chocolate chips
- crumble the rest of crust mixture over top
- bake 15 minutes at 325 degrees
- Prepare your pan/s: Line an 8 inch x 8 inch pan with parchment or, if dipping apples, cover a baking sheet with parchment and poke the sticks into the apples. I do this by very lightly oiling my pan, then laying in the parchment so the parchment does not slide around. If you will be coating apples, you can cover a few apples and then place the remaining caramel in a smaller parchment lined container such as a bread loaf pan for the caramel you will have leftover. If making caramel sauce, have a canning jar and lid ready. I use a canning jar, pouring the sauce into a clean canning jar, letting the sauce cool before capping and storing in the refrigerator. Heat caramel sauce by putting uncovered jar in a sauce pan with water and heating to desired temperature.
- Place the margarine, sugar, coconut/almond milk mixture and corn syrup replacement in a large saucepan. Clip candy thermometer to saucepan. Slowly bring ingredients to a low boil stirring very, very often. Keeping things at a low boil prevents the caramel sugars from forming grainy crystals, prevents boil over and hot sugar spatters.
- Cook over medium-high heat while continuing to stir often until candy reaches 248 degrees F. For softer caramels cook to 243 for softer caramels. If you are making caramel sauce for dairy-free ice cream or for less sticky caramel (like I did for my daughter with braces) cook the caramel to 230 degrees. This takes quite a while generally 1 ½ to 2 hours with my stove, so I will do this while I have other things I am puttering around with in the kitchen. Trust me it is worth it! You could cook it at a little higher temp than I do so it goes faster, but then you need to stir continuously. It starts out very milky looking, but will become a nice caramel color when cooked. Mmmmm…
- Remove saucepan from heat and stir in vanilla.
Can commercial candies be swapped out for a homemade version without altering the final bake? Substituting store-bought confections with a from-scratch alternative requires a heavy-bottomed saucepan to prevent scorching during the extended reduction process. Coconut milk combined with almond milk provides a viable dairy-free liquid base, mirroring the fat content needed for emulsification when boiled alongside sugar and margarine. Maintaining a low boil prevents sugar crystals from forming and stops the mixture from boiling over onto stovetop burners.
Temperature control dictates the final texture of the confection. Cooking the mixture to 248 degrees Fahrenheit yields a firm bite suitable for slicing into neat squares, whereas dropping the target to 230 degrees produces a pourable sauce. Testing consistency without a thermometer involves dropping a small spoonful of hot syrup into a bowl of ice water; a pliable, firm ball indicates the correct stage has been reached.
Layering the pastry demands careful management of the oatmeal dough. Pressing exactly half of the mixture into the baking pan creates a solid foundation, while the reserved portion must be crumbled evenly over the chocolate chips and chopped nuts to ensure proper coverage before the second fifteen-minute stint in the oven.
Storage conditions affect the shelf life of baked goods containing dairy alternatives. Wrapping leftovers tightly in parchment paper and keeping them in a sealed container at room temperature prevents moisture loss, though refrigeration extends keeping quality for up to one week.
