Turtle Bars ~ eat one and you will want another

First time I made my Mom's *wonderful* *decadent* *gooey caramel goodness*

I read the recipe wrong and put the chocolate chips in the batter.

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Note, this recipe does have nuts in it, so don't bake it for those

with nut allergies!

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Here's how it is really done and the recipe, too: 

60 caramels or 14-21 oz package (we're talking Kraft Caramels here,

nothing mind blowing!)

half cup evaporated milk

melt it in microwave, 5 minutes cook level 8

batter is as follows:

box German chocolate cake mix (or any chocolate cake mix,

goal here is chocolate)

3 quarter cup melted butter

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts)

1 cup chocolate chips

set melted milk and caramel aside

grease and flour a 9x13 pan 

mixing bowl combine cake mix, melted butter, 1/3 cup e. milk and nuts 

then spread half of that mixture into 9x13 pan

bake at 350 for 8 minutes

take out and sprinkle chocolate chips over baked crust

then spread caramel mixture over chocolate chips

then rest of cake mixture crumble over caramel layer 

bake another 18 to 20 minutes

Take out of oven and let cool.

Don't try to slice it until fully cool.

Steps in a nutshell:

Melt caramel with evaporated milk, mix batter up, bake half for 8 minutes, put chocolate chips on top, then pour melted caramel on top and add rest of batter and bake! 

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I have made two batches of these this week

while Mr. Husband is away.

Once they were fully cooled, 

I left them out overnight, covered only after cool,

and slice next day, ladling them out with a strong flat 

pancake flipper onto tin foil,

which then I wrapped loosely over the top (about 4 or so bars per tin foil

and put them in a freezer bag and 

stored until Christmas!

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Three TIPS:

Don't confuse the NEEDED evaporated milk

with the NOT needed sweetened condensed milk.

I almost did and my neighbour actually gave me 

the evaporated milk to make this!

When you cook the caramels in the microwave with the

evaporated milk, if they are not fully melted,

like in my picture above, take a fork or spoon

and stir it.  The first time I did this

it was still just a tad lumpy.

Both times I microwaved it in a *covered* bowl,

a glass pot with glass lid to be precise,

and when it was still lumpy,

I microwaved it on power level 8 for 30 SECONDS more

uncovered and stirred and it was fully smooth, liquid.

The second time I stirred and did not need to do anymore heating.

Also, my Mom said to save time, 

unwrapping all the caramels and putting them in a covered container

until you bake them will save time.

I did it this way and it was super helpful!

Thanks Mom!