Did you know that May 15th is National Chocolate Chip day? The fact there are so many random food holidays can get a little silly, but it is fun to have a reason to cook with a specific ingredient. I like the inspiration. In honor of the holiday, our Food Blogger Challenge group picked Chocolate as our ingredient for this week.
Today’s recipe is heavenly. It is the dessert I request every year for my birthday. I am a real sucker for the combination of caramel, chocolate, and nuts.

Caramel German Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 1 14 oz package of caramels
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 12 oz package of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 9×13″ baking dish and set aside. Unwrap the caramels if necessary.
2. Combine the cake mix 1/3 cup evaporated milk, chopped walnuts, and the 3/4 cup melted butter. Hand stir until the dough holds together.
3. Add half of the dough mixture to the greased and floured pan and bake for 6 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, melt the caramels with 1/3 cup evaporated milk over medium heat. Stir continually, so you don’t burn the caramel. Note: You can also melt the caramel and evaporated milk in the microwave. Heat for 30 second intervals stirring in between, until completely melted.
5. After the mix has come out of the oven, pour the caramel over the cooked dough. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the caramel and spoon on the remaining dough.
   

   Here is what the bars look like before they go back into the oven for final cooking.

6. Bake for 18 minutes at 350° F. Cool completely and store in refrigerator.
7. To serve: The bars slice best when they are chilled. Slice when cold and let sit a few minutes before serving.

These are so gooey and delicious that it is unbelievable. I also love how it looks. I like that you can see these veins of caramel and chocolate chips running through the dessert. Yum! Is your mouth watering yet?

 

If you make it, I would love to hear about it! Let me know how you like it in the comments. Be sure and check out the other delicious chocolate recipes that are being shared this week in the linky below.