Caramel Apple Oat Squares

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 3/4 cups unsifted flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold margarine or 1 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 20 caramels, unwrapped
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 in large bowl, combine flour, spices if using, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt; cut in margarine until crumbly.
• 3 reserving 1-1/2 cups crumb mixture, press remainder on bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan.
• 4 bake 15 minutes.
• 5 add nuts to reserved crumb mixture.
• 6 in heavy sauce pan, over low heat, melt caramels with sweetened condensed milk, stirring until smooth, add vanilla.
• 7 spoon apple pie filling over prepared crust; top with caramel mixture then reserved crumb mixture.
• 8 bake 20 minutes or until set.
• 9 cool.
• 10 serve warm with ice cream.