Chocolate Caramel Bars

I made these last night and thought I had died and gone to heaven. We ate them still warm last night because we couldn't wait till they had cooled and even though they wouldn't hold up as a cookie bar and oozed all over the plate :0) they were still soooo good. Even better today. :0)

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1 bag (14 oz) vanilla caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Generously grease bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large bowl, beat cake mix, butter and egg with electric mixer on low speed until well mixed.
2. Stir in oats until crumbly (use fingers if necessary). Reserve 1 1/2 cups cake mixture. Press remaining mixture in pan (use plastic wrap or waxed paper to press mixture if it is sticky).
3. In heavy 2-quart saucepan, heat caramels and milk over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until melted. Pour over chocolate layer in pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and pecans. Sprinkle reserved cake mixture over top.
4. Bake 22 to 28 minutes or until caramel bubbles along edges and cake mixture on top appears crisp and dry. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen bars. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store tightly covered.

Ashlee side note: I obviously would not ruin such a tasty dessert by adding nuts to it. I only baked it for the 22 minutes. You don't want to get the top too crusty. At 22 minutes it was still a little moist and cookie-like. Not crunchy. If you want crunchy...go for the full 28 minutes.

I was also thinking about what other cake mixes I could use for this recipe. A blonde caramel bar would be good using a yellow cake mix....Get a little crazy. It could be yummy!