Chocolate Chip Turtle Bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup golden crisco shortening (175 ml)
• 1 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed (300 ml)
• 2 tablespoons milk (30 ml)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla (15 ml)
• 1 egg
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (425 ml)
• 1 teaspoon salt (5 ml)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda (3 ml)
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet hershey's chipits- small chocolate chips (375 ml)
• 1 (14 ounce) bag caramels, unwrapped (420 g)
• 1 tablespoon water (15 ml)

Recipe

• 1 heat oven to 350 f (180 c). grease a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) pan with shortening.
• 2 place cooling rack on countertop.
• 3 combine shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl.
• 4 beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.
• 5 beat egg into creamed mixture. combine flour, salt and baking soda.
• 6 mix into creamed mixture just until blended.
• 7 stir in hershey's chipets- small chocolate chips.
• 8 divide dough into thirds.
• 9 pat 2/3 of dough into the bottom of the prepared pan.
• 10 combine caramels and water in small saucepan.
• 11 place on very low heat. stir constantly until caramels melt. spread caramel mixture over dough in pan to within 1/2 inch (1 cm) of edge. divide remaining dough into measuri ng teaspoonfuls (5 ml) and drop evenly over the caramel layer.
• 12 bake at 350 f (180 c) for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• 13 do not overbake.
• 14 loosen from sides of pan with knife. cool completely on rack.
• 15 cut into bars.