Caramel Nut Brownies

July 9 - July 17 is the Red River Valley Fair in West Fargo, North Dakota. I exhibited as a Gardner Gleaming Girl 4-H Club Member for 8 years. Our club always had a fair booth and I entered baked goods, sewing or crafts, depending on the projects of that year. For 4-H members, everything entered received a ribbon. Blue is the best. The majority of items receive a red ribbon and if an item is not very good, it was awarded the white ribbon. The only white ribbon I received at the Red River Valley Fair was on a craft project. It was a nature picture. I cut dried weeds and cattails out of the ditch by the driveway to our house and glued them on a piece of wood. Shellac was sprayed over the entire picture to finish. Actually, I sprayed it with shellac multiple times because I thought the extra shine would help it look better! It was on display all week at the fair, adorned with it’s white ribbon! My last baking entry was Caramel Nut Brownies that awarded me a Blue Ribbon. Other than reducing the butter by 1/4 cup, this is the same recipe I entered in the fair in 1971!

CARAMEL NUT BROWNIES
Makes 24 Squares

14-oz. pkg. caramels
1/3 C. evaporated milk
½ C. unsalted butter
18.25-oz. pkg. German Chocolate cake mix
1/3 C. evaporated milk
1 C. walnuts, chopped into ½-inch pieces
1 C. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter the bottom only of a 9x13x2-inch non-stick baking pan. Unwrap caramels and melt with 1/3 C. evaporated milk in a 2-qt. saucepan on low, stirring occasionally.

Microwave butter in a 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup on defrost for 2 minutes or till melted. Stir in cake mix and 1/3 C. evaporated milk. The dough will be thick. Spread half the dough in the prepared pan using a silicone spatula to level to a thin layer covering the entire pan bottom. Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven.

Sprinkle with walnuts and chocolate chips. Pour caramel over all. Crumble remaining unbaked dough in small pieces evenly over the top. Continue baking for 20 minutes or till the edges begin to pull away from the pan.

Cool. Cut into squares. Store Caramel Nut Brownies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for later.