Dulce Delights

Ooey, gooey, and chewy, carmelitas are candy bars in cookie form.

- Audrey Morgan

MAKING CANDY AT HOME can be a labor-intensive process that is rife with opportunities for failure, from scorched sugar to seized chocolate. But what if we told you that there’s a recipe that delivers all the gooey, chocolaty pleasure of a homemade Twix bar with nary a candy thermometer in sight—and just 20 minutes of hands-on time? That recipe is for carmelitas, which are a revelation to make, and to eat. These decadent and candylike cookie bars feature layers of buttery oats, semisweet chocolate chips, toasty pecans, and dulce de leche. In the oven, the chocolate and dulce de leche melt into irresistibly molten and chewy centers that contrast with the bars’ crisp exterior. The secret to this dessert’s foolproof nature is an entire jar of store-bought dulce de leche, which frees you from the temperamental task of making caramel. Keep a jar on hand so you can make a batch of these carmelitas for easy, portable back-to-school lunch treats—or for whenever you’re craving a candy bar in cookie form.