Little Miss Caramelita

As a young chica caramel has

always seemed to run through

my blood, seemed like I loved it on everything.... sandwiched in

between my chocolate bar,  a

smooth drizzle running down my


heaping ice cream scoop, a thick layer slathered on top of a freshly baked box of premade brownie mix  sprinkled with conveniently packaged  pecans......mmmmm I so

loved that stuff! Could there be any topping more wonderful that rich sweet caramel? I thought not......until 9th grade Spanish class when

Sra. Lefevre was going over some of the many different "sabores" or flavors of Latin America and

she mentioned the words "dulce de leche" which she said was" almost like the caramel that we had

here in America, but it was made from milk which made it a little more creamier and provided a

richer taste than caramel. Que dijo?

What did she say? Could it really be? Something creamier and

richer than my caramel compadre? I

had to try some! Well when I finally had the chance to get my

hands on some of that caramel

version of a "Latin lover" it was absolutamente love at first bite! I have taken a vow to be faithful to dulce de leche and use it in every

way I can in place of regular old American caramel, it's overly sweet, underprivileged counterpart. 

And now that I have achieved success with making my own homemade dulce de leche I have become

inspired to create desserts that showcase this yummy salsa in all it's glory.  So here is my very first

confection made up of the very stuff that keeps me going and also made exclusively by me. It's my version of a carmelita but clearly

I have exchanged the caramel for dulce de leche and have affecioniately renamed it muchachita

which in Spanish means- sweet little girl and that is exactly what these are sweet little bars of chocolate, oats and dulce de leche heaven!