So Kool or Not Kool? Knock you Naked Brownies

So Kool or Not Kool?  SO Kool
Picky Eater's Opinion?  I Love anything with Caramel
Future Chef's Menu?  I wish you had saved me more (he was camping on a BSA trip)

Thank you Jennifer at Redheads Plus One, for introducing this recipe to the cooking club.  I LOVE desserts and chocolate and anything with caramel.  However, I did not use the individual caramels that she suggested.  Instead, I used a fantastically cool trick I learned on Pinterest (Thank you Pinterest for being the pinnacle of so many fabulous ideas) where you use your crock pot and cover an entire can of sweetened condensed milk with water and cook it on low for at least 8 hours.  When you open it, voila, caramel.  I love this trick, although it means I need to plan ahead when using caramel.  I have used this multiple times since I discovered the trick.   My helpers were out in full force as well.  

HAS helping with the dry ingredients... although it looks like he was helping with the wet ingredients based on his shirt alone. 

Add the German Chocolate Cake Mix and Evaporated Milk (I was thrilled to use this because I bought several cans on sale for $0.19 a can during the holidays).

I added pecans that were crushed well.  Normally, I leave these out, but thought I would give it a try this time.

Stirring in the crushed pecans

Adding the Caramel (made from Sweetened Condensed Milk).  I used the whole can, but probably could have cut that in half very easily and still had more than enough caramel.

Spread the caramel out

Added chocolate chips.  I didn't measure this, just went on "that looks about right"

Then you have to use the other half of batter to press out a top the same size as your pan.  I actually cut wax paper to be the size I needed (9x6, because I didn't have an 8 x 8 pan) and pressed it to the edges and formed it perfectly.   This worked VERY well for me.

My other helper with the top layer once it was about ready to flip onto the top of the pan.

I flipped over the layer and removed the way paper.  It fit PERFECTLY :)

Cooked and ready to eat!!!

These were really easy and fun to make and tasted very rich.  I have a great sweet tooth and find very few things to be too sweet, but this was pushing the envelope.  Would have been great with ice cream... oh, wait... it was, we had this beside homemade butterfinger ice cream!  I will be making these again... VERY. SOON.  MAYBE. TOMORROW!!!!