Chocolate Cake Mix Cranberry Bars - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (14 ounce) package vanilla caramels, unwrapped
2/3 cup half-and-half cream, divided
1 (18 1/4 ounce) box German chocolate cake mix
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F & grease a 13\"x9\" baking pan.
In a heavy saucepan, heat caramels & 1/3 cup of the half & half, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted. Then, stir until smooth & remove from heat & set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat cake mix, remaining 1/3 cup half & half, butter & vanilla until smooth. Pat half of this mixture into bottom of prepared baking pan & bake 10 minutes.
Remove from oven & spread evenly with warm caramel mixture.
In another bowl, stir cranberry sauce, then spoon over caramel layer.
Sprinkle remaining cake mixture over cranberry layer, then top with a sprinkling of pecans.
Return to oven & bake another 30 minutes.
Cool in pan on wire rack before cutting into bars.