When I was a young kid growing up in Quebec, my mom and my friends’ moms tried to outdo each other by making scrumptious treats for our birthday parties. Not only were the birthday cakes over-the-top, but moms typically sent kids home with baked treats that they wanted to be sure other moms checked out an envied.

One of my friend’s mom out-shined all the other moms’ baked treats, and I’ve perhaps never had a better baked treat, than her Divine Squares.

The buttery base is chewy, the caramel layer is gooey and decadent and the chocolate topping provides just a bit of chocolaty crunch that’s hard to resist.

These could become the best treats you’ll ever make.

Crust

Crust Ingredients:

• 5 Tbsp. butter, melted
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• ¾ cup Rice Krispies

Caramel

Caramel Layer Ingredients:

• ½ cup butter
• 1 14-ounce can of condensed milk
• ½ cup light brown sugar

Chocolate Topping

Chocolate Topping Ingredients:

• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1¼ cups Rice Krispies

Crust Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all the crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Once the butter has been absorbed, press the mixture onto the bottom of an 8×8 pan.
3. Bake for 10 minutes.

Caramel Layer Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the caramel layer ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Pour the caramel over the baked crust.

Chocolate Topping Directions:

1. Melt the chocolate chips by microwaving them for 30 seconds. After stirring the chips, if they’re not quite melted, return to the microwave for 15 seconds. Add the Rice Krispies to the chocolate and stir gently to coat.
2. Sprinkle the chocolate Rice Krispies over the caramel mixture to mostly cover the caramel.
3. Allow to cool for an hour then refrigerate at least 12 hours.

Makes 12 squares.