Chewy Fudgey Oatmeal Bars
I recently started a new job at work. Still with the same company, just doing different work. It has been keeping me BUSY (some of you might notice that I haven’t been around as much recently). While I do miss my time chatting on the internet with lots of you, I’m loving my new job and learning a ton. The days are flying by, which is a nice change of pace for me. During one of my first days in the new group, I wanted to bring in some goodies.
I chose these bars because they are easy to transport and I’ve had them starred in my Google Reader forever. Wow! I wish I had made these sooner. The oatmeal layers are soft and chewy, but still sturdy enough to hold the amazing fudge layer in the middle.
One guy did say they were too sweet for him, but everyone else in my new group gobbled them right up. One of my coworkers commented she was so happy that I had joined the group. I hope it’s only partially because of my baking!
Yield: ~40
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups oats
2 cups chocolate chips
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (15 oz.)
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan
In a large bowl sift together flour, soda and salt. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, beat together softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time and beat until combined. Add vanilla and mix well.
Slowly add the sifted flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in oatmeal.
Gently spread 2/3 crust into bottom of prepared pan. Reserve the rest for topping.
Make the filling:
Over Medium-Low heat, melt together chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter, and salt. Stir until smooth. Remove mixture from heat and stir in vanilla and nuts if using.
Evenly pour filling mixture of crust but keeping filling about a 1/4 inch away from side of pan so it does not stick to side while baking. Evenly dollup top of filling with remaining oat mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until topping is light brown and fudge layer set but not solid. Don’t overbake these bars or they can become dry.
Cool in pay on rack until set before cutting. Can chill to set faster. Keep stored in airtight container either room temp or in fridge.
Recipe from Baking Blonde
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Oh these look so yummy! Love the crackly looking top.
They look soooo good! Thanks for the tip about the sweetness factor…I love having a little bite of something completely decadent!
AH…these look heavenly….mmm…thanks for sharing! 🙂
Wow, those look great! I love those
I’m not sure it is possible to be “too sweet” but these look very good!
These looks so good! Can’t wait to try!
I’m not crazy about marshmallows, but these brownies look amazing!!
“nice and thick”… wow, you aren’t kidding. that was a bold move switching the pan though. glad it worked out in the end.
MMMMMMM those sound awesome!!
oh my word! those look delicious!
I can’t stop looking at your picture. I think that means I need to make these brownies. I’m not sure if I should thank you for shake my fist at you 😛
Blaspemy!! Nothing is TOO sweet 🙂
I love these! Might give em a go when a occasion comes up 😀
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These look awesome! I would love to have one of these sitting in my kitchen right now 🙂
These look AMAZING! I feel like I need to go to the gym just looking at them. 🙂
These look delicious! I love anything with marshmallows!
I wish I could reach through the computer and grab these! They look awesome!!
I make something similar but cheat and use a boxed brownie mix. The frosting I use doesn’t have marshmallows in it which helps with the sweet factor.
That’s a great idea baking these in a smaller pan. I would prefer the brownie part a bit thicker.
~ingrid
Um…I guess I didn’t let my icing cool enough and it melted the marshmallow completely…it looked like Mt. Vesuvius erupted on my counter ha ha! I wish I could post a picture! They still tasted yummy though =)
I made these, but the chocolate topping turned out not great, not dissolved and gritty. – I think you mean “icing sugar” don’t you, when you say sugar for the frosting?
beantownbaker — April 18th, 2013 @ 11:28 am
I used granulated sugar for the frosting. When it is cooking on the stove, it should completely dissolve the sugar.