Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

I have to admit, I love making things for BP - and this includes making treats for the poker crew when he has the guys over to play.  So far they've gotten some Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies, Pizza Bread and Coffee Ring.  So as I was sitting there with BP the other night the talk of me making treats came up and I said that I loved to make treats for his poker nights.  Well his face lit up and out came the cookbooks.  It was so cute to see him flip through the books and pick things out for me to make later (a direct quote from him - Page 111, not for tomorrow night but for at some point).  He found something great online and all I needed to get was chocolate chips and some pecans.  Easy. 

Friday morning rolls around and BP heads off to work.  I sleep in a little longer and then got my butt in gear. Did a load of laundry and ran an errand and then it was time to make the bars.  This recipe is so easy.  It does call for a strange sized pan, so you can either go with a small 8x8" pan or a 9x13" pan - which is what I went with. I love quick and easy things to make - and it's even better when they end up being tasty. 

Yummies

Once the bars were cooled and set I cut them up and put them on a plate for BP and wrapped them up.  It was all ready for him when he got home.  I had sent him a picture of the finished bars and he couldn't wait to try them.  The text I got from him was great - 'the bars are fn awesome'.  Always a great thing to hear and puts a smile on my face. 

I posted this pic on YCB's Facebook page and was floored by the response.  It's the most views I've had for a photo I've posted ever - over 150 at this point.  Amazing considering there are only 43 of you out there that follow my Facebook page. 

So the bars were a hit with the poker crew.  Everyone loved them, and one comment that was passed along to me was 'loved them, but it's no coffee ring'.  That made me laugh so hard - that coffee ring is one of my favorite things to make and am floored at the response it always gets from people. 

Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

 

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

topping:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a 11x7" baking dish.  Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat in egg and vanilla extract.  Add flour and oats, mix until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips and mix until distributed evenly.  Pour into prepared baking dish.
3. Bake 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack for 3-5 minutes.  Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips and let stand for a couple of minutes until chips are almost completely melted.  Gently take a spatula and spread chocolate evenly over the top.  Sprinkle with nuts and let stand until fully cooled.  Cut into bars.

**If you want the extra oomph - toast the nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a 350 degree oven for 5-8 minutes or until you smell the nuts.  When you smell them, they are done**