Other times, I want to make something quick and easy and simple and comforting and delicious.
These Oatmeal Chocolate Bars totally fall into the second category.
I love them! They're like an oatmeal chocolate chips cookie in bar form. All the deliciousness without the fuss of making cookies.
I made them on Friday for small group. I made them again to bring to my moms group and I'll be making them again this week for lunch on Sunday when we are having friends over.
That's 3 times in a little over a week, which is unprecedented around these parts.
None of these ingredients are weird:
You need:
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup oatmeal (I used quick cooking, but you can use old fashioned or regular)
3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 bag chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips or whatever chips your pretty little heart desires)
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and oatmeal. Whisk together.
Confession: I don't use a whisk for this...that's just dirtying something else. I just use the measuring spoon I used for the baking soda and salt. The whole point of the whisking is to evenly distribute the leavening (baking soda). I feel like I can get the job done with a measuring spoon.
That's what I call living on the edge.
Anyway, set aside the small bowl of dry ingredients.
In the bowl of a mixer (you can totally use a hand held mixer), mix the butter, sugar, and brown sugar together until well combined.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix on medium high until the mixture is light and creamy and fluffy, like this:
About egg yolks...they really help achieve a chewy texture in baked goods. I have no idea why, they just do. My favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe has an egg and an egg yolk.
Now that it's nice and creamy, add the dry ingredients and then the chocolate chunks. Mix them at the same time.
If you aren't using a Kitchen Aid or other stand mixer, I'd probably mix in the dry ingredients a half at a time, and then stir in the chocolate chunks with a wooden spoon.
I made this during nap time, so you know what that means...
...I got the beater all to myself.
Except I didn't lick it, because I'm kind of trying to be healthy.
I say "kind of," because I probably wouldn't have made these if I was really trying hard to be healthy.
But, oatmeal's healthy and so are eggs. We could really just call these breakfast.
Next, spray your pan with nonstick spray and press the batter into the prepared 9x13 inch pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes.
Do not...I repeat, do not overbake these. You just want them to be light brown.
Cool and cut into squares.
Enjoy these beauties with some friends!
What do you do with the extra half an egg that you don't put in? Just curious. :)
ReplyDeleteSometimes I toss it, but other times I keep it in a small container in the fridge as I often have 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg scrambled for breakfast :)
DeleteGood to know! How long can you keep it? I've noticed a lot of baked goods recipes call for half an egg, but I usually don't make them because I never know what to do with the rest of the egg! haha :)
DeleteI think I've kept for like a week without a problem. Although, I don't feel bad tossing half an egg, because an egg cost like a dime, so I'm really only losing a nickle if I throw it away :)
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