Monday, December 24, 2012

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

I need to call a conference with the People Who Invent Baby Clothes. We have to tell them something that I am sure they do not know. Are they not aware that the main people who snap up baby stretchies are either majorly sleep deprived mothers or seriously clueless fathers? (Sorry Big D. Its just part of being a Man. Sweat and sawdust, my friend.) Big D. correctly commented that you need a PhD to snap those things up, and really, he's not that far off. You start snapping and before you know it, the poor little Grumpy Bundle of Joy is snapped up with his head over his feet and his toes popping out somewhere in between. Just sharing my thoughts with you on this. It's funny, because anytime someone snaps up a baby, they always sigh and say "I don't know how this thing goes..." Its like the fact everyone knows but no one talks about. So I think someone should definitely enlighten Them. Maybe we can pass a law that all baby things must close with zippers? Just banish those pesky snaps all together. Just a thought here. Anyways, for those of you not losing any sleep over snaps and zippers and grumps, here's something good to munch on:

Oatmeal Fudge Bars                                                                                         adapted from Baking and Mistaking
*Disclaimer: These bars are crumby when you cut them. If anyone has a solution on how to get them less crumby, I'd love to hear!

2 cups instant oats
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup margarine or butter, melted

Filling:
3 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add in melted margarine and stir until combined. Press 1/2 the mixture into the bottom of lined pan. Reserve the rest of the crumbs. Bake for 8 minutes and then let cool. 

Prepare the filling:
Melt margarine or butter in a small saucepan. Add chocolate chips and stir constantly over low heat until melted. Remove from heat. Let cool slightly and whisk in eggs. Add in flour, sugar, coffee and salt and stir until combined. Spread over cooled crust and sprinkle with remaining oat mixture. Bake again at 325° for 25-30 minutes. Cool for 2 hours before cutting. 

13 comments:

  1. lol on the baby snaps. Zippers all the way! WOOHOO!

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  2. sweat and sawdust...no cologne for Big D!! hahahahah that argument will last forever :)

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  3. Totally agree on the snaps. Every time I try to close snaps while holding a crying baby, I wonder whose brilliant idea it was to put snaps on baby clothes.

    Also, the recipe looks great. I think I might mix in a little coconut with the oats. The oats/coconut combo might just enhance this even more.

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  4. I don't like zippers, cuz they only zip up one leg and it's harder to get the baby in. but I don't konw if this is any different, but when I wash the stretchies, i snap up the legs before folding them

    I want to try this recipe. I will try to report back how it comes out with oil.

    btw, which day do you update your blog?

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    Replies
    1. Proud Tante- Let me know how it works with oil. The bars taste great but the crumbs are annoying... I usually post Mondays, but since the baby its been hard to stick to a schedule so basically whenever I am able to post...you can sign up for emails when there are new posts here: https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/cantstopbaking

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    2. These came out delicious! I made the crumble from oil, but the chocolate from margarine because I wanted to make sure it would fudge properly, next time I will do oil though.

      My crumb came out much darker than yours though

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    3. Was the crumb very crumbly? Meaning- did it get all over the floor when the kids ate it? :) The picture of mine may be lighter then what it was in real life...

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    4. It made a mess, but I kind of brushed it off before giving it to them.

      I was thinking it would do better in a bigger pan, a thinner bar kind of cookie. Then all the crumbs would have something to stick to.

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  5. How did I not realize that you were back?? Those bars look awesome. And I actually like the snaps better than zippers--no chance of accidentally zipping and pinching that brand-new skin. Also, it is satisfying. If you got nothing else done that day--you got those snaps on,girl!

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    Replies
    1. Hey JS, yes I am back...barely...with one eye open...my brain is fuzzy with no sleep. But yes, ahem, here I am. I love your theory on snaps- hysterical :)

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  6. These look super yummy. By the way, there's a company that makes baby clothing with magnets - no snapping at all! It's Magnificent Baby (a friend of mine started it).

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