#251 - Oat Chocolate Bars

(by Shirley McNevich)

Batter:
1 cup softened butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 cups uncooked Quaker quick oats

Filling:
1 - 12oz. package Nestle's semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 - 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2 cake pan. In a mixer, combine 1 cup butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and 1 tsp. vanilla and mix. Mix in flour, 1 tsp. salt and baking soda. Add the Quaker oats and mix well--if it gets too stiff for mixer, continue by hand with a wooden spoon. Press 2/3 of the batter into the greased cake pan--save the rest for later. Filling: melt the chocolate bits in a saucepan with Eagle milk, 2 TBSP butter, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. salt--cook over medium heat and stir constantly. Remove from heat as soon as chocolate is melted. Pour this mixture on top of the pressed oat mixture in the cake pan. Sprinkle the nuts over the melted chocolate filling. Crumble the other 1/3 remaining oat mixture over the top of the walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into bars when cooled.