Chocolate chip oatmeal cookie bars

These are an old favorite of mine (stolen from Quaker), from when I lived in NJ and used a hand-me-down hand mixer to satisfy my need for baked goods.  They take no more than 15 minutes of prep time (10 if you’re in a hurry).  I used to make them at least twice a month (it’s a miracle that I didn’t burn out the motor in the hand mixer) and a 9×13 pan never lasted long.  A coworker in NJ called them ‘hobbit bars.’  They are so dense and delicious that they could potentially eliminate the need for chocolate chip cookies.  Yeah, they’re that good — especially warm.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups uncooked oats (any kind but I like old-fashioned)
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup nuts (optional — I never put these in!)

Heat oven to 375F.  Cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs, milk, vanilla; beat well.  Add combined flour, baking soda, salt; mix well.  Add oats, chocolate chips, nuts.

Spread in ungreased 9×13 pan, bake 30-35 minutes (err on the side of under-done, or they may become too chewy).

Around here, we like to eat them for dessert, and then again for breakfast.  It’s okay because they have oats in them!