seriously oaty oatmeal chocolate peanut butter bars

    These are some seriously good bars.  Did I say seriously? I did, and they are.  I think I have a thing for bars at the moment. The last thing I baked was bars (they were also very very good) and my 'looking threw a cook book' choice seemed to be all about the bars too! I am liking the bars and these are chocolate and peanut butter... need I say more?

  

recipe

300 g milk chocolate

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup butter

1 3/4 cups light brown sugar

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts

1 egg, beaten

14oz/400 g canned sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter

optional 1 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C

Finely chop the chocolate. Sift in the flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the butter and mix till it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the rolled oats, sugar and chopped nuts. (for some extra goodness, if you like coconut, add here, about 1 cup)

Put a quarter of the mix into a bowl and add the chopped chocolate, mix and set aside.

Stir the egg into the remaining mixture, then press into the bottom of a 12x8 inch pan. Bake just the bottom for 15min.

Meanwhile, mix the peanut butter and condensed milk together. Pour onto the baked bottom crust, spread evenly, then sprinkle the reserved chocolate mixture on top.

Return to the oven and bake for an addition 20min. Let cool.

Recipe adapted from The Big Book of Baking.