Oatmeal Fudge Bars (ATK)

• portions: 36 bars

Ingrédients

Crust and Topping

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Filling

1/2 cup all-purpose four

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules or espresso powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chopped

3 large eggs

Instructions

1. For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 9 by 9-inch baking pan (see note below). Whisk flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl. Stir in butter until combined. Set 1¼ cups oatmeal mixture aside. Press remaining oatmeal mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake until light golden brown, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.

2. For the filling: Whisk flour, sugar, instant coffee, and salt in bowl. Melt chocolate chips and butter in large bowl; whisk in eggs, then stir in flour mixture. Pour filling over cooled crust and sprinkle with reserved oatmeal mixture.

3. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour. Cut into 1½-inch squares.

Notes

Our winning bar cookies are dense and fudgy, with a crunchy oatmeal topping. Barb created this recipe after sampling something similar at a Kansas City deli. Her secret ingredient is instant coffee, which deepens the chocolate flavor without calling attention to itself.

Be sure to cool the crust before proceeding to step 2.

Note: For all bar cookies, spray baking pan with cooking spray and line with aluminum foil, allowing excess to overhang pan edges. Spray foil with cooking spray. Once bar cookies have been baked and cooled, use foil overhang to lift bars from pan. (All bar cookies can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Cooks country 2007 June / July