Eat Your Heart Out: Oatmeal fudge bars

This week’s recipe has some unusual origins. I’m not actually sure who first started baking this. Many years ago, families in my neighborhood would often bake things for each other, the recipes were either made themselves or found in home and garden magazines, which were all the rage in the 70's and 80's. Regardless, my grandmother had learned about a fantastic recipe for oatmeal fudge bars and had started to make it frequently for her own mother. Over time, these bars became a mainstay in my family’s lineup of go-to baked goods for special occasions and quiet weekends alike. I find this story quite charming because it shows how acts of kindness from decades past can continue to affect people today. I find these oatmeal bars quite enjoyable, and I hope that you do as well.

To begin, you will need to make an oatmeal mixture, which will serve as the top and bottom of the bars. Start by beating together 1/2 cup of shortening and 1 cup of light brown sugar with a spoon until they are fluffy. Add 1 egg and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and beat again until the ingredients are mixed together. Add 3/4 cup of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix these ingredients together and add 2 cups of one-minute quick oats and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts. Then mix together a fourth time. I find that incorporating the different ingredients in waves is necessary because the batter continues to become denser. Adding everything at once makes it rather difficult to create an even batter. Once it’s complete, remove 1 cup of the oat mixture to sprinkle on top later, and press the rest into a greased baking pan. I used a 9-by-9 inch pan but going a little smaller will make for thicker squares, so feel free to choose a size at your own discretion.

To make the fudge, combine 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of butter, 1/3 cup of sweet condensed milk and 1/4 teaspoon of salt in a saucepan over low heat. Constantly stir the chocolate until it has completely melted, and then immediately remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup of walnuts and 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the chocolate and stir them in. Pour the chocolate mixture over the oatmeal layer and spread it to the edges of the pan. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the top of the fudge and then place the pan in the oven. It should bake for about 25 minutes at 350 F, or until the oatmeal on the top is a light brown color. At this point, remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool completely on top of a wire cooling rack. This helps to ensure that the oatmeal bars cool properly. Then you’re all set! Happy baking!