Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars ~ Tuesday with Dorie & What Did You Bake Today?

Today, after months of finishing the investment house and major kitchen renovations and then months of care taking my in-laws, is FINALLY my re-entry into the baking world we call Tuesday's with Dorie and I couldn't be happier to be back dusted with flour and making a mess of a kitchen. Today we are baking Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars which was picked by Lillian of Confectiona’s Realm. You can find the recipe over at her site.

Kristen from What Did you Bake? at OUR KrAzY kitchen offered up a January challenge mystery ingredient this month of Oatmeal. The timing couldn't have been better for me with Lillian having chose the wonderful Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars. In my new version I added blueberries, changed it to dark versus light brown sugar, change it to honey roasted versus salted peanuts and used peanut butter instead of butter in the chocolate layer. Next time I am going to try cashews.

My version of Dorie's recipe:
CHOCOLATE OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER BLUEBERRY BARS
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking flour
1 teaspoon salt + pinch salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 JUMBO eggs
3 cups old fashion oats
1 1/2 + 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 + 1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 /2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup dried blueberries
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons peanut butter
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
• Sift together the flour, soda, teaspoon of salt and cinnamon.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter.
• Add the brown sugar and blend well.
• Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each one.
• Add vanilla and blend until light & fluffy.
• Add flour mixture and blend until smooth.
• Gently mix in oatmeal and 2/3 cup peanuts.
• Set aside 2 cups of mixture.
• Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 well greased baking dish.
• Scatter the blueberries randomly over the top of the oatmeal mixture.
• In a double boiler mix together the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and chocolate chips until melted and well blended.
• Stir in vanilla, raisins and remaining peanuts.
• Spread over the oatmeal layer.
• Working in small amounts flatten oat oatmeal dough and top chocolate mixture.
• With well greased fingers press gently on the top oatmeal dough to spread it out evenly over the chocolate layer.
• Bake 30 minutes.
• Cool completely before cutting.
  

I'm also offering these recipes for the oatmeal theme:

• Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
  
• Chocolate Oatmeal Logs
• Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Bars