Today’s treat was shared with the good folks at my office so I’d like to tell you a little about where I work. First … and this is very important … my colleagues love to eat! There is always food around the office and nothing ever goes to waste. It’s so satisfying to bake for this crew, they love and appreciate it so much. We’re a tight-knit group, some of us have worked together for 30 years already and together we’ve been through weddings, births of children, divorces and the loss of our parents.

Our business is international development. We consult for large donor clients and we manage and implement multi-year projects in the developing world. Traveling together to some wild and wonderful parts of the world is definitely a bonding experience. I have had so many wonderful (and not-so-wonderful) experiences in countries like Cambodia, China, Ethiopia and Nigeria, to name a few. Each country has its own unique food and food culture. Stay tuned for some colorful stories in future posts!

In the meantime, we’re back to baking for the office crew. These squares, compliments of Jennifer Eilts of Central City, Nebraska, were definitely a crowd-pleaser. One comment I received when the pan was empty was “more of that, please”. Here we go …

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Chocolate Oat Squares
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
4 tablespoons vanilla extract, divided
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream 1 cup butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, 1 teaspoon salt and baking soda; stir into creamed mixture. Press two-thirds of oat mixture into a greased 15”x10”x1” baking pan.

2. In a saucepan, combine the milk, chocolate chips and remaining butter and salt. Cook and stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir in walnuts and remaining vanilla. Spread over crust. Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture.

3. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cook on a wire rack. Cut into squares.

I would call this square “hearty”. The rich chocolate, sandwiched between two layers of the oat mixture, was the perfect balance of sweet and texture. I snuck a few squares for my boys who also gave these an enthusiastic “two thumbs up”.

What does Norma say about the Chocolate Oat Squares?
A combination of some of my favorite flavors and textures. Buttery brown sugar goodness, crumbly oats, rich chocolate and tender but crunchy walnuts – it’s all good!

TEMPTATION LEVEL out of 10: Waay too easy to eat! 10 out of 10 🙂