Chocolate-filled Walnut-Oatmeal Bars

Description

• Makes about 4 dozen bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp powdered instant coffee (optional)
• 3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ cups chopped walnuts, divided

Chocolate filling

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
• ⅔ cup Hershey's cocoa
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended.
3. Add eggs, vanilla and instant coffee, if desired; beat until fluffy.
4. Stir together Oats, flour, baking soda, salt and 1 cup walnuts; gradually stir into butter mixture with spoon.
5. Set aside 2 cups dough.
6. Press remaining dough evenly onto bottom of ungreased 15½x10½x1-inch jelly roll pan.
7. Prepare filling; spread evenly over dough.
8. Crumble reserved dough evenly over filling.
9. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup walnuts.
10. Bake 25 minutes or until top is golden brown (chocolate will be soft).
11. Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into bars.

Chocolate filling

1. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat.
2. Stir in cocoa and Sugar.
3. Add sweetened condensed milk; cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in vanilla.