Fudgey Oatmeal Bars (Recipe Included)

I love to make these yummy treats anytime I need something quick and easy. They are especially good for kids. They always call them brownies, but they really have lots of oatmeal in them :) Sorry there will not be any pictures this time around. Apparently, my daughter stick a quarter in the SD card slot on my computer, and I cannot find a USB cord to connect my camera to my computer :(

I have always loved these simple little bars. We always had them when I was a kid. My sisters and I always loved them. We still do. I like to make this recipe without cocoa sometimes too. Then, they are simply oatmeal bars. They are scrumptious either way. I actually think that I prefer them without the cocoa. I also generally cut back on the sugar, maybe to just one cup. Often times when I make them without the cocoa, I double the recipe. This makes for more like a dense oatmeal cake which makes a delicious breakfast treat! Try out the recipe different ways. You could skip the cocoa and add raisins. You could use dried cranberries or walnuts. This recipe, as most of my recipes, can be tweaked to your liking.

Quick oats are oats that have been processed to greatly reduce the cooking time. Quick oats are produced by taking oat grains and cutting them into pieces. They are then rolled out. In contrast, regular rolled oats are rolled out, but not cut. The cutting and rolling reduces the size of the oat, therefore reducing the cooking time.

Fudgey Oatmeal Bars

1 cup quick oats

1 1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

Stir together oats and boiling water. Set aside. Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add shortening, oat mixture, and vanilla. Beat on low speed just until combined. Scrape bowl. Then beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Add eggs. Beat at medium for an additional 2 minutes. Pour into greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (If doubling the recipe, additional baking time may be necessary.)