1.19.2011

Oatmeal Fudge Bars


I have a confession to make: I am a savory-kind of a girl; not much of a dessert eater. I blame it on my Korean heritage where fruit is usually served after a meal.

Here's another confession: I baked my first cake when I was 25 years old. So when I bake desserts for my church family, they're almost like my taste test crew. If they like it, then it's worthy to be served another time!

I tried the Oatmeal-Fudge Bars on the Wednesday Noon Service crowd. And they L-O-V-E-D it.

Melted butter is tossed in dry ingredients.

For the fudge filling, chocolate and butter is melted in a double boiler. Add egg(s).

To intensify the chocolate flavor, espresso powder, along with sugar and flour, is added.

Chocolate mixture is rather thick and grainy when spreading.

Top it with the streusel. I added chopped pecans for added crunch and flavor.

Then I took a bite. For the sake of the photo. And I must say, the chocolate filling was moist and wonderfully chocolatey. The crust and topping had the perfect amount of crunch and texture.

I loved that one bite.
Then my youngest son ate the rest of it.



Oatmeal-Fudge Bars

Crust and Streusel:
1 cup (3 oz) of quick-cooking oats, do not use old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (7 oz) packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup (3.75 oz) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoon (4 oz) melted unsalted butter, cooled
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Fudge Filling:
2 tablespoons (1 oz) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (9 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 large egg
2 teaspoons instant espresso or instant coffee
1/4 cup (1.25 oz) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1.75 oz) brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
1. For crust and streusel, line 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, allowing excess to hang over pan edges. Combine oats, 1 cup of brown sugar, 3/4 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in bowl. Stir in melted butter until combined. Reserve 3/4 cup mixture for topping. Add 1/2 cup of chopped nuts in the topping. Set aside.

2. Sprinkle remaining mixture into prepared pan and press into even layer. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Keep oven on.

3. For fudge filling, combine in a small bowl, 1/4 cup of flour, brown sugar, instant espresso and salt. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and 2 tablespoon of butter and cool slightly. Chocolate mixture will be thick. Add egg and whisk until combined. Stir in flour-espresso mixture until just incorporated. Do not over mix.

4. Pour thick filling over cooled crust and spread with a knife. It will be like thick icing. Sprinkle with reserved topping streusel.

5. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack, about two hours. Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and cut into squares. Yields 16 bars.


Make-Ahead Tips: If you can't bake and freeze desserts ahead, measure/weigh all the ingredients, store in storage bags, along with the recipe until ready to bake. This saves you time from converting and measuring recipes.

*Up to two+ weeks ahead: Make crust, bake, cool. Tightly wrap in plastic wrap, then foil the whole pan. Put reserved topping in freezer bag. Freeze. Thaw before baking with chocolate filling
*Measure butter & egg. Label, date, and store in refrigerator until needed.
*Measure/weigh chocolate chips, store in plastic bag.
*Combine instant coffee, flour, sugar, and salt in one plastic bag until ready to bake.

When making in large scale, weighing your baking ingredients is critical.
To yield 80 bars (cutting 5x8 on each pan) or 90 bars (cutting 5x9) : use two 12x2x2.5 steam pans,
recipe X 5 for crust and streusel and X10 for the chocolate fudge filling

23 comments:

  1. Kay! I am trying to lose weight, I think I gained 5 pounds just LOOKING at those beauties!! YUM!

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  2. If you ever need someone to taste test something like this again, feel free to mail a box to Alabama! I'll also give you a review on their care-package preservation!

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  3. Oh my! These look wonderful! I'm going to have to try them!

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  4. wow these look great and what a lovely picture

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  5. is telling the readers, Kay is the most beautiful slim and trim cook you will ever meet.
    I am learning now, that taking one bite of a dessert and sharing with our loved ones makes sense to me.

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  6. Well, I'm a dessert person! And this bars are perfect for a dessert person! I love fudge!
    I'm keeping the recipe and will try soon!

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  7. Kay-It's been a while since I haven't visited your blog...and I'm drooling over your oatmeal fudge dessert. I have a lot of printing out to do from your previous posts, as well!

    The blackened salmon, and spicy tomato soup...yumm! I just made a chunky tomato soup, myself, and your looks so amazing, I must try it!

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  8. Just came across your blog via Tasty Kitchen and I thought I'd say hi. :) These look fabulous, by the way!

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  9. Oh my goodness Kay! These look wonderful! I am printing the recipe now : )

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  10. one glance at that thick layer of fudge tells me that these bars are tremendous. THIS is how i want to eat my oatmeal in the morning. :)

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  11. *gasp* you baked your first cake just 4 years ago?!?!? oh, dear friend...i know you couldn't be a day over 29!!! ♥

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  12. Hi - Making these bars now from the print-out of the recipe and it seems the recipe is missing what to do with the egg. Fortunately I came back to your blog and can tell what to do from your pictures.

    This is my kind of bar - looking forward to eating them in an hour.

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  13. Oh, dear me, Kelly! The word "egg" after "add" was omitted from the recipe! I just make the correction!! |Thanks you for catching it! :)

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  14. Thanks Kay for the great recipe. I made mine thin in a 9x13 pan and we enjoyed them just now with ice cream. Take care!

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  15. @Kelly, if you want a little thicker fudge filling x 1.5 on the filling recipe only. I doubled my filling recipe for the picture above. :) So glad you liked it!

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  16. Oh yum. I seem to have trouble with oatmeal toppings tasting a little dry, but I'll have to give this a try, it looks that good Kay!

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  17. Wow, these look amazing!! That fudge filling looks just divine. I'd definitely sign up to be your taste tester, yum!

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  18. I just tweeted this. These look absolutely amazing. That layer of chocolate is beckoning me!

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  19. Those are terrific! What a delicious combo. I bet they are dangerously addictive...

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  20. Oh wow these look incredible! That streusel topping just puts them over the edge. I'll have to give these a try verrrrry soon.

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  21. Kay! These look delicious! I love the idea of combining the instant coffee with the chocolate for a nice mocha flavor. As for your idea of taking one bite and sharing the rest with a large group ... I am cooking for our church's fellowship hour next week and I am thinking that these bars would be well-received! Thanks for the great recipe!

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  22. You can't go wrong with oatmeal and fudge!

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