Chewy Butterscotch-Oatmeal Bars

We made a major furniture purchase last week.  We finally, and I mean FINALLY, bought a new mattress set.  It's been a long time coming and I cannot even describe to you how awful our old mattress set was.  (Okay, sleeping on our old mattress set WAS better than sleeping on the hard, cold ground, which I realize many people do in this world.  I get it. I totally get it.  I am not as shallow as this blog looks.  I am thankful to have had an old mattress set, even if there were springs poking me in the back.  But I am beyond thankful for memory foam.  I LOVE YOU, MEMORY FOAM!!!)

We've had our mattress ensemble for about four nights, but sadly, for the first three nights I suffered from insomnia.  And I know it was because I was just SO EXCITED about how every night for the rest of my life (or at least until the 20 year warranty is up) I would be sleeping the sleep of angels and newborn babies.  And as I lay there in bed waiting for this beautiful, deep rest to overtake my body and carry me off to the land of nod, my mind began thinking things like "Shouldn't you have already gone to sleep?  You should have been asleep five minutes ago.  Ten minutes ago.  Thirty minutes ago!  TWO HOURS AGO!  LISTEN, IS THAT A ROOSTER CROWING?!"  And my mind got so worked up that I couldn't sleep for all the pressure I was putting on myself about actually falling asleep.

Until last night.  Last night was the first night I really felt like I slept the sleep of angels and newborn babies and dead people.  That sleep where you wake up and say "MAN, I FEEL AWESOME!  LET ME GO ATTACK MY DAY NOW.  DO I EVEN NEED COFFEE?"

Uhm, yes, I still needed coffee this morning, but I feel great.  Which is a good thing, because I will be cleaning out a barn today.

And none of that had anything to do with this recipe, but I'm not going to take the time today to work up transition sentence.  The day.  It calls for me.

I originally got this recipe off the back of a bag of store-brand butterscotch chips.  And I know.  Butterscotch.  Again.  I promise this will be the last butterscotch recipe until the next one I post.

These bars are chewy and sweet, yet substantial and filling.  They are the perfect bar to pack into a picnic basket because they're not gooey or frosted.  I drizzled some melted butterscotch chips on the top for a little decoration, but it's not necessary.

Here are my notes:

-The original recipe calls for transferring the butterscotch-butter mixture to a large bowl.  This time I stirred every thing into the butterscotch-butter mixture in the saucepan because I didn't want to dirty another bowl.  If you do this, stir the eggs in last so they won't scramble when they hit the hot ingredients.  This method worked fine for me.

-This recipe works with any kind of nut.  I used peanuts this time, but almonds, pecans or walnuts would be great.

-The butter and butterscotch chips have a hard time totally blending together.  Just keep whisking and blend as much as possible.  They might not ever fuse together completely until the flour and other ingredients are added.  This is okay. 

Chewy Butterscotch-Oatmeal Bars

Printable Recipe

1 (12-ounce bag) butterscotch morsels

1 cup butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all–purpose flour

1 cup quick cooking oats

1 cup chopped, toasted nuts

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Heat the butterscotch morsels and the butter in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring often until smooth.  Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.

Add the light brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla; stir until mixed.  Stir in the flour, oats, nuts, and salt, mixing well.  Pour into a 13 x 9-inch pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool completely before cutting.