Shameless Copycat Starbucks Oatmeal Fudge Bars

Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.  It’s good advice and I should remember to apply it to all areas of my life, not just baking, but for the time being, let’s focus on the baking.  A while back a co-worker insisted that I try Starbucks Oatmeal Fudge Bars.  She claimed that they were addictively good and that I was missing out by never having tried one.  One afternoon, after a few weeks of reminders, I was feeling the need for a sugar fix and ventured out to my closest Starbucks, (it’s like you can’t go a block anymore without tripping over a Starbucks) to pick up an Oatmeal Fudge Bar.  Turns out they aren’t half bad!  In fact, they’re kinda good…  Almost addictively good… 

A couple days later I felt a sugar craving coming on again and started itching to return to Starbucks.  Damnit!  They had me hooked, but I refused to be fooled twice.  I knew I could make their overpriced bars myself and serve them in reasonable portion sizes that coffee shops seem oblivious to, (since when did muffins become the size of soccer balls?).  A quick internet search proved that I wasn’t the only person looking to make these bars at home and I turned up a number of results for copycat recipes.  I then made my own Oatmeal Fudge Bars and brought them into work to share with my co-workers.  The result?  Homemade bars beat Starbucks bars, hands down.  And I was left feeling victorious, if only in one small area of my life.  Starbucks won’t fool me twice.

Copycat Starbucks Oatmeal Fudge Bars
(Makes 36 bars)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 14-ounce can (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter. Beat the remaining butter with mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and beat until well mixed. Beat in eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. In another large bowl stir together flour and baking soda then stir in oats. Gradually stir dry mixture into beaten mixture. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the 2 tablespoons butter, the sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate . Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Press three quarters of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15×10x1inch baking pan (or something close to it). Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Use your fingers and dot the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate. Tip: Wet your fingers slightly to help prevent sticking.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist). Cool on a wire rack. Cut into 2×2 inch inch bars.