It’s practical final day! Can’t believe it, this semester feels like it just started! During the practical final, students have to handle a recipe that is not written in our standard format and they get no guidance from me before beginning. The lab is worth double the points, and I walk around with a clipboard and make them nervous for the entire block. It’s super fun.

These bars are pretty dang healthy as far as cookie bars go. There is only 2 tsp. of butter and no white flour. And they taste great!

Usually when a recipe is “whole wheat”, it contains half and half whole wheat and white flour. This ensures similar results to a non-whole wheat recipe. These bars are unusual as they call for ONLY whole wheat flour. Higher fiber and vitamin, since all three parts of the grain are ground into flour instead of just the endosperm, which is the white, fluffy, NON-nutritious part of the grain.

Whole Wheat Chewy Chocolate Oat Bars

Filling

¾ c. semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 c. fat free sweetened condensed milk

Bar

1 c. whole wheat flour

½ c. quick cooking oats *

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 egg

¾ c. packed brown sugar

¼ c. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. quick cooking oats

2 tsp. butter, softened

*Generally you will find oats as “old fashioned” or as “quick cooking”. If you only have old fashioned then pulse them a few times in your food processor and they will chop up a bit, becoming “quick cooking oats”.

1.       Heat oven to 350. Spray 8 or 9 inch square pan with cooking spray.

2.       In heavy saucepan, heat filling ingredients over low heat, stirring frequently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

3.       In large bowl, mix flour, ½ c. oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

4. In medium bowl, stir egg, brown sugar, oil and vanilla with fork until smooth.

5.       Stir liquid mixture into flour mixture until blended.

6. Reserve ½ c. dough in a small bowl for topping.

6.       Pat remaining dough in pan (if dough is sticky, spray fingers with cooking spray or dust with flour).

7. Spread filling over dough.

8. Add 2 tbsp. oats and the butter to the reserved dough. Mix with pastry blender or fork until well mixed. Pastry blenders look like brass knuckles. They are SUPer important when cutting in butter to flour mixtures if making pie dough, biscuits or scones. Less important here. You could easily use a fork.

9. Place small pieces of mixture evenly over the filling.

10.       Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden and firm. Cool completely, about 1 hour. We cooled ours for about five minutes in the fridge. They were cut-able, no prob.

Healthy and fabulous.. a lovely combo. These would be great for healthy kids’ snacks! They would store well at room temp. for several days, as long as they’re kept air tight.