Chocolate Revel bars

My first encounter with a revel bar was at a friend's party. PURPLE OVEN's revel bar to be exact. It was an encounter that had me intrigued.

It was the blend of chocolate, oats and the fudginess of it all... 

In as much as I would like to take credit for inventing this recipe... hats off to better homes and gardens for a perfect revel bar!

Chocolate revel bar (recipe from BHG.com)

• 1 cup  butter or margarine
• 2 cups  packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons  vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon  baking soda
• 3 cups  quick-cooking rolled oats
• 114  ounce can  (1-1/4 cups) sweetened condensed milk
• 112  ounce  package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces ( I used bittersweet chopped into small pieces )
• 1 cup  chopped walnuts
• 2 teaspoons  vanilla

directions

1.Set aside 2 tablespoons of the butter or margarine. In a large mixing bowl beat the remaining butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until well mixed. Beat in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another large bowl stir together flour and baking soda; stir in oats. Gradually stir dry mixture into beaten mixture. Set aside. --- line your baking pan with wax paper or aluminum foil.

2.In a medium saucepan combine the reserved butter or margarine, the sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate pieces. Cook over low heat until chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and the 2 teaspoons vanilla.

3.Press two-thirds (about 3-1/3 cups) of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Spread chocolate mixture over the oat mixture. Using your fingers, dot remaining oat mixture over the chocolate.

4.Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist). Cool on a wire rack. Cut into 2x1-inch bars. Makes about 75 bars.

fresh from the oven

-- one thing though... I put mine in the refrigerator first before cutting. It will make your life easier... 

It's pretty hard to cut it fresh from the oven.. although I guess you'd find it hard not to take a bite at the gooey goodness of it all.

gooey!!! yummy!!!

Try to pace yourselves folks...!! these are truly addicting and deadly. My friends were asking for MORE MORE MORE!!!...

Hope you get to baking these. Surely a winner!

* note on the chocolate pieces... I find blocks are better to work with and are easier to melt. you can buy chocolate buttons also in the supermarket--- because you'll need a kitchen scale to measure the blocks out. bittersweet, semisweet... your preference really. just don't use unsweetened.. it will be a bit more bland than usual

Usually semisweet chocolate (the ones for chocochip cookies) are harder to melt so I steer clear of them if melted chocolate is asked for