Oatmeal Chocolate Bar Cookies

Easy one-bowl oatmeal cookie bars with lots of chocolate chunks, very chewy and sweet. These are similar to regular chocolate-chip cookies, but baked in a sheet pan for convenience. I made these with chopped dark chocolate bars because dark chocolate is "healthier" than milk or semisweet chocolate - you can substiture one 12-ounce package of chocolate chips if you prefer

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 36

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb unsalted butter
• 1  cup  packed brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup white sugar
• 2  eggs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup flour
• 3  cups  reqular oatmeal (not instant) or 3  cups quick oatmeal (not instant)
• 10 -14  ounces dark chocolate, chopped coarsely

Directions

1. Have ready, ungreased, two 9x9" square baking pans or one 15x10" jelly-roll pan.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. In a large glass or plastic mixing bowl, soften the butter (a few seconds in the microwave); it should be very soft but not completely melted. Using a heavy spoon, beat in both sugars, then beat in the eggs until smooth. Beat in the vanilla, baking soda and salt. Mix in the flour just until combined, then stir in the oatmeal and chocolate chunks.
4. Spoon the cookie dough into ungreased baking pans. Using the back of the spoon, lightly spread the dough, leaving it a little higher at the sides and corners than in the middle. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 17-20 minutes, until set in the middle and brown around the edges. Because of the brown sugar, this cookie gets much darker than "golden brown" when it is done.
5. Cool in the pan. Cut into bars to serve. Take some to work or school to give away, because the large amount of oatmeal makes them dry out in a few days if you have leftovers.