Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars

Name: Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 1 9 x 13 inch pan, 36 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups quick-cooking oats; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks, each stick cut into 8 pieces); 3/4 cup butterscotch chips; 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 large egg; 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar; 1 tablespoon water; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 1/4 cup butterscotch chips

Submitted by senseicheryl

"This recipe was featured in an email from Cooks Illustrated: "Most recipes for this bake-sale favorite combine oatmeal cookie dough with a bag of butterscotch chips. We found these versions far too sweet, and we wanted a chewier, less crumbly texture. Most of us also objected to the unnatural taste of the chips. Here’s what we discovered: Test Kitchen Discoveries Melting the butterscotch chips before whisking them into the dough helps eliminate their unnatural flavor. To combat the sweetness of the butterscotch chips, we used less sugar. Melting the butter (instead of creaming it, as most cookie recipes require) produced a chewy texture."

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Ready In:: 40mins
Ingredients:: 13
Yields:: 1 9 x 13 inch pan
Serves:: 36

ingredients

For the Bars
1 ¹⁄₄ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks, each stick cut into 8 pieces)
³⁄₄ cup butterscotch chips
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
For the Glaze
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ cup butterscotch chips

directions

For the bars: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13 by 9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving overhang on all sides.
Mix flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl until combined. Heat butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat until nutty brown in color, about 12 minutes. Pour hot butter over butterscotch chips in large bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in brown sugar until dissolved, then whisk in vanilla and egg until combined. Stir in flour mixture in two additions until combined.
Spread mixture into prepared pan and bake until edges are golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 17 to 19 minutes. Transfer pan to wire rack.
For the glaze: Bring brown sugar, water, and salt to simmer in small saucepan. Pour hot sugar mixture over butterscotch chips in small bowl, whisking until smooth. Drizzle glaze over warm bars and cool on rack until warm to touch, about 1 1/2 hours.
Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and cool completely on rack, about 30 minutes. Cut into bars and serve. (Bars will keep in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.).