Disaster (Waiting to Happen) Bars

I have been putting a lot of thought into the next mail order treat that I was going to make, and since I can't afford to send things overnight, I have to come up with things that will ship well and stay delicious for 3-5 days. I thought these layer cookie bars may be the answer.......with the only dry ingredients being crushed up nilla wafers and cocoa and everything soaked in sweetened condensed milk, these may be a bit over board (I am trying to avoid using the word moist, because I hate it, but the more I bake the more I realize I may have to come to terms with the word. If anyone has a good synonym please let me know). I have named them 'Disaster Waiting to Happen Bars' because I figure one of three things will happen.

1. They will arrive in perfect condition and be delicious

2. They will meld into giant bars that will still be delicious but only edible by eating out of the container with a fork.

3. A goopy disaster will arrive that could only be served as perhaps an ice cream topping at your own risk.

After getting rave reviews on my 'skilz' from the Bike and Build crew I am slightly nervous to send such a questionable goodie, but it's really the thought that counts, And how picky can people be that are biking 90 miles a day and building houses on their days off?

I will have to update you all on how these bars arrive. However, if I wasn't shipping them I would just rate them as a darn right tasty treat.

Ingredients:

-3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
-1-3/4 cups nilla wafer crumbs
-6 tablespoons cocoa
-1/4 cup sugar
-1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
-1 cup dark chocolate chips

-3/4 cup toffee bits
-1 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in 13x9x2-inch baking pan in oven. Combine crumbs, cocoa and sugar; sprinkle over butter.

2. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly on top of crumb mixture. Top with chocolate chips and toffee bits; press down firmly.

3. Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows on top, Bake additional 5-6 minutes. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

butterscotch, toffee, name for favorite add-in, oatmeal cookies

I'm starting to get really excited any time I have an actual event to bake for. I think the initial appeal of having a baker around is wearing on my roommates and co-workers....we do have waistlines to watch afterall. Last night I went to see the Gipsy Kings with a group of friends/co-workers at Ravinia, so I of course offered to bring a dessert to share, along with the veggies and hummus, but I got too lazy to make home-made hummus, so nothing to blog about there. Oatmeal butterscotch cookies always tend to be a crowd pleaser, so I decided to make half the batch with butterscotch and then mix it up at make the other half with toffee chips. The butterscotch were the clear winner. I think I can improve upon the toffee by mixing in some chocolate chips too, they were good, not great and I just can't be going around passing out less than great baked goods. I find the recipe on the inside cover of quaker oats oatmeal to be the best, however, these cookies tend to spread a little too much for my liking so I might think of decreasing the butter by a bit the next time I make them.

Ingredients:
-1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
-1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-2 eggs
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-3 cups oats
-1 cup butterscotch, toffee, chocolate chips, raisins (whatever you think would be delicous)

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F
2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy
3. Add eggs and vanilla
4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well
5. Stir in oats and butterscotch until well combined
6. Drop rounded tablespoon fulls on ungreased cookie sheets
7. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown
8. Cool 1-2 minutes on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack