Chocolate Almond Revel Bars

For weeks I've been thinking about making these bars.  Finally I've convinced myself to go ahead and make them, calories and all.  I decided to customize the recipe to make them richer and to give another dimension of flavor.  They are fabulous!

Recipe:

1 stick + 5 tablespoons butter {recipe calls for 2 sticks, minus 2 tablespoons)

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1-1/2 cups wheat pastry flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1/2 cup bitter-sweet chocolate pieces

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2 tsp vanilla

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on high for 30 seconds, then add brown sugar and baking soda.  Beat until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.  Beat eggs and vanilla.  Mix in flour then stir in the rolled oats.

For the filling, combine almond butter, sweetened condensed milk and chocolate pieces in a small saucepan, over low heat, stirring until melted.  Stir in vanilla and almonds.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Press two-thirds of the cookie dough into an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking sheet. 

 

Spread the chocolate filling over the cookie dough.

Sprinkle the remaining dough over the chocolate filling.

Bake for 25 minutes-- the top will be lightly brown and the chocolate will look moist.

Cool on a wire rack and cut into bars.

{Customized from "Chocolate Revel Bars." Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. Des Moines, IA: Meredith Corporations, 2002. 12th ed. 207.}