Butterscotch Bars

A small square of these rich bars is enough to satisfy a dessert craving. The flour and oats mixture is somewhat dry after combining, but it serves as both a solid base for the soft butterscotch chip layer and a crumbly, streusel-like topping.

Yield: 36 servings (serving size: 1 bar)

Ingredients

• 1  cup  packed brown sugar
• 5  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• 9  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
• 2 1/2  cups  quick-cooking oats
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• Cooking spray
• 3/4  cup  fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/4  cups  butterscotch morsels (about 8 ounces)
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped walnuts, toasted

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in vanilla and egg. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a bowl. Add oat mixture to sugar mixture; stir with a fork until combined (mixture will be crumbly). Place 3 cups oat mixture into the bottom of a 13 x 9–inch baking pan coated with cooking spray; press into bottom of pan. Set aside.

3. Place sweetened condensed milk, butterscotch morsels, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until butterscotch morsels melt, stirring every 20 seconds. Stir in walnuts. Scrape mixture into pan, spreading evenly over crust. Sprinkle evenly with remaining oat mixture, gently pressing into butterscotch mixture. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Place pan on a cooling rack; run a knife around outside edge. Cool completely.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

148

Fat:

5.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 0.9g,poly 1.1g)

Protein:

2.6g

Carbohydrate:

23.4g

Fiber:

0.8g

Cholesterol:

11mg

Iron:

0.8mg

Sodium:

87mg

Calcium:

31mg