When I was little, my mom kept things pretty healthy around our house. We weren't allowed to eat things that we got to have at our friend's houses. I was obsessed with Tang and Sunny Delight until I tasted them, and I vividly remember asking for Apple Jacks for breakfast at my friend's house one morning, taking one bite, and realizing that this was not the stuff of my dreams. My friend's very nice and patient mother quickly realized this and gave me a bowl of Raisin Bran instead. We were only allowed to have candy in our Easter baskets and Halloween pumpkin buckets, other than those occasions you didn't find candy in our house. Of course, when I was little I thought I was an extremely deprived child. I could never, ever understand why I didn't get Hostess cupcakes in my lunch like other kids did. Now, however, I realize just what sort of a good job my mom did. We had dessert, it's just that our desserts weren't featured on Saturday morning commercials in between cartoons. These chocolate oatmeal "almost" candy bars seem like a dessert that my mom would have made and we would have devoured. And, yes, I would still have thought myself a deprived child because it wasn't a real candy bar . . . my poor mother. It's a wonder she still likes me.
I thought these bars were really quite simple to put together; yes, there are a few dirty dishes but nothing major. In my head, I have decided that 9x13" pans are most definitely not for singletons, at least they're not for
this Singleton, so I made half of the recipe in an 8x8" pan. I kept the peanuts in all layers and left the raisins out of the chocolate layer. And, let me just tell you, these are some seriously tasty bars. I wasn't excited at all about making them. I thought they were going to be crisp and really, really sweet. I was so wrong. The oatmeal layer and the peanuts really balance out the sweetness of the chocolate, and these bars are such a good, chewy treat. I loved them, and I ate way too many of these little squares! I'd have a little square, and then another little square . . . these "almost" candy bars are probably one of my favorite TWD's to date. I will definitely make them again, but only when I know that I'm going to get rid of these treats before I can devour them right away. Thank you, Lillian, for choosing such a wonderful recipe this week. You can head over to her blog,
Confectiona's Realm, if you'd like the recipe.
27 comments:
These were fabulous.
I would imagine that they freeze well, I didn't bother, because they were gone...GONE...so quickly.
I put peanut butter chips in the topping, and didn't add the cinnamon..
Blech on the raisins.
Yours look really special. These are nice to serve. They have the "eat me" look.
My new favorite too! I love them! Im glad you enjoyed them too. Yours look a lot like mine!
Indeed, these are addictive little suckers!! I also halved the recipe (got 36 squares) had two, then had an epiphany: MUST GET THEM OUT OF THE HOUSE!
I also grew up being the kid with an apple in her lunch rather than the neat-o bag of oreos or candies. I think I'm making up for lost time ;)
My bars are sitting in my freezer until I can figure out what to do with them. I feel like they are taunting me! Your bars looks fantastic!
I love the story of your growing up and how you realized that all those "treats" weren't really that great.
We ate Shredded Wheat regularly as kids, so I kinda understand. :)
Glad that you loved these! They look perfecT!
I was surprised too that they weren't overly sweet. We all loved them! Thanks for baking along with me this week.
I had the same mom. No hostess cupcakes for us. Your bars look yummy and I'm glad you liked them so much.
We weren't allowed to have candy, soda, or store bought desserts either. My mom made just about everything!
Of course, once you try that stuff you realize it's no good anyway!
Love the story... and I love your bars (so much chocolate, it's beautiful!)! :)
I loved these!! Too much! :) Yours look perfect!
These bars are sooo good and very addictive. Yours look great.
What a great mom you have :) And your bars look fantastic.
Yours look perfect. I loved hearing about your childhood and the great deprivations involved in all that...that's probably why you like sweets and appreciate them now. The guys inhaled them here and are after me to make more of them already.
My mom was similar with store-bought treats. I was about 8 the first time I had an entire candy bar, not just a Halloween fun-size one.
Your bars look terrific and I'm glad you found a favorite.
How strange - I've been eating raisin bran for dessert the last few nights.. but I didn't like these bars with raisins.. go figure! At any rate - they're GREAT looking - and trust me - I've frozen them.... they freeze quite well!
Your bars look great! I love your description of wanting to try things and then realizing that they weren't that great after all. I can remember a few experiences like that. I actually do like Tang, though. =) My mom made lots of things that I didn't appreciate nearly enough when I was younger.
Those are beautiful bars. My mom was a little like yours too - no sugar cereals, no Kraft m&c or Ragu or any of that. But she didn't bake, so we did get Hostess snacks in our lunches...go figure!
So glad you loved these so much! Just like you, my parents didn't allow us to have candy or sugar cereals growing up. My friends all loved fruit loops and my favorite cereal was Crispix!
Great job only baking 1/2 the recipe. Wished I had thought of that. I loved what you said about growing up and what was not allowed for food in the house. My own home was the same way. Later in life, I apoligized to my Mom for being such a royal whiner for not getting store bought Wonder bread and my cereal I was dying to try was called Sugar Pops. I think the cereal is not called Corn Pops, or something. Yay for Moms and their love for their daughters!
The bars were delicious, weren't they? Your bars look perfect!
I think your mom did a great job! My mom tried to do that to me as well, but I found a way around it. And I loved all of that sugary, sweet stuff. It was awful! Haha! The bars look great!
I ate this entire batch, and now I cannot fit into my britches. It was worth it.
I bet your mom loves that you appreciate all of her struggles to provide you with good food! It's funny how we long for something we don't have and the reality is often eclipsed by the longing. Your bars look PERFECT! I love how you did the topping with some chocolate showing. Reading your post makes me want to rush back to the kitchen to make them again, without the raisins this time.
These were so awesome! My grandma made some bars that were similar to these and they were one of my favorites. I ate my share of junk food as a kid, but the homemade was always better.
Oh, yes, good. I thot they were a little sweet, but the guys liked. My little sliver was just fine.
Your bars look great- I loved these too! My childhood sounds extremely similar to yours- like almost identical! My mom never bought junk- I remember begging for a frozen kids meal dinner thing and finally one night when we had a babysitter my mom finally bought one for me- it was inedible!
The grass is always greener, right? I did have those prepackaged treats as a kid and I'm sure I wished for more homemade ones! These were a bit rich for me, but sounds like they were a big hit at your house.
Great photos too!
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