Shakin & Bakin Foodie Blog

Baking...it's something I'm passionate about...especially during this time of the year. The holidays are just around the corner and I've been busy baking up a variety of cookies, bars, brownies, cupcakes, pies and cakes! I bake a lot for my family and I love to give my baked goodies away.

Recently I was sent some complimentary chocolate bars from Endangered Species Chocolate and I decided to make one of their cookie recipes which I'm sharing with all of you today. I'm not a huge almond fan, so I omitted them from the recipe and the recipe still came out perfectly. It will make approximately twelve 2" square cookie bars. Also, the recipe states a baking time of 35-40 minutes...mine were done at around 28 minutes, so keep an eye on them and check on them early.
Oatmeal and Chocolate Chunk Cookie Bars Recipe

½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup white sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
½ cup uncooked oatmeal (I used Quick Oats)
½ cup almonds, coarsly choped
3 oz. (1 bar) Endangered Species Chocolate Dark Chocolate with Almonds and Cranberries (wolf), coarsely chopped into ¼ inch chunks

PREHEAT oven to 350°F.

In a medium sized bowl cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl sift together the flour, salt and uncooked oatmeal. Add this mixture to the wet mixture in your first bowl. Stir in the chopped almonds and broken pieces of chocolate. The mixture will be a little stiffer than your average cookie dough.

Lightly spray an 8" square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Pour your batter into the dish and use a flat spoon to even it out.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, until top is slightly browned. Let cool and then cut into squares. Store cookie bars in an airtight container.
If you've never tried any of the chocolates from Endangered Specials Chocolate...you're really missing out! Their chocolate has a very nice texture and taste to it. Very flavorful and delicious! They have several varieties available and my personal favorite is their natural dark chocolate with cacao nibs chocolate bar. Oh my...chocolately goodness for sure!

You can learn more about Endangered Species Chocolate by visiting the company's site online. You can get additional easy-to-prepare recipes by visiting the company's blog. All of their chocolates are natural and organic. Plus, 10% of the net profits are donated to help support species habitat and humanity. You can learn more by visiting them online.

Disclaimer: Shelly received several complimentary chocolate bars to review and use in this recipe. No monetary compensation was received.