My medical school has a tradition, where a first-year student (the “little”) is paired with a second-year student (the “big”). Last year, I had my little and grand-little over for dinner. I made The King’s Butter Chicken, The King’s Garlic Naan, and a coconut cream pie (stay tuned for this recipe). We had such a blast that we decided to continue the tradition this year with the latest addition to our family! So my grand-little, now an M2 (second-year student), hosted and made another recipe from my blog (Shrimp Scampi) and I volunteered to bring dessert. Now, even though I’m supposed to be reveling in the M4 bliss that we have heard so much about since we were little M1s, I have managed to keep myself pretty busy. Therefore, I needed to think of a dessert that would be quick to make without sacrificing any indulgence. That’s when I settled on making Mom’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars.

Since high school, these have consistently been a favorite among my swim and water polo teammates and friends at all levels of my education. They were liked so much by one of my graduate school classmates that she started requesting them whenever we planned to have a potluck. Even after I had moved away to Orlando, she joked that she was missing these bars, so I sent her some when I mailed some Disney movies to her daughters. She was thrilled! It is probably one of the most requested recipes from our family’s collection.

I have also found that they make for an excellent base to an ice cream sundae or simply a la mode. The reason I think this works is that the ice cream cools down the chocolate chips, giving you a nice bite that contrasts well with the chewy oatmeal bar. So I served them for our med school family dinner a la mode. As usual, they were a big hit. For the first time though, I was asked not to share the recipe. My great grand-little told me that she couldn’t trust herself with the recipe, because she liked them so much she would be making them round the clock.

Mom’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

These are great, because people go crazy for them and they are so unbelievably easy to make. I usually make these when I want to make a treat, but don’t have time to do all the scooping for cookies and baking multiple batches. Simply spread it out on a sheet and bake. The key is to not overbake them. When you remove them, they may not look like they are baked completely, but trust me, they will continue to bake while they are cooling and this will ensure you have incredibly moist bars. Always a crowd pleaser.

• 1 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 tablespoons Grandma’s® Original Molasses
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 3 cups quick oats
• 12 ounces chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and dark brown sugar. Reserve the butter wrappers for greasing your pan. Add the molasses, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients: baking soda, and flour; mixing to combine. Next add the quick oats, 1 cup at a time, mixing between each cup. Add the chocolate chips and mix. If using the walnuts, mix these in with the chocolate chips. Use the butter wrappers to grease a 9×13-inch pan. Using a rubber spatula, scrape all dough out of the bowl onto the baking pan. Using the rubber spatula or an offset spatula spread the dough to the edges of the pan and level it out. Bake for 10-12 minutes; the edges should look done and the middle should have a thin crust on top but still wiggle the pan is agitated. Let cool completely before cutting into bars. I tend to store these in the fridge, because I like them served cold, but storing at room temperature is fine too. I guarantee they won’t last long, because they’ll be gobbled up pretty quickly.

The King’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar Sundaes

Everything is better with ice cream! This is a great way to take a simple bar and turn it into a quick and delicious dessert.

• 1 Mom’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar
• 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
• Drizzle of hot fudge
• Any other toppings you desire

Place an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar in your bowl and microwave for 10 seconds. Top with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of hot fudge and any other toppings you can dream up. Not a fan of vanilla? Substitute your favorite ice cream flavor and toppings. As with any sundae, you are only limited by your imagination! Have fun and enjoy!