Source: https://ohioeggs.com/recipes/buckeye-oatmeal-bars/
Buckeye Oatmeal Bars
Cheer on the Buckeyes to sweet victory with one-of-a-kind Buckeye Oatmeal Bars by Ohio food blogger Tastes of Lizzy T’s.
Ingredients
Oatmeal Bars
Directions
Oatmeal Bars
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl for a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars.
- Add the egg, peanut butter, salt and vanilla. Mix well.
- Stir in the flour, baking soda and oats. Mix just until combined.
- Spread in an 8x8 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.*
- Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes.
- Allow the bars to cool. After the bars have cooled to room temperature, spread ¾ cup creamy peanut butter overtop the oatmeal bars.
Ganache
- Pour 1 1/2 cups water in the bottom pan of a double boiler and heat over medium-low heat.
- Place the heavy whipping cream in the top pan of the double boiler.
- Heat the heavy whipping cream until it is hot and steaming, but not boiling.
- Remove the top portion of the double boiler from the heat and place it on a hot pad.
- Add the chocolate chips.
- Cover the pan with a plate and let it sit for 2 minutes.
- Remove the plate and stir the chocolate for 1-2 minutes or until it is smooth and shiny.
- Allow the ganache to sit for 3-5 minutes to cool just a bit.
- Using a rubber spatula, spread the ganache overtop the peanut butter in a smooth layer.
- Garnish the top with buckeyes while the chocolate is still wet if you desire the buckeyes to stick on the bars.
- Cut into 9 bars and store in an airtight container.
Notes
*If you’d like to easily remove the bars from the baking pan to cut clean squares, first line the 8x8 pan with a piece parchment paper large enough to cover the bottom and hang over the sides of the pan about 1 inch. Then press the dough onto the parchment paper and bake as described. I like to remove the bars from the pan before I add the peanut butter and ganache toppings. This allows me to get the toppings all the way to the edges and cut the bars evenly.
**You can also make ganache in the microwave. Simply warm the heavy whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl, 20 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval, until the cream is hot but not boiling. Then add the chocolate chips and cover with a plate. Continue as described above.
***This amount of chocolate chips and cream makes a thick layer of ganache for the tops of the bars. If you’d like a thinner layer, simply use 1/4 cup heavy cream and 1 cup of chocolate chips.