Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies

I had an interesting work week.  Of the 25 people with whom I usually work, there were no more than 3 to 4 people in the office on any given day.  My boss was out everyday. 

The first day I came back, I was the only person in my corner of the building.  It's never a rowdy environment, but I could have heard a pin drop.  

I had finished an assignment just prior to the Christmas holidays so I didn't have that much to do either.  I reviewed some things and did some background for a possible future assignment, but I had way to much time on my hands.  

Often when I'm unoccupied at work, I buy stuff on Amazon.  This week I bought a new book and a cake pan.  

I also had more than enough time to go to the gym at lunchtime every day this week.  Maybe I was able to burn some of the calories from these cookies.

I often made these cookies growing up.  I don't know when the recipe came from, but it is in my mother's wooden recipe box.  I made them over the Christmas holiday while I was at home.  They were just at delicious and familiar as I remember.

The ingredients are 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 butter butter or margarine, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 cups flour, 3 cups oatmeal, 1 cup nuts, and 1 cup chocolate chips.

I creamed together the butter and sugars.

I added the eggs one at a time and mixed well after each egg.

I added the vanilla, salt, and baking soda.

I mixed in the flour.

I stirred the oatmeal into the batter.

I added the chocolate chips and nuts into the cookie batter.  I used walnuts.

I pressed the dough into a sheet pan with edges.  It seemed like the dough wasn't going to cover the entire pan, but I just kept pressing it out.  It fits.

I baked the cookies for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I let the bars cool completely before cutting them into squares.

They are hearty bars full of oatmeal and crunchy nuts and chocolate.  

They are chewy and sweet.  Even though the ingredients are common, they bake into an uncommonly delicious cookie.

 I have made and eaten these cookies so many times.  I remember pushing the dough out in the pan and being warned not to eat too much of the dough.  They are nostalgic for me.

 Another perk about this cookies is you don't have to scoop out the dough and bake it multiple times.  Bars are the perfect cookie when you're feeling lazy.

I hope you have had a great start to the new year.  You can make it even better by making these delicious cookies!