Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

I make way too many desserts. They are one of the most enjoyable things to bake and inevitably get more compliments than anything else I cook. But since I make dessert so often, and have many specialties, I am very discriminating when it comes to trying new ones. I search and search through many recipes before I find one that looks like it will measure up to the tried and true classics. Here is one that I had never made or eaten. It tasted great.

2 cups quick oats
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1 12-oz package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces (I used milk chocolate chips)
1 beaten egg
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

For crumb mixture, in a large mixing bowl combine rolled oats, brown sugar, flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in butter while mixing until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.

For topping, combine 1 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture and the chocolate chips. Set aside.

For crust, stir the egg into remaining crumb mixture. Press into bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1" pan (I just used a regular 13x9" pan). Bake at 350º for 15 minutes.

For filling, stir together sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter till well combined. Pour filling evenly over partially baked crust. Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Bake for 12-15 minutes more or till lightly browned around the edges. Cool completely and cut into bars.