Part of the oat-crumb mixture for these cookie bars is pressed into a baking pan, topped with a creamy chocolate filling and sprinkled with the remaining oat-crumb mixture and then baked.

Chocolate Filled Nutty Oatmeal Bars

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups quick oats
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts - divided use

Chocolate Filling:

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
3. Stir together oats, flour, baking soda, salt and 1 cup walnuts; gradually stir into butter mixture with spoon. (Dough will be thick.) Set aside 2 cups dough.
4. Press remaining dough evenly onto bottom of ungreased 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly roll pan.
5. Prepare Chocolate Filling: Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in cocoa and sugar. Add sweetened condensed milk; cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thick. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and spread evenly over dough.
6. Crumble reserved dough evenly over filling. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup walnuts.
7. Bake 25 minutes or until top is golden brown (chocolate will be soft). Cool completely in pan on wire rack; cut into bars.

Makes about 4 dozen bars.