On The Menu: Oatmeal Cookie Bars

I love cookies but I am usually too impatient to scoop out the dough into individual servings and bake pan after pan of cookies. It just seems to take forever before baking the recipe is finished and I can sit down with with a glass of cold milk to enjoy warm, freshly baked cookies. For these reasons I tend to bake a lot of cookie bars. The recipes are usually very easy to make and everything gets finished with one batch in the oven.

A couple weeks ago we had a few days of very cool weather and I thought that there would be no better way to celebrate than with a recipe that makes me think of fall. All of the spices in this recipe will have your entire house smelling amazing. Plus, with these Oatmeal Cook Bars being chock-full of of oats, raisins, walnuts it is almost easy to pretend they are healthy.

P.S. Another must bake cookie bar is Monster Cookie Bars.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup all-vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

Glaze:
1/2 cup butter
3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
Garnish with chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13x9 inch baking pan with foil, letting excess extend over the sides of the pan; spray foil with baking spray with flour.
2. For batter: In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening, and brown sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.
3. In another large bowl, sift together flour and next 8 ingredients. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in oats, walnuts, and raisins. Spread batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, for glaze. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until butter is golden brown. Remove from heat, and whisk in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture can be drizzled.
6. Using excess foil as handles, remove from pan, and cut into bars. Drizzle warm glaze onto warm bars, and garnish with walnuts. Let cool completely. Store in airtight containers for up to 2 days.