Butterscotch Bars, The Original Full Fat Version!

1 cup margarine

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 cups quick cooking oatmeal

2 cups flour

Filling:

12 oz. butterscotch chips (about 2 cups)

1/2 tsp butterscotch flavoring (optional)

12 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I use non-fat)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 1 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350.

Melt the margarine; add brown sugar and mix well.  Then add beaten egg, vanilla and dry ingredients.  Mix with a fork; pat half of the crumb mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan.

Filling:  Melt the chips, condensed milk, salt and vanilla over low heat (I carefully melt them in the microwave, stirring when half melted), and add the nuts.  Pour the butterscotch mixture over the crumbs; top with remaining crumb mixture.  

Bake in 350 oven for 30-35 minutes, until bubbly on the edges and golden brown.  Cool and cut into squares.

Makes about 40 luscious bars.  They freeze well and are a great treat to have on hand.  When the family visits I keep a box of these on the countertop and a batch disappears in a weekend!

This is a rich recipe and I sent it to Cooking Light magazine for its Lighten Up makeover in 2009.  The recipe was selected for publication and they decreased the fat and calories with the result being a more crunchy texture.  Our family still gives rave reviews for this “full fat” recipe that came from my mother.

The original recipe was for Fudge Filled Cooky Bars and you can substitute chocolate chips for the butterscotch chips and it is also very good.