chocolate oat bars

these delicious and messy little bars come from one of my favorite places for baking recipes, "America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book."  i recommend this book (as well as the original "America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook") to people all of the time.  i wonder if i can convince someone to give me a commission?   the recipes are clear and well-developed.  and even when the recipes have a lot of steps, they're easy to follow and have a sound rational.  this recipe is very easy, my only problem is remembering to leave enough time for the crust to cool before adding the filling...which means i invited myself to complete the baking at jj's apt last night.  like a good guest always does.  i had odin assist with the measuring and whisking portion of the baking:

and then he got really into it, thompson-style concentration with mouth open:

let's face it, those were just opportunities for me to take pictures of odin and put them somewhere.

the bars: crust of oats, brown sugar, butter.  filling is lots of dark dark chocolate and sugar and a little salt (salty chocolate is so good!).  and more oats and such on top.   

i've apparently made these before, because in my cookbook i've written "very good!" and they were.  good thing i've already got the note there, because i'll most certainly forget i've made them again.