I had always been of the mindset that there should be no decking the halls before Thanksgiving and that ban included fa-la-la-ing. As a die hard band mom, I had to eat my words today because there was no way that I was not going to freeze my tush in low 20 degree weather and cheer them on during our city’s Christmas parade. No siree. I pulled on a fuzzy Santa hat, burrowed my nose in my jacked, and enjoyed every note those 270 kids played. Who, by the way, appeared to have bought Goodwill out of every ugly Christmas sweater in the metropolitan area.
The photo above does not capture some of the fashion highlights that included a lead trumpeter doubling as an elf complete with bright green leotards or the bearded Junior playing a snare drum and wearing a ladies cardigan sweater with two large white cats adorning each side pocket. The winner, however, was a young clarinetist who donned a large, ornate sombrero with bright red bulb ornaments dangling around the perimeter. The sun was shining brightly and the wind was frigid but I relished every moment.
Last week was the jazz concert and I had a heavy heart sitting in the audience knowing there’s only one jazz concert left before the end of the school year and my Senior will be moving on in life. I was relieved to hear other parents sharing the same sentiments and blinking quickly to stop any forming waterworks.
Cheesy? Yeah, I know. Enough nostalgia and on to sweets!
As I may have mentioned, I enjoy baking for the band. For this latest concert donation I decided to bake an oldie but goodie recipe from the very first cookbook I received. You know, the red and white plaid binder. The one and only Better Homes and Garden’s New Cook Book circa 1989.
Chocolate revel bars are a sturdy cookie. A hearty oatmeal base with a gooey chocolate center made from semisweet chocolate, butter, and sweetened condensed milk, and then topped with more oatmeal cookie crumbles.
If you’re looking for a bar cookie that’s not overly sweet, chocolate revel bars are a winner. The freeze well, feed a crowd, and lend themselves to variation such as the addition of peanut butter in the cookie base or swapping butterscotch chips for semisweet in the filling. There are many possibilities all of which are sure to add a sweet note to any occasion.
Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. 🙂
- 1 cup butter
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 14-ouce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- Beat butter until fluffy.
- Add about half of the flour, the brown sugar, baking soda, eggs and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla and beat well.
- Add remaining flour and oats and mix until combined.
- In a medium saucepan, combine chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter or margarine and the remaining 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Cook over low heat until smooth.
- Measure our 3⅓ cups of the oatmeal cookie mixture and press into the bottom of a 15x10-inch cookie sheet pan. Spread melted chocolate mixture over the top and dot the remaining cookie mixture on top of the chocolate.
- Bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
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