Lord's a Leaping

When you think of a lord, which country do you think of? I think of Scotland where there are tons of gorgeous old castles and lords living in them.

And when you think of Scotland, what food do you think of? I think of oatmeal, hearty and strong oatmeal. 

When you see the cookie that that the tenth day of Christmas has brought, along with ten lord's a leaping, you may think that I took a leap in the dark when I selected it. But I think that these cookie bars will more likely leap into your mouth. They aren't my mom and Luke's favourite Christmas treats for nothing. :)

Yuletide Toffee Squares - makes 2 - 4 dozen bars, depending on how large you cut the slices

4 1/2 cups oats

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup honey

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

2/3 cup chopped walnuts 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine oats, sugar, honey, vanilla, butter, and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Press the mixture onto the cookie sheet in an even layer.

3. Bake for 10-14 minutes or until the cookie bars are a golden brown. Let cool.

4. Combine shortening and chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave for two minute increments until the chocolate is melted, stirring every two minutes.

5. Spread the chocolate on the baked oats in an even layer and immediately top with chopped walnuts. Chill the entire tray in your fridge until the chocolate has hardened.

6. When the chocolate is hardened, lift the parchment paper onto a cutting board and cut the cookie bars into bite sized pieces. Enjoy!

The original recipe my mom uses has 3/4 cup corn syrup in place of the honey, but I am a honey fan so I've replaced it. Honey is a little sweeter than corn syrup, so I've used a little less. Either way, the dessert is a winner and I'm glad the tenth day of Christmas is letting me enjoy them today!