It’s a dark, rainy Friday, the kind of day that just screams “crawl back into bed and curl up with a good book (or movie).” And you know what? I just might at some point.
I’ve got a few books on my plate right now I’m itching to start: The Kitchen House, which I believe was a recommendation I saw on Aggie’s site, and Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, the same author who wrote Gone Girl. I think this is the 3rd or 4th time I’ve borrowed Dark Places from my library’s e-book lending system and I am determined to actually get through it this time! Just last week I devoured Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) in two days. Super quick and easy read, and really funny – if you’re a fan of Mindy’s shows you’ll love it.
What are you guys reading this summer? Any can’t-miss recommendations?
Rainy days are also good for baking, especially when the temperatures are as cool as they are right now. Yesterday I had to wear a jacket when I went out to run errands. A jacket, in the middle of July! Crazy!
If you’re looking for a baking project this weekend, let me suggest these skinny oatmeal fudge bars. Project isn’t even the right word because there’s nothing difficult or time-consuming about them. Super fudgy and chocolatey with a crisp crust and streusel topping, they’re more than a little addictive.
And that’s ok because they’re skinny! Well, sort of – at 160 calories per bar, they’re at least lighter than traditional oatmeal fudge bars, which come in at about 260 calories. Marshmallows in the filling are the trick: they replace the butter, sugar and eggs, keeping the texture fudgy and adding sweetness without tons of calories or fat. If you didn’t know, you’d never guess these oatmeal fudge bars were light or skinny, they’re just plain good!
Happy Friday! π
Skinny Oatmeal Fudge Bars
from Comfort Food Makeovers by America’s Test Kitchen
Crust/Topping
1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz) quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup packed (2 1/3 oz) light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Filling
1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
4 oz (2 cups) marshmallows
1/4 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on opposite sides to lift the bars out after baking. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
To make the crust: Whisk the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter and stir until combined. Remove 1/4 cup of this crust mixture to a small bowl and set aside to use for the topping. Transfer the remaining crust mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer (it’ll be thin) to form the crust. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the crust has started to brown and is fragrant. Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the crust cool for at least 15 minutes.
To make the filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, espresso powder, and salt. Add the chocolate chips, marshmallows, and milk to a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave in 30-second bursts on 50% power, stirring in between each, until the chocolate and marshmallows have melted, and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool for a few minutes, then add the vanilla and the flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
Spread the filling over the crust in an even layer. Sprinkle the reserved crust mixture over the top. Spray the tops of the bars very lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are set – the center may be slightly soft, that’s ok.
Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the bars cool completely. Use the foil “handles” to lift the bars from the pan and cut into squares for serving.
These sound heavenly! I love these!
Reading…Im just finishing the Crossfire Series…think 50 Shades of Gray-esque! hah But Im almost done the last book, so Ill have to check out some of your reccs!
I made these a few months ago when I received the book. GREAT for chocolate lovers! And this book is phenomenal. There are so many cookbooks out there, but this one is worth it.
Rainy days are the best for watching a good movie or doing lots of baking!! Actually sounds kind of nice!!
These are some awesome looking bars, Tracey. Plus, I love anything with oatmeal and fudge!! These look delicious!
Totally want one of these! I’m totally sick of this crappy weather. Where did summer go?!
These look fantastic! Love that they are a slightly skinner version π
YUM!!!!! these definitely look right up my alley. I think I need to take a peek into this book π
So it’s currently raining and I feel like crawling back in bed with these and my favorite book now. Thanks for planning my day ha ha.
I definitely have to jot some of those books down! I LOVED Gone Girl…ending caught me off guard, but the rest of the book was fabulous! I’m reading the 5th Game of Thrones book now and A Fault in our Stars (teen book) by John Greene and both are great! Also, these bars look soooo fabulous! Lovely recipe, friend!
What a great treat to enjoy while watching a movie or cuddled up on the couch with a book. I have had Gone Girl on my list of books to read for a long time, but right now I need to spend more time writing than reading! Unless they are research papers haha.
Check out “The Other Typist.” Very good, intriguing and well-written. “Gone Girl” came up several times during the discussion, so if you liked that one you’ll enjoy this.
I wish I had time to read. My reading list just keeps building up. I just finished reading Cloud Atlas and it made me really sad that it took me six months to get that done. I’d eat these bars any time, though. They look yummy.
hmmmm marshmallows to cut calories you say? I could get on board this with π
These look tasty, plus a good excuse to buy some marshmallows to replace my dried-up ones. I loved Gone Girl and have been wanting to read Dark Places too.
Oooh, these look delicious!
Can’t help much on the books – I’ve been ready typical beach reads this summer. Light, easy on the mind, but nothing recommendation worthy π
How many squares to you cut them into in order to get that calorie count? Looks great.
I’m stuck on the second Game of Thrones book right now. I love them but I need silence to focus on them and that’s not easy to find in my house! haha
Love these bars! I need to pick up some marshmallows so I can make them!
Oh my Oh my Oh my. These will definitely be dangerous since they are lower in calories and that is what I need right now. Thanks, I think!!
I might have to make these this week – anything with skinny and fudge in the same title has my name on it!
Break me off a piece of that! Looks super delish!
I was wondering how many bars you cut it into to get the 160 calorie piece. They look great!
I would have never thought of replacing all those ingredients with marshmallows. That’s awesome! π
And this summer I’m trying to get through the entire Harry Potter series. I don’t think I’ll finish by the time school starts though. I’ve basically just started Order of the Phoenix and school starts August 21. Oh well.
I LOVE Mindy so I’ll seriously have to check out that book. And given how much I love Gone Girl..Dark Place is probably going to have to happen also.
These bars look so.fudgy.delicious. I can’t hardly take it!
@Ilene – Oooops, that would have been helpful information! Sorry – it’s 16 bars.
I want these for breakfast!
I was skeptical when I saw the title of this post. I don’t usually do “skinny,” especially when an artificial sweetener is used. I love that your replacement ingredient is marshmallow. Sugar and air is something I can support. Can’t wait to try this.
very creative use of the marshmallows. they sound yummy!