finding that thing called common ground.

 
so.....
as many of you know i love to bake. L O V E  I T.
don't love the calories so much...but i love to create and see what comes of it.
there is only one problem - and that's the people i bake for.
around here we have one that will eat most things, one that will eat almost nothing and two that will eat everything.
if it has berries or apples - just for the husband and me. do you know how many things i have wanted to make like this but couldn't bring myself to knowing us two would have to polish it off???
with nuts...maybe coop will partake - aydan, no way.

but then i made this.
and i got a yum from her lips. A YUM!!!
i almost fainted.
no. joking.

so i made it again. and another yum came out of those rosy puckers.
sometimes you luck out the first time - like spotting a shooting star. but round two usually you get a strike out.
and i got ANOTHER hit!!!!
i found a common ground that doesn't feel like you are eating a generic child's sweet. score.

so happy about that. so happy.
and now i want to share it with you.
i hope you get a yum as well.

my instagram teaser photo.

oatmeal peanut butter chocolate toffee bar
adapted from marta writes

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups dark or semisweet chocolate chips
a scant 1/2 cup skor toffee baking pieces (or in he states - Hershey's Heath brand)

Heat the oven to 350°. butter a 9x13 baking pan and line a strip of parchment paper so that the ends extend over the edges of the pan by at least 2 inches. butter parchment.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and egg yolk on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Add the flour, oats, and salt and beat the mixture on low until the ingredients are just blended, about 30 seconds.

Press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake the crust until it is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes (be careful not to overbake).

Remove the pan from the oven and scatter the chocolate chips evenly over the crust. Return the pan to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan again and, using a small offset spatula, spread the chocolate evenly over the crust.

Sprinkle the toffee pieces over the chocolate, gently pressing them into place with the back of a large spoon. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool until the chocolate has set, about 2 hours. Using the tip of a knife or offset spatula gently loosen the chocolate from the pan and grab the edges of the parchment  , lift the dessert from the pan, then cut it into squares. For maximum freshness, store the bars in the refrigerator.