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What Makes Five-Star Bars Worth the Hype? A Rich Layered Cookie Bar Recipe

Five-Star Bars

A rich layered cookie bar made with a buttery brown-sugar oat base, semisweet chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and chopped nuts. The bars bake in one pan and firm as they cool for clean, satisfying slices.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Base
  • 1 cup Unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup Packed light brown sugar
  • 1 Large egg
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 2 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 cup Quick-cooking oats
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
Topping
  • 1 cup Semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 14-ounce can Sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup Chopped walnuts or pecans

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
  2. Cream the softened butter and packed light brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, quick-cooking oats, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture until a soft dough forms.
  4. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan, taking the mixture all the way into the corners.
  5. Sprinkle the semisweet chocolate chips and chopped walnuts or pecans over the dough. Pour the sweetened condensed milk slowly across the surface in thin zigzags.
  6. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until the edges are golden and the center is set.
  7. Cool the bars completely in the pan before cutting. For especially clean slices, chill them briefly after cooling.

Notes

Use quick-cooking oats for a cohesive base rather than old-fashioned oats. Let the bars cool for 1-2 hours before slicing because the condensed-milk layer firms as it cools. Store covered at room temperature for a short period or refrigerate for firmer bars.