Crunchy Brownie Bars

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 3/4 cup flour, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 (18 ounce) package brownie mix (family size)
• 1/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 unsweetened chocolate squares
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, sift if lumpy
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 tablespoons hot water

Recipe

• 1 crunchy layer:.
• 2 combine flour, baking soda and salt. stir in oats and brown sugar. add the melted butter.
• 3 pat mixture in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking pan.
• 4 bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. at this time, the crunchy layer will not be completely baked.
• 5 brownie layer:.
• 6 while the crunchy layer is in the oven, prepare the brownies as directed on the package (either fudge or cake style). the water, oil & eggs listed with the brownie layer here were for the duncan hines fudgy brownies. adjust the ingredients to match your brownie mix.
• 7 spread batter in pan over crunchy layer after it comes out of the oven.
• 8 bake brownies for 40-45 minutes for fudgy style or 35-40 minutes for cake style. do not overbake.
• 9 frosting:.
• 10 wait to prepare frosting until brownies are cool. in a small saucepan, melt together chocolate and butter. remove from heat.
• 11 immediately add powdered sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons hot water. stir until smooth.
• 12 add remaining tablespoon of hot water to make a soft, pourable consistancy.
• 13 spread over brownies while frosting is still hot.
• 14 let set until firm. cut into bars.