It’s that time again.

Holiday baking time that is.

Sugar cookies, gingersnaps, and mini-loaves of sweet breads are the usual suspects.

But we like to do things a wee bit different around here.

And–in case you do too–I thought I’d share some of our favorite holiday cookie and confection recipes.

I won’t bore you by doing them all at once though.  I thought I’d sprinkle a few into my posts over the next couple of weeks.

I hope you’ll report back if you try one of our favorites and fall in love.

Tonight?

Toffee Oatmeal Fudge Bars.

And yes.  They’re as sinful as they sound.

But Christmas goodies are guilt-free, right?

Ingredients:

1 cup softened butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup’ish (more or less according to your tastes) Heath toffee bits
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

For the gooey filling:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package chocolate chips
1/4 cups butter
2 t. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a 9×13 pan.  Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  In separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to creamed mixture.  Stir in oats and toffee bits.

In medium saucepan, mix sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and butter (you can also use a double broiler if you have one).  Heat just until chocolate is melted.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Spread 2/3 of the oat mixture into prepared pan.  It may be tough to spread, but if you grease a rubber spatula you should be able to pat it down quite nicely.  Top with fudge mixture and spread evenly.  Drop remaining oat mixture on top by spoonfuls.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting.

Dig in. :)