Soooo … Guys … I have some news.
I am officially in the quarter finals of the Bluecat screenplay contest!!!!!!!!!
I found out last night during the Super Bowl and cried happy tears for the first time in my life, and then Coldplay started singing, so the tears kept coming. By the way, I love Coldplay and wished there was more of them during the show … but I digress.
I might only be 26 but I have worked on my writing and hoped for a moment like this for years. It was such a relief and shock and all the things. I am so grateful because it means maybe I am a good writer and I can make it. I’m still on a high today.
It’s just the first step in a lot of steps … seriously like a million, but a step in the right direction is more than I have taken in a long time.
For now, I’m going to keep writing and hope that I make the semi-finals. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!!! I declared this my year, and maybe the power of positive thinking and believing in myself (some of the time anyway) really is working.
You know what else is making this a great year, these Gluten Free Monster Cookie Bars. These are almost as good as placing in the quarter finals.
I swapped out flour for old fashioned and quick oats, added tons of peanut butter and mini Reese’s Pieces and then some carob chips. Feel free to use chocolate chips, of course.
I was a little afraid the oats wouldn’t hold together, but they totally did, and I was left with the oatmeal cookie of my dreams. It is soft and chewy and insanely gooey with an underdone center and tons of Reese’s Pieces and chips.
I highly recommend that you eat these warm or pop them in the microwave before devouring because that intensifies the gooey. Mom declared these one of the best things I’ve ever made and I have to agree. As I was cutting them up, I kept taking little samples for myself. You’ll be doing the same thing.
Gluten Free Monster Cookie Bars
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 18-24 bars 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned oats, gluten free if necessary
- 1 ½ cups quick cooking oats, gluten free if necessary
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup mini Reese’s Pieces
- 1 cup carob or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking pan and line it with parchment. Butter the parchment.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until light and fluffy. I did this by hand, but a hand or stand mixer will work as well.
- Add both kinds of oats and baking soda and stir until well incorporated. Fold in the Reese’s Pieces and chips.
- Pour into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake 30-40 minutes until puffed, golden brown and mostly set in the center. Do not cook until it is all the way set or the bars will be dry. Cool completely in the pan (or don’t 😉 ), cut into bars and serve. Bars may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or frozen, individually wrapped in parchment and foil and placed in a zipper bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the microwave about 1 minute.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
So happy for you Laura!! Sending up positive vibes for your contest. So amazing!
Thanks, Becky! We both shared big news on our blogs. Hope things work out for both of us.
Congratulations – that’s wonderful news! Fingers crossed that you make the semi-finals!
Thanks for the support, Beth!
Yippee!!! Congratulations and I will be waiting to hear the great news that you won!
Thank you, Linda! Fingers crossed.
Congrats! Hope all goes well for you!
Id love to have you check my blog out too! Its called The Whisking Bowl (www.thewhiskingbowl.com)
This recipe looks so goood!! Will have to try it out!
Thanks, Momina! I will check out your blog.
Congrats! Hope you win. Takes a while to become a writer — no matter how much talent you have, you still have to apply seat of pants to seat of chair and do the work. Anyway, what terrific cookie bars! Super recipe — thanks.
Hooray!! It’s going to be a great year for you! You are a really good writer and baker and blogger and chef and daughter and niece….
Love the Monster Cookie Bars too!!!
Awwww, thank you so much, Debbie 🙂 The nicest comment ever xo
Congratulations, your quaterfinalist, you! I can’t wait to hear what else is in store for you!
Thanks, Nikki! Hopefully much more is in store for me soon 🙂
AHHH CONGRATS! I’m totally crossing my fingers for you!!!
and awesome job with these bars! They look delish, super chewy and gooey. I’d never have guessed that they’re gluten free!
Thanks, Kayle! Yes, these bares are pretty much everything good about dessert. Love them!
Love the recipe! What’s great about them is that they are gluten free!