Presumption Bars

Get ready for the world to beat a path to your door.  This is, of all the recipes on this blog, the one that gets asked for the most.  Unequivocally.

Presumption Bars?  You won't find that name anywhere else, because my husband came up with it.  They were originally called "Passion Bars" by my dear friend Melanie A, but Allen kept changing the name every time he asked me to make them.

"Will you make those persnickety bars?"

"I think we should have precocious bars tonight."

"How about presumption bars for dessert?"  

And it stuck.  But these bars don't presume to be decadent and addicting---they actually are.  This recipe has what my husband refers to as "the five Mormon ingredients": butter, peanut butter, quick oats, sweetened condensed milk, and chocolate chips.  How can you go wrong if these five make up most of the dessert?  My friend Melanie made these for us when we visited her family near Memphis in 2007.  I did not leave without the recipe, and no one I make them for wants to leave without it, either.

Cut butter into oats, flour, sugar, salt, and soda until crumbly.
We've been over this, people: if a recipe calls for cutting butter
into crumblies, then it is a WINNER.

Press crumblies (reserving 1 1/2 cups) into bottom of 9x13 pan
You do not need to grease the pan.

Spread the peanut butter/sweetened condensed milk mixture over
crumbly crust, then scatter chocolate chips over top with reckless
abandon . . . er, as reckless as you can be and still have all the
chocolate chips in the pan.

I have learned to just "pour" the peanut butter layer.  It's so thick that when you try to spread it, you end up spreading the bottom layer, too.  Silicone spatulas are a must.  And they are the best all-purpose tool, anyway.  You can get this amazing five-pack for only $15--it's easily the kitchen gadget I use the most.

Top with reserved butter crumblies.

Bake at 350 till golden brown.  Let cool completely.
It's hard.
But you must.

Ooey and gooey and peanut buttery deliciousness.
Oats = healthy.  Right?

Presumption.  BOOM.

Let them cool a bit before cutting and serving.  They are good warm, but I am the only one in my family who likes them cold--like, almost frozen.  No matter the temperature, it's hard to only eat one.

Enjoy.