This week's TWD selection is an oatmeal crumb bar filled with a rich chocolate fudge. It was supposed to have raisins and peanuts in it, but I'm not a big fan of peanuts, and raisins in chocolate are definitely not my thing. I've never actually been a fan of candy bars - just too much going on in them - so I thought I would really love these. I almost did.
I loved the texture - wonderfully dense from the oats, nice and crunchy on top, crispy on the edges and creamy in the center. They are rich as well as earthy, and just sweet enough - lots of people complained about them being too sweet with the addition of the raisins; yet another reason I left them out.
So, where did these bars go wrong for me? In a word, cinnamon.
As I was adding the cinnamon to the dough, I was looking forward to the addition it would make - I usually enjoy the combination of cinnamon and chocolate. However, as I took my first bite, I found the flavors to be conflicting in these bars. For some reason, they reminded me of these mesquite chocolate chip cookies (which I did not enjoy at all).
I may try these again at some point - without the cinnamon - as I think they are something I could love.
Thank you to Lillian of Confectiona's Realm for hosting this week. Take a look at her blog for the recipe.
Hey - at least you tried to make them more yours. Now you know they will be a hit the next time you make them.
ReplyDeleteI knew I wouldn't like the cinnamon, so I left it out. I'd like to try the cookie dough and just make oatmeal cookies, because it seems to be a great one. I had to steer clear of these because they are pretty darn good! I made mine with pecans and caramel, because, you know, they needed to be even richer! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that these bars were not a hit for you. I added the cinnamon to the dough but I also added lots of salted peanuts, and I think the peanuts distracted the cinnamon flavor because I didn't taste it at all. I agree with Eliana, though, if you decide to make them again, you'll have a much better idea of how to tweak them to your tastes.
ReplyDeleteThey look beautiful.
I left the cinnamon out (don't like it with chocolate) and I thought the bars were great without it. I kept the raisins (which I love, especially with chocolate). I would like to try cranberries instead sometime. I definitely think I'll be making these again. =)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jessica I used really salty peanuts and I didn't notice the cinnamon flavor. Some of the other variation of the recipe, Katrina's caramel, might work better for you.
ReplyDeleteMimi
I can't say I really noticed the cinnamon...maybe because I added the raisins? Either way, your bars look great!
ReplyDelete