Chewy Chocolate Oatmeal Fudge Bars

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line an 8-inch square pan with parchment, leaving overhang.
2. Make the oat dough: in a large bowl, whisk the melted butter with the brown sugar, then whisk in the egg and the vanilla until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the oats, the flour, the baking soda and two-thirds of the salt, then fold this into the butter mixture until no dry flour remains.
4. Press about two-thirds of the oat dough firmly into the pan; set the remaining one-third aside for the top.
5. Make the fudge filling: in a small saucepan over low heat, warm the heavy cream until steaming, then remove from heat, add the chocolate chips and the remaining one-third of the salt, let sit 2 minutes, and stir until glossy.
6. Spread the fudge filling over the pressed oat layer, leaving a small border at the edges.
7. Crumble the reserved oat dough in small pieces over the fudge, letting some chocolate peek through.
8. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the edges look set.
9. Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 1 hour so the filling firms, then lift out by the parchment and cut into 12 bars.