1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and extracts, stirring until well blended. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, stirring until well blended. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Spread batter in a greased 7"x11" baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. While still warm, cut into 1"x2" bars. Cool completely in pan. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 dozen bars.

Recipe from "Tasty Holiday Gifts."

3 cups quick cooking oats 2-1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 2 cups packed brown sugar 2 eggs 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Mix in eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt; stir into butter mixture. Set aside

In a medium saucepan, heat sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, 2 teaspoons butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in walnuts and 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Pat 2/3 of the oat mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over the top, and dot with remaining oat mixture.

Bake for 30-35 minutes in preheated oven. Let cool on a wire rack, then cut into bars.

Makes 24 bars.

Recipe taken from a allrecipes.com.

1 cup sugar 1 cup light corn syrup 1 cup creamy peanut butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 cups crisp rice cereal squares 1 cup peanuts

Combine first 3 ingredients in a glass bowl; microwave at HIGH 3-4 minutes or until melted, stirring once. Stir in vanilla.

Fold in 6 cups cereal and peanuts. Spread mixture into a lightly greased 13"x9" pan. Cover and chill 1 hour or until set; cut into small squares.

Makes 4 dozen bars.

Recipe from July 2001 Southern Living magazine.

Batter: 1/2 cup pecans 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 2-3 bananas 1/4 cup shortening, room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla Glaze: 1/2 lb. powdered sugar Water or orange juice

In a food processor chop pecans. Set aside in small bowl. Combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon in food processor. Set aside in bowl. Process bananas. Measure out 1 cup bananas. Freeze any remaining bananas for future use. Cream together shortening and sugar in processor. Add eggs, vanilla and bananas and mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add pecans. Spread batter onto jelly roll plan. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes. To prepare glaze combine powdered sugar and enough water or orange juice (~1/3 cup) to make a pouring consistency. Glaze cake while still warm. Cut into small bars and serve.

Recipe from "Favorite Recipes from Quilters" by Louise Stoltzfus.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan 1-1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1-1/2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 2-1/2 cups smooth peanut butter 1-1/2 cups strawberry jam, or other flavor 2/3 cup salted peanuts, roughly chopped

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking dish, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and dust with flour. Tap out excess, and set aside. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

2. Place butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, and beat to combine. Add peanut butter, and beat until combined, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Reduce speed to low, and add dry ingredients, one cup at a time. Beat to combine.

3. Pat two-thirds of mixture evenly into prepared dish. Using an offset spatula, spread jam on top of peanut-butter mixture. Top with remaining third of peanut-butter mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts.

4. Bake until golden, 35 to 45 minutes. For perfectly cut bars, run a paring knife around edges of pan, and invert onto cooling rack. Invert again onto a cutting board. Cover with plastic wrap, and transfer to refrigerator until firm, about 1 hour. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1-1/2-by-2-inch pieces.

Makes 30 bars.

Recipe from Martha Stewart. This was her 'Cookie of the Week' from her August 3, 2001 show.

3/4 cup all purpose flour 3/4 cup granola or toasted wheat germ 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted 1/4 cup honey 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup Sun·Maid Raisins 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan. Combine flour, granola, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Stir in butter, honey, egg and vanilla; mix well. Stir in raisins and walnuts. Press mixture into greased pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars and wrap individually in plastic wrap.

Makes 10 bars.

Recipe taken from a Sun·Maid advertisement in the September 2001 Reader's Digest.