I learned these from a friend...they are very tasty!

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening or 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups oats (either old fashioned or quick cooking)
• 1 12 oz bag chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 2/3 cup of condensed milk or sweetened condensed milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Cookie Layer: Beat sugar, shortening; beat in eggs and vanilla.
3. Mix in flour, soda, salt, then oats.
4. Remove 2 cups for the topping. Press the remaining with wet hands (important!) onto cookie sheet, Teflon or greased.
5. Fudge Layer: In sauce pan, combine chocolate chips, butter, milk and salt.
6. Cook, stirring, over low heat until chocolate chips and butter melt.
7. Remove from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla.
8. Spread over oatmeal layer in cookie sheet.
9. Drop and spread reserved oatmeal mixture over fudge layer.
10. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until lightly brown.
11. Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Cook's Notes

I'm grossed out by shortening, so I subbed in unsalted butter the last time I made these. They tasted even more delicious, but I failed to soften the butter ahead of time and nearly burned out my hand-mixer.