Betty's Crunchy Brownie Bars

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour, sifted
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 (21 1/4 ounce) package brownie mix (betty crocker hershey's triple chunk supreme)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 unsweetened chocolate squares (1 1/2 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine
• 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sift if lumpy
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 tablespoons hot water

Recipe

• 1 for crunchy layer, combine flour, soda and salt; stir in oats and brown sugar.
• 2 add the 3/4 cups melted butter and pat mixture in bottom of an ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
• 3 bake at 350°f for 5 minutes; at this time it will not be completely baked.
• 4 while bottom layer is in the oven, prepare brownies as directed on package.
• 5 spread batter in pan over crunchy layer.
• 6 return to oven and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes until done (do not over bake).
• 7 prepare frosting when brownies are cool.
• 8 in a small saucepan melt together chocolate and the 3 tablespoons butter.
• 9 remove from heat; immediately add confectioners' sugar, vanilla and 2 tablespoons hot water.
• 10 stir until smooth; add remaining tablespoon hot water to make a soft, pourable consistency.
• 11 spread over brownies while frosting is still hot; let set until firm.
• 12 cut into bars.