Healthy-ish Chocolate Oat Bars

I seem to have a bit of a [read: HUGE] surplus of oats at the moment, apparently I've been buying bags of it when I already have bags of it in the cupboard ... oppsie!  To help use up some of the excess supply I decided to make Hubby some muesli bars to take along to work with him and found this recipe over at http://www.taste.co,.au/ (just love that website!) and with a couple of modifications here and there I came up with something all me very own!

Healthy-ish Chocolate Oat Bars
Melted butter or margarine, for greasing (I used fry lite)
150g rolled oats
150g plain flour
90g desiccated coconut
100g light brown sugar
125g butter or margarine
100g maple syrup
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp boiling water
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
A handful chocolate drops or buttons

Preheat oven to 160°C. Brush a 20cm square cake pan with the melted butter or margarine to grease. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.

Combine the rolled oats, plain flour, coconut, brown sugar and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl.

Combine the butter or margarine and maple syrup in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until melted and well combined. Bring just to the boil and then remove from heat. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the boiling water, add to the butter or margarine and maple syrup mixture and stir to combine (the mixture will froth). Add to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Spoon mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with the back of a metal spoon. Scatter over some of the chocolate drops and press them into the mixture to ensure they don't burn while cooking.  Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Stand in pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool and scattering over the remaining chocolate drops. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Makes 18 (yeah right!)
Adapted from http://www.taste.com.au/

These guys are pretty moreish ... and if you take out the butter, sugar, maple syrup and chocolate (ahem!) then they are also pretty good for you too lol.