Chocolate Chew Bars

It was a rainy Sunday today and because I was up very early, I decided I had plenty of time to do some baking before the indoor market began.
I had found a vintage cookbook called " America's Best Recipes", "State Fair Blue Ribbon Winners" at a flea market I went to yesterday and I wanted to try a recipe that was quick and easy so I chose this one. It was a blue ribbon winner from the Illinois State Fair.
I looked up and found quite a few chocolate chew recipes on line but I didn't find anything exactly like this one.
The recipe went together easily and quickly and although I liked the end result, I think with a little tweeking, it could be much better!
It was definitely chewy from the oatmeal pecan base. Which is what I'd change up a bit. I think I'd put the oatmeal and pecans in the food processor and take them for a spin a few times to break them up more. I think the oatmeal flakes just needed to be broken down a bit more.
And they could have been a little sweeter, so I'd add more sugar.
But, everyone loved them, so here's the recipe. Oh I almost forgot, the recipe called for cherry extract but since I didn't have that hanging around my kitchen, I used vanilla extract.

Chocolate Chew Bars ( Makes 2 to 3 dozen bars, depending on the size you cut them).

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup coconut

1 tsp. cherry extract ( I used vanilla)

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

6 oz. semisweet chocolate

3/4 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350.

1. In a large bowl, blend the first 6 ingredients til crumbly.

2. Press mixture into an ungreased 9" x 13" pan.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or til lightly golden brown ( Mine took a good 20 minutes).

4. In a small saucepan, combine the chocolate and peanut butter and cook on low heat til melted.

5. Spread over baked oatmeal base, chill and cut into bars.