Chocolate Brownie Oatmeal Cookies

12 oz Semisweet chocolate pieces

-- melted* 8 oz Cream cheese; softened

1/2 c Margarine or butter

-- softened 1 c Brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 c Granulated sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 ts Vanilla

1 1/2 c All-purpose flour

1 1/2 ts Baking soda

3 c Quaker Oats, uncooked

-- (quick or old-fashioned) 1 c Chopped nuts

Powdered sugar (optional) Beat together cream cheese, margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Add combined flour and baking soda; mix well. Stir in oats and nuts; mix well. Cover; chill at least 1 hour. Heat oven to 350 F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are almost set. (Centers should still be moist. Do not overbake.) Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. *To melt chocolate: Place in medium microwaveable bowl. Microwave at HIGH 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Or, place in top

part of double boiler over hot, not boiling, water; stir occasionally until smooth. Nutrition Information (1 cookie): * Calories 95 * Fat 5g * Sodium 50mg * Dietary Fiber 0g Source: Quaker Oats Prize-Winning Recipes (Rozena Mahar) Copyright 1994, The Quaker Oats Company Reprinted with permission from The Quaker Oats Company Electronic format courtesy of Karen Mintzias