Cappuccino-caramel-pistachio oat bars

I've been planning to make ice cream out of the pistachios that I bought last time .

After chucking out the shells and munching some , all that's left is less than 100 grams ....

I should have stopped eating before I weigh it up ....

I never thought I could munch that much ! 

Yeah , right lol 

Since , I've got this bookmarked recipe that calls for nuts , well , pecans actually , but any nuts will do  , methinks , so I just used it to bake this ooey  gooey yumminess ! 

Using pistachios are so much prettier , right ?! 

The bright green and slightly salty nuts really go well together with homemade dulce de leche that I've used instead of  caramel ice cream topping .

But less sugar will be much better , about 2/3 cup , as I find these bars too sweet for my taste ....

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens 

*** I made half of the recipe and used a 9 x 9-inch square pan 

3 cups regular rolled oats

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans ( lightly salted pistachios ) 

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup butter , softened 

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals ( 2 teaspoons isntant espresso granules ) 

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping ( homemade dulce de leche ) 

/12 cup broken pecans

1 recipe **Coffee glaze , optional ( too lazy to make this ) 

* Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C . Lightly grease a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan ; set aside .

* In a large bowl , stir together oats , flour , the 1 cup nuts , baking soda and salt ; set aside . In another large bowl , beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds . Add sugar and beat until combined , scraping sides of the bowl occasionally . Beat in eggs , coffee and vanilla until combined .  Beat as much of the oat mixture as you can . Using a wooden spoon , stir in any remaining oat mixture  . Reserve 2 cups of the mixture for the topping . 

* Using floured hands , press remaining oat mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan . Spread top with caramel to within 1/4-inch of the edges . Drop spoonfuls of the reserved oat mixture onto the caramel topping , sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 nuts . 

* Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are set ( do not overbake ) Cool in pan on a wire rack . If desired , drizzle with coffee glaze . Let stand until glaze is set ; cut into bars .

**Coffee glaze - In a small bowl , combine 2 tablespoons very hot milk and instant coffee , stir well until dissolved . Stir in 1 cup of powdered sugar until smooth . Drizzle over bars in pan ; let stand for 15 minutes to set glaze .