Oatmeal Butter Brittle Cookies

2 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter or margarine, chilled and cut into pieces
1 cup powdered sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped dry roasted or lightly salted peanuts
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with aluminum foil.

In large bowl, combine oats, flour and baking powder. Add butter; beat on low to medium speed of electric mixer until crumbly. Add sugars, water and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until dough starts to form. By hand, stir in peanuts.

Divide dough in half. Place half on one cookie sheet; flatten with lightly floured hands into 13 x 9-inch rectangle. Repeat using remaining dough and second cookie sheet.

Bake 22 to 25 minutes or until golden brown, rotating cookie sheets after 12 minutes. Place cookie sheets on wire racks.

Sprinkle 1 cup chocolate chips evenly over each large cookie. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes. With spatula or knife, spread softened chocolate evenly over cookies. Cool completely. (Refrigerate 15 minutes to set chocolate, if necessary).

Remove large cookies from cookie sheets and peel off foil. Break each large cookie into 24 pieces. Store tightly covered.

Yields 4 dozen.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of quakeroatmeal.com - used with permission