Fruit Oatmeal Cookie Bars Food

FRUIT-FILLED OATMEAL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture.
• Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x9x2-inch or 11x7x1-1/2-inch baking pan. Spread with desired filling. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Apricot Filling
• In a medium saucepan combine apricots and the water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine sugar and flour; stir into apricot mixture. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until thickened and bubbly. Raisin Filling
• In a medium saucepan combine the water, sugar, and cornstarch. Add raisins. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Apple-Cranberry Filling
• In a medium bowl combine applesauce, cranberries, cinnamon, and cloves. Easy Filling
• Use bottled mincemeat or pie filling.

FRUIT-FILLED OATMEAL BARS

Steps:

• In mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda.
• Cut in margarine/butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Reserve 1/2 cup of the flour mixture.
• Press remaining flour mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x9x2 baking pan.
• Spread with desired filling.
• Sprinkle with reserved flour mixture.
• Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden.
• Cool in pan on wire rack.
• Cut into bars.
• FILLING OPTIONS:.
• ***Following cookbook's 'shortcut' suggestion of substituting 10 oz jar of preserves in place of homemade filling, I used a store-bought, very dense, low-moisture apple butter (like a thick jam). I have also tried it with blueberry preserves but the preserves were too moist--it made the bars sticky not good.***.
• RAISIN FILLING:.
• In medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Add 1 cup raisins. Cook & stir until thickened & bubbly.
• APPLE-CINNAMON FILLING:.
• Peel/core/chop 2 medium apples. In medium saucepan, combine apples, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and a dash of ground cloves. Bring apple mixture to a boil; reduce heat & simmer 8-10 minutes or until apples are very tender.
• APRICOT-COCONUT FILLING:.
• In medium saucepan, combine 1 cup diced dried apricots and 3/4 cup water. Bring apricot mixture to boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon all purpose flour. Stir into apricot mixture. Cook and stir 1 minute more or until mixture is very thick. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut.

CHEWY FRUIT & OATMEAL BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F degrees.
• In large bowl, combine sugars, yogurt, egg whites, oil, milk, and vanilla; mix well.
• In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; mix well.
• Add to yogurt mixture; mix well.
• Stir in oats and fruit.
• Spread dough onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan.
• Bake 28-32 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cool completely on wire rack.
• Cut into bars.
• Store tightly covered.

OATMEAL DRIED FRUIT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg, gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, stir in the quick oats and dried fruit. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the unprepared cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

STRAWBERRY OATMEAL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.
• Mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the strawberry preserves. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake until light brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares.

DELICIOUS RASPBERRY OATMEAL COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8 inch square pan, and line with greased foil.
• Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Rub in the butter using your hands or a pastry blender to form a crumbly mixture. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the jam.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

THE BEST OATMEAL COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line an 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Spray lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then continue to cook it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Keep an eye here, you don't want burnt butter! Remove from heat and scrape the butter into a large heat proof mixing bowl.
• Whisk in both sugars and mix until well combined. Stir in the vanilla. Then add in the eggs and egg yolk, beating until combined. Stir in the milk.
• Using a rubber spatula, add in the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and rolled oats, mixing until just combined. Finally, fold in the chocolate chunks. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 24 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are firm and golden. Press extra chocolate chunks on top of the warm bars, if desired.
• Cool in pan for at least 1 hour before cutting. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt before serving, if desired.

OATMEAL COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 15x10x1-inch pan. In large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, vanilla and eggs. Stir in oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Spread in pan.
• Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown and center is set. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.

OATMEAL FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9"x 13" baking pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking oil.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
• In a medium bowl, toss together the diced fruits with one tablespoon of the flour mixture.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add in the egg and vanilla and continue mixing until light.
• With the mixer speed on low, gradually add the flour mixture, oats, and fruit. Mix just until combined. The batter will be thick.
• With a rubber spatula, press the batter in an even layer into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is light golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. When cool slice into bars.
• Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.
• In a shallow bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir. Return to the microwave and continue to heat at 50% power for 15 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until melted.
• Working with 6-9 bars at a time, dip the bottom of each bar into the melted chocolate, tapping off excess. Place the coated bars on the prepared cookie sheet.
• Place the filled cookie sheet in the refrigerator for about 10- 15 minutes or until the chocolate is set.
• Re-melt chocolate as needed and repeat with the remaining bars.

DELICIOUS RASPBERRY OATMEAL COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• 1. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Once lined, spray the inside of the foil lined baking dish with a no-stick cooking spray; set dish aside.
• 2. In a medium size bowl, add the flour, soda and salt. Stir ingredients with a spoon to mix. Now add the brown sugar, oats, and butter. Mix ingredients with a pastry blender, to form a crumbly mixture. (I used a fork to mix the ingredients together thoroughly. It did take at least 5 minutes to blend everything together.)
• 3. Add 2 cups of the oatmeal crumb mixture into the baking pan. Press the crumb mixture down firmly with your hand.
• 4. Spread the preserves to within 1/4 inch from the edge of the pan.
• 5. Sprinkle remaining oatmeal crumb mixture over the preserves. Press the crumb mixture some-what firmly on top the preserves.
• 6. Place pan in a preheated 350 degree oven, and bake bars for 40 minutes.
• 7. Once the bars are baked, allow to cool to room temperature. (I then refrigerate the bars for a couple hours, so they can firm up a bit.)
• 8. Use aluminum foil to lift bar mixture from the pan. Cut bars into 12 squares.
• 9. *Note: I made these bars twice, once using raspberry preserves, and the other using home-cooked strawberry jam, but I found I much preferred the bars with the raspberry preserves. I think these bars would taste great using apricot preserves, or another kind of tart-tasting jam or preserves.

DIABETIC OATMEAL FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat your oven to 350
• 2. Toss all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well
• 3. Press the mess into a 9" X 9" square (like me) baking pan, that's been sprayed with PAM or other veggie oil cooking spray
• 4. Bake 15 to 20 minutes
• 5. Cool on a rack before serving