Cranberry Oat Bars

• What do you do with leftover homemade cranberry sauce?  Well you make the most delicious Oat Bars that you possibly can that’s what you do!   After Thanksgiving I was not about to waste this amazing Cranberry Sauce.   When searching for uses of leftover cranberry sauce I found many combinations of recipes out there, but the one from the Washington Post got my attention because it was so easy.   I love the tartness of the sauce with the buttery goodness of the oatmeal crumble that is used for the crust and the topping.  It is just heavenly.

Here you go…   Now you can get in the kitchen and put together the most wonderful bars in just a few minutes.  Waiting for them to cool before cutting into that block of goodness can be torture.  I highly recommend using two strips of parchment paper cut to the width of your pan and then crisscrossing them.  Otherwise it might be hard getting out of your pan.  A foil lined pan that is lightly oiled will work as well.

 Here are the stars of the crust and the topping:  1 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats, 1 cup of packed brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder ( check the expiration date), 1/2 teaspoon salt. 

Cut 1 1/2 sticks chilled butter into small cubes.

Mix the dry ingredients together.  Add the chilled butter and work the butter into the dry ingredients.  I used my fingertips to do this.

Place half of the oat and butter mixture in a lined 8 inch square pan.  I lined mine with two strips of parchment paper cut the width of the pan and crisscrossed them.  Press mixture in the pan with hands or a glass .

 

Place the cranberry sauce on top and spread out.

Sprinkle the remainder of oat mixture on the top and press gently.

 

 

Cranberry Oat Bars from the Washington Post

Ingredients:

I used about 1 cup this cranberry sauce

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (do not use quick-cooking or instant)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

Directions:

1. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking oil spray, then line the pan with 2 strips of parchment paper crisscrossed or a double thickness of aluminum foil so that the foil extends beyond 2 opposite ends of the pan. Fold the overhang down to form handles. Lightly grease the foil with the spray.
3. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
4. Add the butter and use your fingertips to work it into the dry ingredients until well combined; the mixture will be crumbly.
5. Press half of the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and spread the cranberry filling on top.
6. Sprinkle the remaining crumbly mixture over the filling and gently press into an even layer.
7. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top is evenly browned. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Run a knife around the 2 inside edges of the pan to release the bars from the sides.
9. Lift up on the  handles to remove the bars from the pan. Using a large, sharp knife, cut into 16 -24 bars.
10. Cool completely before storing.

Happy Cooking,

The Teacher Cooks