Fruit Oatmeal Cookie Bars Recipes

FRUIT-OAT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Coat a 10x14-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Combine brown sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
• Mix together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and allspice in a separate bowl. Gradually pour flour mixture into the butter mixture; blend well. Stir in oats and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Press 1/2 of the oat batter firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Spread strawberries and blueberries over the crust and sprinkle with remaining oat batter. Press slightly to flatten batter and fruit. Bake until edges are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan. Cut into 24 bars.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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-RAISIN BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugars, egg, salt, and cinnamon until smooth. Add flour, oats, and raisins; fold in just until combined.
• Spread batter in prepared pan, and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Using paper overhang, lift cake onto a work surface; cut into 16 bars.

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.