From the Kitchen of Angie St. John
Even though it has seemed a bit like spring out there at the beginning of last week, we all know winter is likely to make a comeback, and iit sure did last Sunday! We woke up here in western Massachusetts to big ole snowflakes and it made me think about the leftover cranberries and sauce I still needed to use up. We;re already into the month of March and the seed catalogs are rolling into my mailbox. So, although my mind is thinking spring, my oven is telling me to bake these delicious Oatmeal Cranberry Bars as I type, and filling the house with a warm and inviting winter aroma. It’s a new recipe, although jam bars are a big hit in this house, I have never done this type with a jellied cranberry sauce…I have high hopes though! I enjoyed mine with a cup of hot tea as I watched the snow fall.
You Will Need:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 cup chilled butter, cut up into 3/4" pieces
1 can (14 oz) whole berry jelly cranberry sauce
Baking Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 F and grease a 9 inch pan
2. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse 2-3 times until blended. If you don't own a food processor, using a blender or electric mixer can be substituted.
3. Add your butter and pulse/mix again 5-8 times until the mixture becomes crumby (think pea size crumbs).
4. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the blended crumb mixture and set aside. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of your greased pan. Drop teaspoons of cranberry sauce evenly over the crumb mixture then spread across the mixture using a spoon to cover evenly.
5. Take the 1 1/2 cups of the reserved crumb mixture and sprinkle over the cranberry layer.
6. Bake for about 50-55 minutes until the top is lightly browned.
7. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool for about 1 1/2 hours or until firm. Slice into squares.