CRANBERRY OAT BARS

CRANBERRY BARS … taste the season.

The color contrast in these bars is what catches my eye but it’s the buttery exterior mixed with the sweet cranberry filling that makes everyone’s first bite wow-worthy. The seasonal nature makes them the perfect Fall / Winter non-chocolatey dessert. The best part is you can kinda sneak one in the daytime and call it a snack. I won’t tell ‘cause you know I can’t throw stones in this glass house.

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CRANBERRY OAT BARS

Yield: 8 Bars

Author: Michelle Williams

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST

• White Sugar (1/4 cup)
• Unsalted Butter (5 tablespoons will be melted and browned separately)
• Rolled Oats (3/4 cup)
• All-Purpose Flour (3/4 cup)
• Ground Cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon)
• Fresh Nutmeg (1/8 teaspoon)
• Baking Soda (1/4 teaspoon)
• Coarse Sea Salt (1/4 teaspoon)

FOR THE CRANBERRY FILLING

• Fresh Cranberries (12 ounces)
• Navel Orange (the juice from 1)
• White Sugar (1 1/4 cups)
• Unsalted Butter (1 stick, cut into cubes)
• Whole Eggs (2)
• Egg Yolks (2)
• Pure Vanilla Extract (1/2 teaspoon)

KITCHEN ITEMS

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Saucepan
• Wooden Spoon
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• Large Fine Sieve (it should ideally fit well on your mixing bowl)
• Whisk
• 8 x 8 Inch Baking Dish
• Parchment Paper

Instructions

TO MAKE YOUR CRUST

1. In a large bowl, mix your sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined.
2. In a small pan, melt butter and then turn heat to medium until browned about 6 minutes. Pour it over your oat mixture and mix until it clumps like a crumb topping.
3. Line your baking dish with parchment paper. Press half of the crumb topping into the bottom of it. Using the bottom of a measuring cup makes for a more evenly flat layer.
4. Set aside.

TO MAKE YOUR CRANBERRY FILLING

1. In your saucepan over medium-high heat, combine your cranberries and the juice from your navel orange. Cook while mixing until your cranberries begin to split—roughly 5 minutes.
2. Stack your sieve over your mixing bowl and pour your cooked cranberries into it. Use your whisk or a wooden spoon to press it through the sieve. This is a bit of an arm workout and will take some time, roughly 10 minutes.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
4. Clean out your saucepan.
5. Transfer your sieved cranberries back into your saucepan. Over medium heat, mix in your sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Cook while stirring consistently until thickened—about 8 minutes.
6. Again, run your mixture through your sieve. Don't worry, it goes through a lot easier this second time.

TO MAKE YOUR BARS

1. Pour the cranberry over the crumbs.
2. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over the cranberry and, using your hands, press to very gently to cover them.
3. Bake bars for 25 minutes, or until light brown at the edges.
4. Cool in baking dish.
5. Lift out using the parchment paper.
6. Cut into squares and serve.

Did you make this recipe?

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