Cranberry Oat Bars

After cruising some of my favorite recipe sites yesterday looking for a good bar recipe that would use up something - anything - from the freezer, I came up with this recipe for Cranberry Bars. I didn't have all the ingredients, so I modified.   I doubled it and it worked wonderfully in a jelly-roll pan.  Here's the finished recipe - and they are very yummy!

Update 6/14/2010 - My bars did turn out rather cakey.  If you are looking for more of a cookie type bar, reduce the baking powder to 2 teaspoons.

Cranberry Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) package whole cranberries

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4c. water (1/2 cup if frozen cranberries)

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1 1/4 c. All Purpose Flour

1 cup White Whole Wheat Flour

3.5 tsp Baking Powder,

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

½ c. milk

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Directions:

1.  In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, white sugar, and water. Cook, stirring occasionally.  Once liquids begin to boil, mash lightly with a potato masher to "pop" the cranberries.  Cook until the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool completely.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

3. In a large bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder, oats, brown sugar.  Add melted butter, vanilla and eggs. Set aside about 1/3 of the mixture, and spread the rest into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pack down to form a solid crust, getting it as even as possible. Spread the cooled cranberry mixture over the crust. Pinch off pieces of the remaining mixture and place evenly over the cranberry layer.

4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is lightly browned. Cool in the pan for about 40 minutes before slicing into bars.

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