Sunday, August 29, 2010

Blueberry Oat Bars


These bars are filled with deliciousness. Looking at them just makes your mouth water. They are sweet, salty and full of texture with the chewy blueberries, oats and Walnuts. You can use any fruit combination of your choice. The recipe was originally written with Apricots as the fruit. We love blueberries, so I decided to go with them on my first try.


Just look at the fruit popping out - such sweetness! Enjoy.



Blueberry Oat Bars
  • 1 - 13 oz jar blueberry jam or preserves (can use any fruit of choice)
  • 1 pkg - dried blueberries (fresh fruit would not work well with texture)
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 packed cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 3/4 cup old- fashioned oats
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) coarsely chopped walnuts
  • 1 egg, at room temperature, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Put oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13 by 2-inch metal baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Line the bottom ad sides of pan with parchment paper or foil. Spray the parchment or foil with cooking spray and set aside.

Filling: In a small bowl, mix together the jam and the blueberries. Set aside.

Crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Stir in the oats and walnuts. Add the butter, egg and vanilla and stir until incorporated.

Using a fork or clean fingers, lightly press half of the crust mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Using a spatula, spread the filling over the crust leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edge of the pan. Cover the filling with the remaining crust mixture and gently press to flatten. Bake until light golden, about 30-35 minutes. Cool for 1 hour. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.