Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars

These bar cookies strike a nice flavor balance: not too sweet and not too tart. Be sure to zest the orange before you squeeze the juice.

Yield: 24 servings (serving size: 1 square)

Ingredients

• Crust:
• 4.5  ounces  all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
• 1  cup  quick-cooking oats
• 1/2  cup  packed brown sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 6  tablespoons  butter, melted
• 3  tablespoons  orange juice
• Cooking spray
• 
  Filling:
• 1 1/3  cups  dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)
• 3/4  cup  sour cream
• 1/2  cup  granulated sugar
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated orange rind
• 1  large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened (mixture will be crumbly). Reserve 1/2 cup oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. To prepare filling, combine cranberries, sour cream, granulated sugar, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust; sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Cherry-Oatmeal Bars: Substitute dried cherries for the dried cranberries and lemon rind for the orange rind in filling.

CALORIES 135 (31% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 2.6g, mono 0.8g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 1.7g; CARB 21.5g; FIBER 1.3g; CHOL 13mg; IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 68mg; CALC 27mg

Maple-Date-Oatmeal Bars: Substitute chopped pitted dates for the dried cranberries. Omit granulated sugar from filling, and add 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar.

CALORIES 124 (33% from fat); FAT 4.6g (sat 2.6g, mono 0.8g, poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 1.7g; CARB 19.8g; FIBER 1.1g; CHOL 13mg; IRON 0.7mg; SODIUM 68mg; CALC 26mg

Nutritional Information

Calories:

133 (31% from fat)

Fat:

4.6g (sat 2.6g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:

1.5g

Carbohydrate:

21.9g

Fiber:

0.9g

Cholesterol:

13mg

Iron:

0.6mg

Sodium:

67mg

Calcium:

20mg