posted by Marian C Brown 12-03-99 5:13 PM
Cranberry Oatmeal Squares
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
4 cups frozen cranberries
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. finely grated orange peel
Dough:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/4 cups lightly packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
2-1/4 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13" baking pan.
Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and water; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add cranberries and cook until they pop. Stirring gently and constantly. Combine cornstarch with orange juice and peel. Stir into berry mixture and cook 5 minutes more or until thickened. Mixture will clear-up as it cooks. Set aside to cool.
Dough: In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and brown sugar. Cut in margarine with a pastry blender until coarse in texture. Add oatmeal and mix thoroughly. Put half the dough in prepared pan and pat down firmly. Spread cooled filling over dough. Stir nuts into remaining dough and sprinkle evenly over filling. Pat gently.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting.
Big Tip: Do not cover tightly. Use only paper towels if you really need to cover them as the moisture in the filling will make the crust soggy. I learned this one the hard way.