Newlywed Recipe Corner: "Angela's Raspberry Oat Delight Bars"

A new school year is here and this time of year always brings "sweet" memories back for me of my own school days when my Mom or Grandma Cleva picking me up from school and bringing me home to a special snack. For today's parents and grandparents, life often finds you on the go in every direction and it can be hard to find the time to bake a dessert or snack. I love my quick and easy recipe for a cookie bar that can easily be modified for healthier eating. You can try it with different flavors of fruit preserves for a fun variety.

"Angela's Raspberry Oat Delight Bars"

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup brown sugar (I use a healthy alternative: Splenda Brown Sugar for Baking)

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ sticks butter, sliced and softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (12 ounce) jar raspberry preserves (I use Smucker’s Red Raspberry Reduced Sugar Preserves)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13” x 9” baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In mixing bowl, combine oats, brown sugar and flour. Mix well. Add softened butter, cut into pieces and vanilla extract. Stir together until mixture forms a moist texture. Pour half of oat mixture into baking pan. Lightly press mixture into the bottom of the pan until it forms a layer of crust. Spoon 12-ounce jar of raspberry preserves over layer of oat crust. Gently spread over the mixture to form layer of preserves. Sprinkle remaining half of oat mixture over preserves and lightly pat with spatula. Bake at 350 degrees 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely. Cut into 18 squares and serve. Store remaining bars in an airtight container. Enjoy!

My blogger friend Carolyn at "Cookin' for my Captain" made my whole week when she featured me and my peanut butter pie I shared here last week on her blog today! Her wonderful blog is the newest addition to my "I Do Declare" blog roll.