Dude, I won stuff for these. They’re tasty. People like them. Go make them.
Inspired by–what else?–The Taste of Home Baking Book. But made vegan. And therefore WAY COOLER.
2 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons flour, divided
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 ¼ cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) Earth Balance vegan butter, melted
3 cups thinly sliced peeled organic Granny Smith apples (about 2)
1 jar (12-13oz.) organic raspberry preserves
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven at 350º if your oven is crazy and runs high like everyone I’ve ever used. Otherwise, 375º.
2. In a nice big bowl, mix the 2 ½ cups flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Beat in melted butter. Measure out 2 cups and set aside for later.
3. Press the rest into the bottom of a 13×9 pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. In another bowl, toss apples with 2 tablespoons flour and stir in preserves. Spread over the crust as soon as it comes out of the oven.
5. Add the nuts to the oat mixture you set aside. Sprinkle it over the top. Then shove it back in the oven for another 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned.
6. Cool completely. Cut into bars.
7. Serve. Wow crowds. Make tummies happy.
Next time I bake, I need to remember this: DON’T DROP THE OVEN DOOR ON YOUR FOOT. In my old house, the hinge kept the oven door from going all the way to the ground. But here… I’ve had purple toes twice already and I don’t want to do it again! My mother was not impressed by my language.
Anyway. I’ll stop rambling and stick in the pictures.
