Cranberry Crisp Bars
A delightful cookie bar here, and another one included in our new family Christmas Cookie tradition. This reminds me of a similar preparation, an apple crisp hot dessert recipe that featured sweetened oatmeal crumble topping and we served as a restaurant menu special with a la mode ice cream of course.
Yet, these cranberry crisp bars are served at room temperature; however, I am sure that if one was to warm up a bar or two and add a scoop of ice cream, it would be a great sweet tooth treat indeed!
The Step-By-Step
Step 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and brown sugar until well incorporated. In a separate bowl combine the 2 cups oatmeal, 1 ½ cups flour, and 1 tsp baking soda. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well until crumbly texture.
Add the oatmeal to the brown sugar butter mixture
The oatmeal crust and crumble coming together
The oatmeal crust and crumble dough
Step 2. Take half of the mixture and press it into the bottom of an un-greased 13×9-inch pan. Bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Press half the crumble dough into pan for bottom crust
Step 3. While the crust is in the oven, make the filling in another bowl by combining the dried cranberries, sour cream, granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons flour, lemon zest, vanilla extract and the egg. Mix well and pour this into the browned crust, spreading evenly in one layer. Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture evenly over the filling creating the crumble topping.
Sour cream and dried cranberries
Adding the flour, sugar, lemon zest
Adding in the vanilla extract
Pouring in the whipped eggs
Mixing the filing together
The browned bottom crust
Adding the filling to the browned bottom crust
Spreading the filling evenly throughout the pan
Sprinkling an even layer of oatmeal crumble for the topping crust
Step 4. Bake this in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crumble topping is golden brown, and filling has set.
Cooling the baked cranberry crisp
Step 5. Cool for several hours to room temperature, and then cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.
The Cranberry Crisp Bars are served
| Ingredients | ||
| 1 | Cup | Butter, softened |
| 1 | Cup | Brown sugar, packed |
| 2 | Cups | Oatmeal, quick cooking |
| 1 ½ | Cups | All-purpose flour (plus 2 Tbls.) |
| 1 | Tsp | Baking soda |
| 2 | Cups | Craisins (Dried cranberries) |
| 1 | Cup | Sour cream |
| ¾ | Cup | Granulated sugar |
| 1 | Tbsp | Lemon peel, zested |
| 1 | Tsp | Vanilla extract |
| 1 | Large | Egg, beaten |
| Procedure Steps: | |
| 1. | Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and brown sugar until well incorporated. In a separate bowl combine the 2 cups oatmeal, 1 ½ cups flour, and 1 tsp baking soda. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well until crumbly texture. |
| 2. | Take half of the mixture and press it into the bottom of an un-greased 13×9-inch pan. Bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. |
| 3. | While the crust is in the oven, make the filling in another bowl by combining the dried cranberries, sour cream, granulated sugar, 2 Tablespoons flour, lemon zest, vanilla extract and the egg. Mix well and pour this into the browned crust, spreading evenly in one layer. Sprinkle the remaining oatmeal mixture evenly over the filling creating the crumble topping. |
| 4. | Bake this in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the crumble topping is golden brown, and filling has set. |
| 5. | Cool for several hours to room temperature, and then cut into 8 rows by 4 rows. |
To Serve: Arrange bars on serving platter, keeps for up to 1 week in a covered container.
Yield: 32 bars
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
©2011 CCR
7 responses so far ↓
1 claudia lamascolo // Jan 1, 2011 at 4:02 pm
great way to start off the new year these look great and healthy too!
2 redkathy // Jan 1, 2011 at 9:24 pm
Oh my gosh Ryan with cream cheese, cranberries, and oatmeal these have to be heavenly!
Wishing you and yours all the best in 2011.
3 Drick // Jan 2, 2011 at 11:29 am
yum, I don’t think you have left any thing out but the kitchen sink – these sound and look incredible, love crumb type desserts, this one will surely make it around several times in my house, maybe changing out the cranberries with the seasons (the ice cream is so a must)
4 Jennifer (Savor) // Jan 3, 2011 at 10:36 am
Love cranberries and anything crispy!
5 Megan // Jan 3, 2011 at 12:11 pm
These sound divine and I love that could switch out the dried fruit. I’m thinking blueberry or cherry. And the oats fake me out into believing I’m eating healthy. 😉 Sounds like a winner recipe to me, with or without ice cream. But I’ll take the ice cream with mine.
6 Delishhh // Jan 3, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Great bars, they are almost as my Cranberry white chocoalte streusel bars, you have to try those if you like these bars. They were one of my favorite desserts this year. And i will do the same and try these – they remind me of the starbucks version as well.
7 Vegan Thyme (Kelly) // Jan 3, 2011 at 7:03 pm
Those bars are calling my name–perfect for the New Year and my sweet tooth! Thank you chef!