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Cranberry Oatmeal Squares

Source of Recipe

Homemaker's magazine


List of Ingredients

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 oats
3/4 cup slivered almonds




Recipe

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Lightly grease or line with parchment paper, 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 (you may need to put the heat up to high at this point but reduce heat to med/high once boiling begins). Combine cornstarch with orange juice and peel. Stir in berry mixture and cook 5 minutes more 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 oats and mix thoroughly. Put half the dough in prepared pan and pat down firmly. Spread the cooled filling evenly 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.

Serves 15.

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 the hard way.