“Fruit-full” Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Written by Kimberly Terrazas

I came across this recipe in an old cookbook that I found in the back of my cupboard. The book, though dusty and a bit out-dated, has a few timeless recipes that any 50′s housewife would be proud to know. I stuck to one of the easier recipes in the book, oatmeal cookies because they were easy to adapt to my taste. I tried to make these extra special by adding ingredients that would be found in any good trail mix with the consistency of a really soft granola bar.

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter at room temperature

1 ¾ cup of all-purpose flour

1 cup of dark brown sugar

½ cup of granulate sugar

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp dried cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1 egg at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cup uncooked oats

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup raisins

½ cup of toasted walnuts

2 tbsp of peanut butter (creamy or chunky)

3 tsp of honey

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 375°F

Beat softened butter in a large bowl until smooth. Then add in half of the flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, both spices, egg and vanilla. Beat until combined and add remaining flour to combine. Stir in peanut butter, dried fruits, walnuts, oats and honey. Grease a 9×5 baking dish with cooking spray and pour in mixture (the batter is thick so it may need to be patted down). Bake for 10-15 minutes or until it is golden brown and a toothpick can come out clean when poked in the center.

*Note: to toast walnuts heat them under low heat on a stove top until the nuts are completely warm. If it begins to smell like walnuts, then they have burned.*

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