Apple Oat Bars

I wanted a fast and easy dessert the other night; one further requirement was that it should be lunch box friendly.  After all, I would never want poor little Ryan to feel unloved because he doesn't have a special dessert made by his Mom!  That would be awful, right?

In the cookie section of the red plaid cookbook, I found this bar cookie.  With a little tweaking, I made it my own.  And everyone enjoyed it, especially my dearly beloved, who deemed it "Portable Apple Pie!"

APPLE OAT BARS

1 Cup flour
1 cup oats (quick or regular)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup margarine or butter

3 apples, shredded
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp water
1-1/2 tsp cornstarch

Stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar and baking soda.  Cut in the margarine (or use your mixer at low speed, which is what I did) until the mixture looks like coarse grains.

Cut the cores out of the apples, and shred them - I used the shredded disc for my food processor, and left the skins on the apples.  Trust me, no one will care if you carefully dice the apples, or if you're lazy like me.  Put the apples in a 2 cup measuring cup, and stir them together with the sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch.  Sprinkle the water over the mixture, and microwave for 4 to 6 minutes, until it bubbles and thickens.  Stir 2 or 3 times during the process.

Grease a 13x9 baking pan (I used the wonderful Pampered Chef stoneware baking pan I got from Chan, which makes the best bar cookies on the planet).  Press 2/3 of the flour mixture into the bottom of the baking pan, then spread the cooked apples over the top of the flour mix.  Sprinkle the balance of the flour mixture over the apples, and bake at 350F Convection or Conventional - about 20 to 22 minutes for the convection oven, or 23 to 26 minutes for a conventional apple.  Let them cool somewhat.

I served them with whipped cream for the boys, although I had a small one unadorned.  Everyone enjoyed them so much that after Dan had breakfast, there were just 2 little pieces left for Ryan and Mark's after school snacks.  Not a bad reference, right?

Have a great weekend, everyone!