I adore dessert. Sweets call my name. I try to find healthy alternatives… but the full fat and sugar versions are so tempting. I got a cookbook called “Baking Without Fat”. The muffin recipe immediately preceding this recipe was from the same book. The muffins were fantastic. These raspberry cookie bars are equally tasty, and wonderfully sweet. My favorite sweets are chocolate, lemon and raspberry. So – these bars are a treat! The raspberry goodness smells so wonderful while they’re baking.
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups oats
2 cups brown rice cereal (I couldn’t find brown rice, so I used Rice Krispies)
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cream of tartar
1 cup honey
¾ cup frozen apple juice concentrate (I used 100% juice concentrate with no added sugar. The brand that I found didn’t have plain apple available, but they did have apple raspberry. That’s what I used. Delish!)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 jar (10oz) fruit juice sweetened raspberry preserves (I used Smucker’s Simply Fruit)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine oats, cereal, flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Set aside.
In a small saucepan bring hone and juice concentrate to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Gently stir into cereal mixture.
In 8 x 11 x 2 inch ovenproof glass baking dish, press 2 cups of cereal mixture in bottom of pan; reserve remaining cereal mixture. (It’s easier to press the mixture if your hands are damp.) Melt preserves, pour over mixture and spread evenly; top with reserved cereal mixture.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Cut into 24 bars.
Ingredients:
1 ¾ cups oats
2 cups brown rice cereal (I couldn’t find brown rice, so I used Rice Krispies)
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cream of tartar
1 cup honey
¾ cup frozen apple juice concentrate (I used 100% juice concentrate with no added sugar. The brand that I found didn’t have plain apple available, but they did have apple raspberry. That’s what I used. Delish!)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
1 jar (10oz) fruit juice sweetened raspberry preserves (I used Smucker’s Simply Fruit)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine oats, cereal, flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Set aside.
In a small saucepan bring hone and juice concentrate to a boil over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat; cool for 5 minutes. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Gently stir into cereal mixture.
In 8 x 11 x 2 inch ovenproof glass baking dish, press 2 cups of cereal mixture in bottom of pan; reserve remaining cereal mixture. (It’s easier to press the mixture if your hands are damp.) Melt preserves, pour over mixture and spread evenly; top with reserved cereal mixture.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Cut into 24 bars.
