Buttery, Oaty and Nutty. With some fruit added so that I can pretend they are healthy. Make these delicious morsels with any preserves you have on hand.
- 2/3 cup chunky cranberry sauce – or fruit preserves
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- Pre-heat the oven to 375*. Line an 8″ x 8″ baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang.
- Place the nuts and oats in the bowl of your food processor and pulse 3 times just to combine. Add the butter, salt and cinnamon. Let the machine run for about 10 seconds. Add the flour and powdered sugar, and let the machine run until all is combined, about 15 seconds; the dough will start to form a ball.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the dough for the topping – you don’t have to measure it, a nice handful will do the trick! Take remaining dough out of the food processor and pat it into the baking pan. Using your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup, press it evenly.
- Spread on the cranberry sauce. It will be a thin layer. Make little blobs of the reserved dough and dot them over the top of the fruity goodness.
- Pop the pan into the oven and let it bake for 30 minutes. This is a good time to have a cocktail…might I suggest a soothing hot toddy?
- When the top of the bars are nice and golden, remove from oven and let cool in the pan. Use the aluminum foil to take the bars out of the pan and cut into squares – 16 small, 20 bites or 12 generous!