Oatmeal and Raisin Spice Cookie Bars

Cookin-jo's Note:

These can be made into individual cookies but seem easier baked in a pan and then cut. Substitute dried cranberries or dried chopped apricots if you like. They are very thin bars. From Simply Heartsmart by Bonnie Stern.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 30

Yield: 30 bars

• 118.29 ml soft margarine or 118.29 ml butter
• 118.29 ml brown sugar
• 78.07 ml white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2.46 ml vanilla
• 177.44 ml all-purpose flour
• 1.23 ml baking powder
• 2.46 ml cinnamon
• 1.23 ml allspice
• 1.23 ml ginger
• 354.88 ml rolled oats
• 177.44 ml raisins

Directions:

1. Brush a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with oil, then line with parchment paper or foil, pressing paper down firmly so it stays. Leave a slight overhang of paper.
2. In mixing bowl cream the margarine or butter until light. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and mix in well.
3. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Mix into the batter, then stir in the oatmeal and raisins.
4. Press dough evenly into the lined baking pan. (This is the messy part.) The dough will be a bit sticky and there will seem to be almost not enough to fill the pan.
5. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden. Bake a bit less for chewier bars, a bit more for crispy bars.
6. Let cool for 3 or 4 minutes, then lift gently out of the pan. Cool a couple more minutes, cut into squares, then cool fully.

Reviews

[Eldeevee]

I love oatmeal raisin cookies, but really do not care for the waiting for each batch to be done. These bars solve the problem! I substituted butter for the margarine and were delighted with the results. I lined my pan with parchment paper and that worked well without adding extra fat. I would recommend that you use the back of a spoon to spread the batter around, unless you enjoy eating it off of your fingers. Thanks for posting, this will be a school lunch staple.

[Laura2of7]

Well, I completely forgot to add the white sugar, but they were sweet enough without it. I had packed the brown sugar really well into the measuring cup, so maybe that's the reason why it wasn't missed. I thought about adding some chopped nuts, but decided to skip them. Maybe next time...

I used a 13"x9" jelly roll pan that I lined with parchment paper. I didn't bother to grease either of them and that worked out fine. I found the easiest way to spread the dough was with my knuckles, almost like stretching pizza dough. I would not recommend plopping all the dough out in a big ball, which is what I did. The next time I make these, I'll use a small scoop to place lumps of dough around the pan. That way, there won't be as much empty space to fill and it should be easier to spread out.

I took mine out after 15 minutes. They were just starting to brown around the edges. Next time, I'll give them another 2 or 3 minutes, which should give the center a chance to get crispy. Do not let them cool too long before you cut them. I slid them right onto my cutting board, which made them easier to cut. I was thinking a pizza cutter would have been easier than my long knife, but as long as your knife is sharp, you should be okay. I cut mine into 24 bars (I didn't want to do the math), but they were a little large. 30 would probably have made them just the right size.

I'm still debating the ginger. I can't decide if it's a good fit for these bars. Maybe nutmeg would be better. Or, leave the ginger in, but switch out the raisins for another dried fruit, like pineapple. Over all, though, a very nice little cookie. Thanks, Cookin-jo, for the recipe.

[Mountainbaby]

Excellent bar with just the right amount of spices. I probably won't make individual oatmeal-raisin cookies again now that I have discovered this bar recipe. Thanks so much for posting.