Hands On Oatmeal Bars

When I was younger, my parents told me that cookies turn out best when you mix them with your hands. It wasn't until I was making these that I remembered this and it still holds true! This is a very messy recipe, from beginning to end but it's so tasty and so much fun! I found a recipe and tweaked it a bit so that I could incorporate some whole wheat flour. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cup strawberry jam
1/4 cup chopped almonds

Preparation

Toasted Coconut

Preheat oven to 325 with rack in center of oven. Spread 3/4 cup of coconut flakes on a baking sheet, making sure they are singly layered. Bake for 14 minutes or until lightly toasted. 

Preheat oven to 375.

Directions

Mix whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add butter. Hand knead butter into flour mixture until a dough forms. Please be sure that your hands are washed directly before this step! Although it seems strange to add cold butter, the warmth of your hands will melt it, forming a dough. Fold in toasted coconut flakes and rolled oats. 

Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch metal baking pan. Reserving 3/4 cup oatmeal mixture, press evenly into the bottom of baking pan. Evenly spread jam across the oatmeal mixture. Using your hands, sprinkle oatmeal mixture across the jam. Make sure you are breaking up the oatmeal as your sprinkle it so that it is crumbly on the jam. Sprinkle remaining coconut and chopped almonds. The key to sprinkling evenly is to sprinkle lightly and in an orderly fashion! Bake in center of rack for 23-28 minutes.


Place pan on a cooling rack and let cool completely. Loosen the edges with a knife and then remove as one piece and place on cutting board. Using a pizza cutter, slice into bars. 

Gourmet. "Oatmeal Coconut Raspberry Bars Recipe at Epicurious.com." Epicurious.com: Recipes, Menus, Cooking Articles & Food Guides. Feb. 2002. Web. 02 Feb. 2011. <http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Oatmeal-Coconut-Raspberry-Bars-106179>.