bakingclub

Assignment 2: Oatmeal-Coconut Bars

This scrumptious looking recipe comes to us from a lovely cookbook I own, The Commonsense Kitchen. The book contains recipes for staple upon staple dishes, as well as more than a few recipes that are off the beaten track. You should probably go buy this book right now, at the very least to look lovely on your kitchen shelf. Just LOVE that cover. Also, it’s more than 600 pages long, so you’re sure to find a few other recipes you’ll want to make.

This recipe seems very simple to me, but I’ve never been a “bar baker,” as I’ve always preferred to go with traditional cookies. But, since part of the reason I started this club was to challenge myself to try new things…here we go! I’m really interested in trying my hand at a bar, and I figured starting out with something that at least seems really easy is the way to go. Hopefully you all agree.

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Recipe

(makes 16 2-inch bars)

These are very good with vanilla ice cream. My mother saved this recipe decades ago, annotating it with just one word: “Divine.”

• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Heat the oven to 375 F. Butter an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the oats evenly into the pan. Combine 2 1/4 cups of the oats with the coconut in a medium bowl. Combine the granulated sugar, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Sift if there are any lumps. Cream the butter with the brown sugar in a large bowl, then add the granulated sugar mixture and cream again. Add the oat mixture and combine with your hands until uniform. Press the dough evenly into the pan without disturbing the coating of butter and sprinkling of oats. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of oats over the surface of the dough.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until pale golden brown. For the neatest results, let cool completely and refrigerate for several hours before using a sharp knife to cut the cookies in a 4-4 grid into 16 square bars, or whatever shape and size you please. Let the cookies come to room temperature before serving.

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Assignment Deadline: Saturday, March 26

Happy Baking!

-Sara