So, obviously I did not make it back to Make’n’Tell last month. I still haven’t finished that sweater, though the end is finally in sight (and it turns out the deadline was May 12, not April, so at least I didn’t actually miss the deadline). I’ve been sick with allergies and busy doing lots of stuff with family (both the one I live with and my derby one), so I haven’t been making much, or at least not making new stuff.
Although, now that I think about it, I did cook quite a bit, and I really should have blogged that. One of the things I cooked(baked) was these delicious oat-nut bars — I love them for breakfast, and used to make them all the time, but I ran out of coconut oil and never restocked. But a member of my derby family recently was hospitalized with bacterial meningitis, and we wanted to show her some love at our last bout by baking some treats in her honor. I picked these because they remind me of her: Sweet, full of goodness and energy, a little nutty, and totally awesome!
I originally found this recipe on Half Baked Harvest, and modified it just a tad (mostly by adding the nuts).
- 2 1/2 c old fashioned oats
- 1 c all purpose flour
- 1 c whole wheat flour
- 1 c brown sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 c coconut oil
- 2 eggs, large
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 8 oz dark chocolate chunks
- 3/4 c cashew pieces (optional)
- 3/4 c pecan pieces (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Line 9x13" baking dish with parchment paper****
- In a large bowl, mix oatmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, oil, eggs, and vanilla
- Beat until dough holds together -- it will be somewhat oily
- Stir in chocolate and nuts
- Turn batter into pan, smoothing and evening
- Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes, until top is no longer shiny
- Do not overbake
- Allow bars to cool in pan, then lift out and continue cooling on rack
- Slice in to 1 1/2" squares
* I have made this with different flour ratios depending on what I have on hand and it comes out just fine.
** You may sub another oil or combination of oils -- I sometimes do a few tablespoons of flax seed.
*** Use whatever chocolate you like. The batch shown has all of the leftover chocolate chips I had -- semi-sweet, dark, bittersweet, even a few minis and some white!
**** Y'all, my baking life has completely changed since I started lining things with parchment paper. If you prefer to butter or spray your pan, you do you. But I'll be over here stuffing my face full of these delicious bars while you're washing that pan.