I'm supposed to be dieting.
But I keep making cookies. It's a problem, truly. My only saving grace is training for a half marathon. I can justify a cookie now and then.
The problem with these? I can eat them all day. Okay, who am I fooling...I can eat any kind of cookie all day. There is a reason my nickname is Cookie Monster.
I absolutely LOVE these cookies. Not only because they are delicious - they are also simple to knock together.
And? They remind me of the cherry crisp we used to get on our lunch trays in grade school. In a good way.
Cherry Almond Oat Bars
Makes: 16 bars
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cold egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup cherry preserves (I like Bonne Maman - you could probably use canned cherry pie filling too. Or substitute your favorite preserves.)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 inch baking pan with foil (hint: form the foil around the outside of the pan then drop it into the inside of the pan).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and use your clean hands to mix the dough until coarse crumbs appear. Beat egg and almond extract in a small bowl, then drizzle over dough mixture. Knead with your fingertips till clumpy.
Place 2/3 of the dough into the foil lined pan and press into the bottom to create an even layer. Spread the preserves atop the dough. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the preserves.
Bake until the edges are slightly golden - 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely, then turn them out of the pan. Remove the foil and cut into squares (use a pizza cutter - so easy!).
