I get lots of great recipes from incredible cousin Diana Brown, but this may be my favorite. Credit to blogger Farmgirl Susan for this layered bar of blueberries and oats, with lots of butter and sugar of course. I think the almond extract really adds something, so do use the full amount. If your blueberries are the wild, smaller sweeter variety you might reduce the sugar a bit in the middle layer.
I pulled some of these out of my freezer after 4 months and they were still divine. I have served them very successfully as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The last frozen one I popped in the microwave and decided they are even better warm. Use fresh or frozen berries, and mix some chopped nuts into the topping if you wish. I’m posting her recipe as she wrote it with all organic ingredients, but I used what I had in the pantry with no problems.
Bottom layer:
2 cups organic old-fashioned oats (not quick oats)
3/4 cup organic all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
10 Tbs (1 stick + 2 Tbs.) organic butter, melted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Top Layer:
1 cup organic all purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup ( 1 stick) cold organic butter, cut into small pieces
Middle Layer:
3 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 to 1 tsp. pure almond extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (1/4 tsp. if freshly ground)
Bottom Layer:
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9″ by 13″ pan.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan with your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup.
For the top layer:
Place the flour, brown sugar and butter in a small bowl and use a fork, pastry blender or your fingers to combine until the mixture resembles large crumbs; some pea-size clumps are okay. Or you can pulse everything for a few seconds in a food processor. Set aside.
For the middle layer:
Place the blueberries in the bowl you mixed the bottom layer in and toss them with the almond extract . Combine the sugar and flour and toss it with the
berries, then pour them over the bottom layer in the pan.
Sprinkle the top layer evenly over the blueberry mixture.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden, and the
edges are starting to brown. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Store in a cool place or refrigerate. Bars may be frozen.
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