Description
This is a variation of my Great-Aunt Bess’s recipe, which was sweet and crunchy but fell apart no matter how hard we pressed it into the pan. We used to sit around the table with the pan hot from the oven and dig in with spoons. It didn’t matter that we burned the roofs of our mouths — we couldn’t resist its charms! This version holds together better, thanks to heating the butter and brown sugar. I’m still tempted to eat it right from the pan with a spoon — just for old time’s sake — but there’s no longer a need.
Ingredients
2 cups (200 g) quick-cooking rolled oats
1⁄2 cup (115 g) salted butter, softened
3⁄4 cup (180 g) packed brown sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square metal baking pan with parchment paper.
Place the oats in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, heat the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Pour over the oats, stirring to combine.
Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes. The mixture will bubble at the edges.
Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Score with a knife into 16 squares. Let cool completely, then remove from the pan, using the parchment liner, and cut along the scored lines.
Notes
Store the squares in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
If you don’t have quick-cooking oats on hand, use large-flake (old-fashioned) rolled oats pulsed in a food processor or blender until roughly chopped.
These squares freeze really well. If you want to use them for school snacks, wrap individual squares in plastic wrap, place in a resealable freezer bag, and freeze. Pop individual frozen squares into lunch bags. They’ll be defrosted by snack time.
Courtesy of THE 3-INGREDIENT BAKING BOOK by Charmian Christie © 2019 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. Available where books are sold.
Keywords: butter, oatmeal, squares, easy, gluten-free