Apricot Oatmeal Bars
Sam Adler
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Instagram: @frostingandfettuccine | frostingandfettuccine.com
INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour 1⁄2 cup brown sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup vegan butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1 1⁄2 cups old-fashioned oats 1 tsp salt 1 (18 oz) jar apricot preserves 1 tsp vanilla extract
METHOD
• Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13-inch pan with baking spray.
• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon and mix lightly. Now it’s time to cut in the “butter,” which means you have to break the butter up into tinier pieces as you mix it into the dry ingredients, making sure not to let it melt as you mix. You can do it with your fingers, but it’s best with a pastry cutter.
Add in the oats and mix until a dough forms.
Take half the dough and press it into the bottom of the pan. In a small bowl, combine the preserves and vanilla and mix well till combined.
Layer the preserve mixture evenly on top of the oat mixture, then crumble the rest of the oats on top. You don’t have to press it in, just crumble it on top. Bake for 20–22 minutes or until golden brown. Let it cool before you slice or it will be a mess!