Crunchy Oat Slice

Wotchers!

Here’s a recipe using one of my favourite ingredients – oats!

Whilst the thought of porridge leaves me shuddering in horror, stick some oats in a biscuit and I’m elbowing myself to the front of the queue!

I love this recipe because it is so easy: it’s ready to eat in less than an hour (45 minutes if you’re speedy on the prep) and is a robust keeper – so its fantastic for packed lunches and picnics, IF you can keep fingers out of the tin.

Oats add a wonderful crunch to anything baked, and these flapjack-type bars are no exception. One bite and the crunchy oats and the zing! of the raspberry jam conjure up images of tramping about the Highlands of Scotland, kilts, heather and bagpipes, all from the comfort of your armchair. And oats are so good for you! You can almost feel yourself getting fitter and more glowingly rosy-cheeked with each bite! It’s practically a fitness workout. You’d probably get MORE unfit if you DIDN’T eat one. At least, that’s what I tell myself as I recline back into the sofa with my mug of coffee and sideplate.

Top tip of the day – don’t skip the salt. Even though this is a sweet recipe, the oats need that little hint of salt to bring out their flavour. Trust me – it’s definitely not the same without it.

Best of all, these are so adaptable. No raspberry jam? Use apricot. Something not too sweet and with a bit of sharpness to contrast with the oats. Try marmalade. Or plum. Or rhubarb and strawberry (my current favourite from this summer’s preserves). Or Apple Butter. Or dates, simmered with a little lemon juice and water until soft. Or – oh wow – mincemeat! I just thought of that, and now I want to make some to see if it’s as awesome as my brain is telling me it is!

You make some too!

Crunchy Raspberry Oat Slice

90g demerera sugar
125g wholemeal flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
125g rolled oats
125g butter
250g seedless raspberry jam

• Preheat oven to 180°C, 160°C Fan.
• Grease a 20cm square cake tin or slice tin, and line with baking parchment.
• Put all the ingredients except the jam and the oats into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until the butter is incorporated and the mixture looks like rough breadcrumbs. Add the oats and pulse once or twice just to break them up slightly – you want to keep some texture in there.
• Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared cake tin.
• Put the jam into a saucepan and warm gently. Pour the warmed jam over the base mixture and spread evenly.
• Scatter the remaining oat mixture over the top of the jam and press lightly.
• Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Cost: £1.50 (used home-made jam, November 2011)