Chocolate Chip Cherry Pecan Oat Bars

A new recipe (adapted a bit from a Kraft Foods recipe called Chocolate, Cranberry and Oat Bars) that I have been trying to get made since Christmas turned out way better than I imagined. But really, how can you go wrong with chocolate and cherries and oats?

Ingredients:
1 cup dried cherries (or cranberries, or raisins... If you use cherries chop them up a bit)
1/4 cup orange juice (juice of 1 orange or store kind)
1 1/2 cups flour (I used 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup white, but next time will use more
wheat)
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 bag (6 oz.) chocolate chips (Kristin! This really is enough! :)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans (or other nuts)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Combine cherries and orange juice and heat in microwave for 30 seconds, or on stove top until
warmed through. Let stand 10 min.
3) Combine flour, oats, baking powder and salt, set aside
4) Beat margarine and brown sugar with mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time
beating until well blended after each addition.
5) Gradually add in flour mixture mixing well after each addition.
6) Stir in cherry mixture, chocolate chips and pecans
7) Spread into 13 by 9 inch pan, use cooking spray or butter and flour
8)Bake 20 to 22 minutes or until center is set (mine took 27-28 min)
9) Cool completely on wire rack before cutting to serve (yeah right!)


These are too yummy straight from the oven and we are having them for breakfast today. (Hey! there are oats in there! and fruit! and nuts!) They are like a big thick chocolate chip cookie with cherries and nuts. Or maybe a little like a blondie. I will say, if you want them to be pretty when you cut them without crumbling apart, do let them cool completely. Obviously you don't have to let the whole pan cool.

PS We are making an offer on a house on Saturday! I hope it goes well!