Make fresh strawberry oatmeal bars

QUICK COOK

Healthy strawberry oatmeal bars combine brown sugar, whole wheat flour, oats and lots and lots of strawberries. HILLARY LEVIN — ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH/TNS

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By Daniel Neman

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Now, right now, strawberries are their strawberriest.

Which makes this the perfect time to make a baked good that is actually low in calories. Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars are made with butter, brown sugar and whole wheat flour — along with old-fashioned rolled oats and strawberries — and yet they only have about 100 calories apiece.

Until you add a vanilla glaze. (That’s 27 calories more.) The glaze is optional, but you’re going to want to add it. Yum.

Healthy Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Serves 16

INGREDIENTS

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

3/4 cup whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 cups small-diced strawberries, divided

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided

For the optional vanilla glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon milk (any kind)

DIRECTIONS

Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs two sides like handles.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, ginger and salt. Pour in the melted butter and stir until it forms clumps and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened. Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Scatter half of the strawberries over the crust. Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the top, then sprinkle on the lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Scatter on the remaining berries, then the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top; you will have some fruit showing through.

Bake the bars for 35 to 40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the crumb topping smells toasty and looks golden. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.

When the bars are cool, prepare the glaze: In a medium bowl, briskly whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth. Add more milk if you want a thinner consistency. Using the parchment-paper handles, lift the bars from the pan. Drizzle with glaze, slice and serve.

— From Wellplated.com