Yummy Lemon Oat Squares

My dear friend Delores was kind to share a basket of her fresh-from-the-tree Meyer lemons- in fact, she let me come hand-pick them! I first made a wonderful lemon pound cake, and now I made these lucious newer, and healthier, (yes, I said healthier) version of lemon bars. I love crumbly bar cookies, so this is the perfect meeting of a soft, tangy lemon center, and a crispy, crumbly, oaty crunble, top and bottom. I found this recipe in my King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook.
Lemon Oat Squares (Makes a 13"X9" pan)

Crust:
1 stick butter, softened
1 C. packed light or dark brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. old-fashioned oats
2/3 C. old-fashioned oats, ground for 30 seconds in a food processor
3/4 C. whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. orange juice

Filling:
1 can (14-15 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1-2 Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest
1/2 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease (or cooking spray) a 13"x 9" pan.

Crust:
Beat butter, suagr, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl till smooth. Add the rest of the crust ingredients, and mix only until combined and crumbly. Sprinkle half of crust into pan, pat in firmly to make a smooth layer.
Filling:
Whisk all three ingredients together till smooth, and thickened. Spread filling over crust evenly, then sprinkle with remaining crust mixture.
Bake:
Bake at 350, about 35-40 minutes, or until they are a light, golden brown. Set on a rack to cool, but after about 10 minutes, run a knife around the outside edge to loosen from pan. Refrigerate, covered, before cutting and serving.

Nutrition info:
4g. whole grain, 140 cal., 6g fat, 2g protein, 5g complex carbs, 16g sugar, 18mg. cholesterol


My kids are going to LOVE these! I know they still have that lucious sweetened condensed milk, and brown sugar, but hey! What about that whole grain stuff- the whole wheat flour and 2 ways that old-fashioned oats are in there? Then there's the fruit- lemon and orange, right? It is (for sure) healthier than cheesecake, pecan pie, flourless chocolate cake, etc., etc.

This Whole Grain Baking cookbook from King Arthur Flour has some really delicious recipes. Go to their website and see all the wonderful recipes and baking supplies they have! I do not work for them, but I am an avid baker, and I just saw a demonstration class by a traveling team of theirs (they are from Vermont, and were loving our sun and warm days), and I have renewed my interest in their products. I'd LOVE to visit their store in Vermont, in the Autumn, of course, but that one will have to wait awhile. For now, I'll just bake delicious things, and dream of those maple and oak leaves, red barns, and rolling hills,.............

Have a great, baking day!!!!