504 Main by Holly Lefevre: pioneer woman

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Berry Cobbler Squares

My kids do not get cute little creative lunches or sandwiches cut into shapes.

Heck, I am a night owl, so quick thinking and lunch packing

in the early morning is really not my thing.

Thankfully, I am developing a go-to roster of "acceptable" menu items.

One of their favorite snacks are these Berry Cobbler Squares.

A few month sago I was watching the Pioneer Woman on Food Network

- only my second time watching -

but she made Strawberry Oatmeal Bars and I thought

"I must try this!"

Of course they were a hit.

Over the next few months I made some adjustments to the recipe

and my husband one day actually said

- remember this is the man who once said "baking may not be your thing" -

declared these were better than the original. WHAT!?

So...here is my one note...

I have been trying to reduce the amount of butter in this recipe.

I played around by incorporating applesauce and butter.

The taste was GREAT...but they were a teeny tiny bit crumbly.

At the bottom of the recipe, you can see my notes, just in case you want to try it.

BERRY COBBLER SQUARES
(adapted from The Pioneer Woman on Food Network)

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 Sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces...PLUS a bit more for buttering the pan
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (you can use All-Purpose flour, but the whole wheat adds a nutty rich taste)
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 Cups Frozen berries

MAKE IT!

Preheat oven to 350F
Place 3 cups of frozen berries (or fresh) in a sauce pan on low heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, stirring occasionally - just until they are soft but still hold their shape. Of course you can cook them down further if you prefer. My family prefers the whole fruit texture.
Combine butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a mixer. Mix until combined
In a separate bowl whisk together whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg.
Check you berries!
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients - mix to combine
Add the oats to the mixture.
Layer about one half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of the pan, spreading it out into an even layer.

If your berries have a lot of liquid, strain out the liquid or use a slotted spoon to reduce the amount of liquid.

Spoon the berries evenly over the bottom layer of oatmeal.

Use the remaining half of the oatmeal mixture and spread it as evenly as possible on top - mine is always a little more cobbler looking and uneven.

Bake for 35-40 minutes and then let cool completely before cutting into squares.

BUTTER AND APPLESAUCE MIXTURE
As mentioned I have been trying to reduce the amount of butter. This was still a little crumbly, but not too bad...so here is how I reduced the butter "a little bit."