Apricot Raisin Chewy Oatmeal Bar

Last Friday, after a long day working...I felt very tired actually, but since i've eaten this kinda Apricot oatmeal bar in Starbucks the day before...It keep ringing in my head that actually this cookies bar are very easy to make. I couldn't resist to make them.. Ingredients are easily to mic-match too, i use apricot mix with rasiin..since i love em both! Incase..you want to use blueberry, raspberry or fig...those are welcome. Also i skip using too many butter here for healthy sake..I change them into applesauce and yet the flavor are more rich and better then if i use full butter recipe. Okay...now you might have a look here...

* Apricot Raisin Chewy Oatmeal Cookie Bars *

Ingredients:

• 11 pieces Dried apricots, cut into small diced
• 15 gr + 8 gr Butter, softened. divided for base crumb & srumble top
• 100 gr + 75 gr Applesauce, divided for base crumb and crumble top
• 100 gr + 50 gr Brown Sugar, divided for base crumb and crumble top
• 150 gr + 50 gr Flour, divided for base crumb and crumble top
• 100 gr + 100 gr quick oat, divided for base & top
• 2 gr baking powder
• Pinch of Cinnamon
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Jar Apricot Preserves ( 320 gr)
• 1-2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Directions :

1. In a bowl, mix 150 gr butter and 15 gr applesauce. In other bowl mix together flour, oat, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt until well mixed.
   Pour the dry ingredients into applesauce -butter mix. Use hands until crumble dough formed. Add 1 Tbs lemon juice. The crumbled should be damp enough but not too gooey.
   Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9 x 9-inch pan. Put paper bread at the base of the pan. To make it easier while removing the bars later.
2. Pat the first crumble dough into bottom of pan. Bake 5 minutes at 350°F (180°C) or just until golden and take out from the oven.
   While batter is in oven, use the same bowl to mix all remaining dry ingredients for top crumble.
3. While the dough are still warm, pour over diced dry apricots & raisin on the base crumble dough, push a little to make them suck deep into the dough. Sprinkle dashes of cinnamon powder. Top over it with preserved apricot.
   Crumble the second dough and place on the top of the preserved apricot. Don't forget to sprinkle some cinnamon powder again.
4. Bake 23 – 25 minutes at 350°F (180°C) until bubbles emerges from the preserved apricot. Do not over baked or you will not find this bar chewy.
   Remove from oven; cool in pan before cutting in squares or bars with a sharp knife.
   Dust with confectioners sugar.(Optional)

Hints: This cookie bar are excellent eat like as is or unquestionably marvelous with cinnamon ice cream. I recommend you to eat this bar cold rather than warm. But the choices is yours...