03/26/2012 - Oat-Fashioned Strawberry Dessert

I had an overwhelming urge to whip up something fruity when I noticed the fresh display of berries at my local grocery store this weekend. Unfortunately, my boyfriend had used of the last of my eggs making me pork fried rice for dinner (when was the last time I ran out of eggs!?) and I was too lazy to drive (or walk) to the store!

So... I hunted down something egg-free with strawberries in it, and my Market Fresh Cookbook saved the day! :D I am now determined (by the time I die) to try every amazing recipe contained within its pages! My boyfriend gave me that look like "you can't really be serious about this plan" when I mentioned it to him...but that's definitely nothing new! :P

(adapted from Taste of Home's Market Fresh Cookbook)

1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/4 cups old-fashioned oats*
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold butter

4 cups sliced strawberries**
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*Note* The recipe calls for quick-cooking oats, but I have found them to be fairly interchangeable in most recipes

**Note** I used half fresh and half thawed/frozen strawberries this time because I only had a single pint at the time (2 cups). I would have gone to the store for more, but there was that too-lazy-to-go-to-the-grocery-store vibe that had led me to this recipe in the first place! *SIGH* It turned out just fine, but in the future I would probably go fresh all the way :P

• Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt
• Cut in cold butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs
• I used my fingers here because I really needed to make a mess of myself...but be careful to not warm up the butter too much with the heat from your hands. If you are unsure, just throw it back in the fridge for a few minutes and all should be well
• Reserve 1-1/2 cups for topping and pat remaining crumb mixture into a greased 9-in square baking pan
• In another bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon with the strawberry slices
• Spoon strawberry mixture over prepared crust and sprinkle with reserved crumb topping
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes (golden brown and bubbly)
• Cool for a few minutes on a wire rack (don't want you to burn your fingers! :P) and ENJOY!!!