Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal Squares

There's nothing like warm, chewy, full-blooded (so to speak, yikes!) oatmeal dense enough to eat off of a napkin along with a cup of ginger lemon tea while reading a good book on a cold winter's morning.  No wimpy packets of water-soaked microwaved oatmeal here!

Pumped up for extra protein with 2% milk and 3 eggs, these oatmeal squares are a full meal of oat-y yumminess and chunks of apple in every bite. After my second bite I jumped up to grab my  camera and blog again after a (like my age, not gonna say numbers) hiatus from my camera and food words.  

So good the extras will be cooled down, cut, wrapped in waxed paper, and placed into a container for the freezer so Geno and I can grab and heat them up in the microwave any morning or any time they sound like the perfect breakfast or snack.

Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal Squares

Recipe by Glenna Anderson Muse

Ingredients:

3 cups Rolled Oats

3 cups Apple, chopped with skin on

1/3 cup Dark Brown Sugar (for those with a super sweet tooth, you might consider doubling this although it will  affect the nutrition counts, particularly calories and carbs)

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 tsp ground Cardamom

1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground Allspice

2 tsp Baking Powder

3 large Eggs

1 cup 2% Milk

1/2 cup Unsweetened Applesauce

1 Tbsp Vanilla 

Directions:

1) In medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients:  oats, brown sugar, salt, spices, and baking powder.

2) In medium bow, whisk together wet ingredients:  eggs, milk, applesauce, and vanilla.

3) Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients and spoon into a cooking spray coated 8"x8" baking dish. Let rest on counter for 20-30 minutes to allow oats to soak up moisture.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

4) Bake for 30 minutes or until top is starting to brown nicely and center reaches 135 degrees with a meat thermometer.  Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into 9 squares.  May be served warm or room temp.  Can be frozen and re-heated in microwave.

Recipe note:  Eggs set at 140 degrees. Allowing recipe to rest for 10 minutes prior to cutting will allow temp to reach 140 degrees without overbaking.

Nutrition Information:  Per square (1/9th of recipe):  Calories: 188;  Protein:  7; Carbs: 32;  Fat: 4; Fiber 4.  Dietary sugar 11.