Strawberry Oat Bars
Known as “carrés aux fraises”, these strawberry oat bars belong to the long list of baked goods the French love to whip up in the Spring. They yield a tangy homemade filling made of fresh strawberries sandwiched between a crisp and buttery oat crumble. This is a delicious hand-held treat to be served for dessert or packed up to enjoy at a sunny picnic. Spring in Brittany is celebrated for many reasons – with one of the top ones being the arrival of fresh, local strawberries! Strawberry season is…
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 9 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- For the filling:
- 10 ounces (300g) strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 1 tbsp (15g) cornstarch
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups (187.5g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups (135g) oats
- ⅔ cup (142g) cane sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 ¾ sticks (200g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
Instructions
- 1
Step 1 - Start by making the filling. In a medium saucepan, combine the strawberries, the cornstarch and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil and let boil for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the consistency thickens and gets syrupy. Turn off the heat and reserve.
- 2
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a 9x9in (22.8cm x22.8cm) baking dish with parchment paper.
- 3
Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, oats, cane sugar, salt, ginger powder and baking powder. Add the cubed butter and mix with your fingertips until you get a (very slightly moist) coarse crumb.
- 4
Step 3 - Sprinkle half of the crumbs into the prepared lined pan, and pat lightly with the palm of your hand to pack lightly. Pour the strawberry mixture over, making sure it covers the whole surface. Sprinkle the other half of the crumb mixture over the top.
- 5
Bake for 40 minutes, until golden on top. Remove from oven and let cool onto a cooling rack. When completely cool, remove carefully from the pan, unpeel parchment paper from the sides and cut into squares.