Blackberry coconut oat bars

Last Sunday, for the first time since 1997, I watched the entire Academy Awards, from the very first minute until “The Artist” was announced as best movie. Back in 1997 what made me stay up until 2 a.m. was my love for “The English Patient” – I’d become obsessed with the film after reading the book and, to me, Anthony Minghella had done such a brilliant job that I really wanted the film to get as many Oscars as possible. Ralph Fiennes did not take the award home but I wasn’t so disappointed because he lost to the fabulous Geoffrey Rush – it wasn’t something unfair like losing to Tommy Lee Jones. :)

This year, I watched the ceremony wishing with all my heart for Gary Oldman, Rooney Mara (since Tilda did not get a very much deserved nomination) and Scorsese or Malick to take the awards home, but wasn’t disappointed by the way things turned out because I loved “The Artist” and losing to Meryl Streep is an honor – it’s not unfair like losing to Paltrow, Roberts, Witherspoon or Zellweger. :)

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I’m still interested in recipes baked in 13x9in pans, that is why the first recipe I tried from this lovely book was these bars – they are every bit delicious as they are easy to make, and you can get away with the fact that there’s a huge amount of oats in them and call them “healthy”. :)

Blackberry coconut oat bars
slightly adapted from the adorable and delicious One Girl Cookies: Recipes for Cakes, Cupcakes, Whoopie Pies, and Cookies from Brooklyn's Beloved Bakery

¾ cup (75g) sweetened shredded coconut
1 ¼ cups (175g) all purpose flour
¾ cup (131g) light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon table salt
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
1 ½ cups (172g) old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup blackberry preserves

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Butter a 32x22cm (13x9in) baking pan* and line it with foil. Butter the foil as well.
Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Cool completely (leave the oven on).
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar and salt. Mix on low speed to combine. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Add the coconut and the oats. Mix on low for 1 minute until the dough has a crumbly texture.
Reserve ¾ cup of the mixture. Transfer the remaining dough to the prepared pan. Using your fingers, press it evenly over the bottom of the baking pan. Bake, rotating the sheet halfway through, for 14 minutes or until the crust is golden around the edges. Let the crust cool for 10 minutes (leave the oven on). Spread the blackberry preserves evenly over the crust, leaving a ½ in border.
Crumble the reserved dough over the preserves. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the preserves are bubbling and the topping is firm. Let cool completely then cut into bars.

* I made the exact recipe above using a 20x30cm (8x12in) pan; I reserved 1 cup of the dough for the topping and used the rest for the base. Since my pan has a removable bottom I did not line it with foil

Makes 24 bars