CRUST FOR FRUIT BARS / CRISPS:

1. Cream together 3/4 C butter & 1 C brown sugar.
2. Add 1 3/4 C flour, 1/2 t soda & 1 t salt.
3. Stir in 1 1/2 C oat flakes -- regular, not thick-cut.
4. For a Fruit Crisp, pat half of this crumbly mixture into a lightly greased 9" x 13" x 2" baking pan; for a Fruit Bar, press half of it into a greased & floured jelly roll pan -- the flour makes these easier to remove later.
5. Using the backs of your fingers, firmly press down this bottom crust.
6. Spread (or otherwise equally distribute) the desired filling evenly over the bottom crust; if making Bars, spread the filling only to within 1/2" of the sides.
7. Sprinkle remaining crust mixture evenly over filling, and pat it down firmly but gently.
8. On the center rack of oven, bake Fruit Crisp @ 325 F for 45 minutes, or bake Fruit Bars @ 350 F for 30 minutes.

APPLE CRISP (serves 6-8)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 TBL flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 TBL grated orange zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon (I use more)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 large tart apples

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, flour, nuts, brown sugar & granulated sugar. Stir in the orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt, then blend in the butter.
Lightly butter a 13x9" baking dish. peel, core & thinly slice the apples. Place the slices on the bottom of the dish & scatter the crumb mixture over the top. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 45 minutes.~~The Maine Collection

PEAR CRISP (serves 6)
6 ripe Bosc or Anjou pears, peeled, cored, sliced
1 TBL lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar

Place pears in a greased 2 qt baking dish. Toss pears w/lemon juice, cinnamon & nutmeg. In a bowl, combine flour & butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Add oats & brown sugar. Stir well; sprinkle over pears. Bake in a preheated 375° oven 20-25 minutes or until browned & pears are tender. Serve w/ice cream or whipped cream.~~Food for Thought

RASPBERRY ALMOND SQUARES
2/3 cup blanched whole almonds
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 egg, separated
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup raspberry preserves

Using a processor with a steel blade, process the almonds until finely chopped but not powdered. Or finely chop in ablender or by hand. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, granulated sugar & brown sugar. Beat in the egg yolk & vanilla.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour, cinnamon & salt. Stir into the creamed mixture, blending well.
Press the dough into a lightly buttered 14x11" jellyroll pan. Spread the preserves evenly over the top. Beat the egg white until frothy & brush over the preserves. Sprinkle w/the almonds & gently pres into the preserves. Place in the center of a preheated 350° oven & bake 30-35 minutes or until the edges are browned & the center is almost browned. Remove from the oven & immediately loosen the sides with a spatula. Let cool in the pan 40 minutes, then cut into squares.~~Our Town Cookbook

APRICOT BARS
1 2/3 cups quick oats
1 2/3 cup flour1 scant tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 stick butter, melted
10 oz jar apricot preserves

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 15x10x1" jellyroll pan. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking soda, salt & brown sugar. Add the butter & mix until crumbly. Pack 1/2 the mixture firmly into the prepared pan. Spread the preserves evenly over the mixture. Sprinkle remaining mixture evenly over the preserves & pat down gently. Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned.~~Gator Country Cooks

For Apple Crisp: Firmly press half my crust recipe into bottom of a 9" x 13" x 2" lightly greased baking pan. Then core & slice (but don't peel) 5 or 6 tart apples, distribute the slices evenly over bottom crust, then sprinkle the apple slices w/ a mixture of 1/2 cup Splenda or sugar, 1 t cinnamon, & 1 t grated lemon zest, using more lemon zest if apples are not very tart. Then evenly distribute remaining top half of crust mixture over the apples, and pat that down. Bake on center shelf of 350 oven for ~ 45 minutes. Cool in the pan; serve warm or at room temperature, (optionally) w/ whipped topping.

The Pineapple/Rhubarab Bars are made this way: Firmly press half of the crust mixture into the bottom of a greased & floured jelly roll pan (about 10 1/2" x 15"?). (They will release more easily when baked if you flour the greased pan.) Finely chop 3 cups of fresh rhubarb; dump 1 small can crushed pineapple & its juice into a saucepan, bring it to a boil, turn off the heat & add the chopped rhubarb; stir to combine well. Evenly spread this mixture, while still hot, to w/in 1/2" of edges of bottom crust. Distribute remaining half of crust mixture over filling, then pat it down. Bake @ 350 for ~ 1/2 hour. It's well to loosen edges immediately on taking from oven, & to cut into squares (in the pan) while still warm. If cut into fairly small squares, these can be eaten out of hand.

Enjoy!

Recipes sound good. Have lots of blueberries and wonder if they would work.

Thanks,
Jane