Festive dessert squares
with an oat shortbread crust and nut-crumble topping enrobing
a lusciously spiced and bourbon-spiked sweet potato filling.
Spirited
Southern Sweet Potato Bars
- 2 cups Quaker® Oats
(quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups mashed cooked sweet potato or canned pumpkin
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon or 1/2 teaspoon rum extract (optional)
1 cup chopped pecans
- Heat oven to 375°F
(190°C). Lightly grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
- In large bowl, combine
oats and flour; mix well. Remove 2/3 cup and add salt and red
pepper; set aside for filling. To remaining oat-flour mixture,
add butter, granulated sugar and vanilla; blend with electric
mixer on low to medium speed until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup for
topping. Press remaining mixture evenly onto bottom of prepared
pan.
- Bake 15 minutes; remove
pan from oven. In separate bowl, combine sweet potato, eggs,
brown sugar, bourbon and reserved 2/3 cup oat-flour mixture;
mix well. Spread filling over warm crust. Add nuts to reserved
topping mixture; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over sweet potato
filling.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes
or until topping is light golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack;
cut into bars. Serve at room temperature. Store in refrigerator
tightly covered.
Makes 32 bars.
Nutritional Information
Per Serving (1 bar): Calories 160, Calories From Fat 80, Total
Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 4g, Cholesterol 30mg, Sodium 65mg, Total
Carbohydrates 18g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Protein 2g, Total Sugars
9g.
Recipe and photograph provided
courtesy of The Quaker Oats Company.
