rikibeth

...technically, peppers are a fruit, right?

All-Purpose Oat Crumble

4 cups rolled oats
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups light brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
18 oz butter, melted

Put the oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and stir until well blended. It's easiest to use your hands. Pour the melted butter over the mixture and stir until moistened. If you don't like getting your hands messy, wear gloves or use a rubber spatula.

Reserve 1/4 of the crumble mixture. Press the rest of it into a 1/2 sheet baking pan lined with parchment and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes

Remove from oven. Let cool somewhat if you want to make it easy on yourself. Apply whatever sort of jam suits your fancy. You'll need at least 2 cups. I just spread 2 10-oz jars of hot pepper jelly on this batch. Spread into an even layer with an offset icing spatula.

Sprinkle the reserved crumble over the top. Return to oven for 15 more minutes.

Let cool, cut into squares, and serve.

Yes, it is that easy.

The oat crumble is labeled All-Purpose Oat Crumble because it is. You can use it as the base for any other bar that'd taste good with an oatmeal cookie-ish base, use it as topping for fruit crisps, use it as streusel topping for muffins... bake it, crumble it, and stir it into yogurt or ice cream, whatever. And it's so easy, it's what