Do you ever rip recipes out of a magazine and file them away thinking, "yum...but maybe later"? In addition to my growing online collection of recipe ideas I have bulging physical folders of clipped, copied and written recipes. Some are old favorites and others are recipes I honestly don't know when I'll ever make, but they sure sound good.
Of course my 'cookies,bars and miscellaneous desserts' folder is bursting to the seams. Every time I open the folder a magazine page with this Chewy Oatmeal-Cherry Bars recipe taunts, 'pick me, pick me.' I used the recipe's cherry-rosemary combination as flavor inspiration for this loaf of Pumpkin Wild Rice Bread with Rosemary and Dried Cherries last month. Alas, the recipe still peeks out of the dessert folder reminding me I've yet to make the actual bars. We both know there's only one remedy to that.
The original recipe called for coconut and pistachios in addition to the rosemary, cherries and oats. A family member who won't touch coconut means I usually forgo the snowy white shreds. Pistachios are dangerously addictive, expensive and reserved for special occasions. I wouldn't want to follow a recipe too closely now, would I? Enter chocolate chips. Chocolate and cherry is a fairly common combination, but fewer people realize that chocolate and rosemary also work well together. If I were to make these again I would increase the rosemary just a hint. Unfortunately my rosemary plant already looks more spindly than Charlie Brown's Christmas tree.
Chock-full of cherries and chocolate chips, these chewy cookie bars have a subtle hint of rosemary. While the oats and cherries add chew, these do fall a little on the dry and crumbly side so be sure not to over-bake them. I wonder which recipe will find it's way to the top of my pile next?
Chocolate-Cherry-Rosemary Bars
adapted from Hy-Vee
Ingredients:
5 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
Instructions:
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square pan; set aside.
* In a medium bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar; beat until fluffy, scraping down sides as needed. Beat in egg. Add flour, baking soda, salt and rosemary. Stir to combine. Stir in oats, dried cherries and 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
* Press dough into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips; lightly press chips into dough. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden and center is just set. Let cool before cutting into bars.
Food for Thought: "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." -Winston Churchill
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