Friendsgiving

It's that wonderful time of the year when family and friends gather together and share one of the best meals!  It's been a very long time since I've been "home" for Thanksgiving.  Over the past 10-12 years I have spent Thanksgiving Day with a different group of friends each year.  This type of gathering has come to be known as Friendsgiving.  It's always a bit of a question as to where I will end up eating dinner, but I haven't been stuck at home by myself yet (a few years that was a real possibility).  Ahh...the life of a single girl living far from family!

This year I was invited to my first official "Friendsgiving" (the invite actually said "Friendsgiving," thus making it official).  It was hosted on a Sunday afternoon at a church friend's house southwest of the city.  By the time I RSVPed most of the dinner food was vouched for and so I was asked to bring dessert.  I didn't mind this at all, since sweet treats are my favorite!  I love to bake and so, I searched around for a tasty recipe.

I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to cake mixes.  Whenever I see them on sale, I buy at least 1, maybe 2.  You never know when you might need cupcakes or a cake to celebrate an occasion!  So, I'll admit it and you can judge me, but I rarely make a cake from scratch.  Why do something the hard way, when an easy short-cut is provided?

Cranberries are an excellent
flavor for the season.

In addition to making great, hard-to-screw-up cakes, cake mixes can be made into a variety of desserts, thus the popular line of cookbooks by Anne Byrn.  I have the first book and have only made a few things from it, but one of my favorite treats are these Cranberry Oat Crumble Bars.  I just happened to have a bag of fresh cranberries in the freezer that I've been meaning to use for almost a year!

So, the night before the gathering, I baked these bars and my whole apartment smelled like cake!  Everyone enjoyed them at the gathering and I hope that you do to.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cranberry Oat Crumble Bars

1 package (12 oz; 3 cups) whole cranberries (I used a bag of fresh cranberries that I had frozen)

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup water (you can use orange juice)

1 package (18.25 oz) plain yellow cake mix

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Set aside an ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan.

2. Pick over the cranberries, and discard any that are shriveled or discolored.  Place the remaining cranberries, granulated sugar and water in a medium-size heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Cook, stirring, until the mixture is thickened and all the cranberries pop, 10- 15 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat, pour the cranberry filling into a shallow freezer-proof glass dish, and place it in the freezer to cool.

3. Place the cake mix, melted butter, oatmeal, brown sugar, eggs, and ginger in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.  Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  The mixture will be thick.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups for topping.  Transfer the remaining crust mixture to the pan.  Using your fingertips, press the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan so that it reaches all sides.

4. Remove the chilled cranberry filling from the freezer and pour it over the crust, spreading it out with the rubber spatula.  Pinch off pieces of the reserved crust mixture and scatter them over the filling.  Place the pan in the oven.

5. Bake the cake until it is light brown and bubbling, 35 – 40 mins. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool.

6. Cut the cake into 24 bars.  Serve.