Recipe: Oatmeal Bars

These are very moist, flavor blasting oatmeal breakfast bars. I didn't enjoy these bars as much as I would have if I had left the diced apple out and used less cranberries and raisins.  Use as little or as much as you'd like to. The bars do taste good with your morning cup of coffee. Add more coffee to give you that morning pick me up if you know you won't have time to drink your cup of coffee in the morning.

Ingredients :

2 tsp. instant coffee
1/2 c. powdered oats (put 1/2 c. of oats in a food processor, turn to a fine powder)
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tsp. oil
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 banana
OPTIONAL:
1/4 c. raisins
1/4 c. cranberries
1/2 medium apple diced
1/2 medium apple sliced
2 T coffee glaze
2 T. tempered chocolate
1 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. powdered sugar

Oven 350 F

1. In a small bowl mix coffee, oats, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
2. In a different bowl cream together regular sugar and eggs.
3. Mix vanilla and oil into sugar mix, add mashed banana, mix well.
4. Add the oat mix into the sugar mix. Mix until smooth
5. OPTIONAL: Mix in raisins, cranberries, and/or diced apple. 
6. Pour batter into a lightly greased and powdered 8X8 glass pan 
7. OPTIONAL: Layer apple slices across batter. Sprinkle brown sugar on top. 
8. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted to the middle.
9. When the cake is done pull out of oven and let cool completely in pan.
10. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of cooled cake.  Drizzle chocolate and coffee glaze on top of cake.  

COFFEE GLAZE : 

To make about 1 c. mix together 3/4 c. powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp. (or to taste) instant coffee, slash of vanilla and milk, 1-1/2 tsp. softened butter. Mix together until smooth. 

I would love to see pictures of your creation, and if you have any tips on how I could change this recipe please let me know! I hope you enjoy!