(Bourbon) Sugar Plum Crisp Bars

The other day I was doing my BIG grocery shopping.  See our gas station earns us ‘Food Perks’ where we can earn up to 20% off our grocery bill.  Now I won’t even tell you just how much I had to spend in gas just to get 20% but let’s just say with all that I spent I could have bought my own grocery store however 20% is 20%.

I made up my list – 2 columns – front AND back filled. *giggle*  I had stuff on there that I normally wouldn’t buy but had coupons for and with the discount I figured I could get it.  Well one of those things were ‘dried plums’ – ya know, prunes.  Now prunes are not something we need in this house yet *haha but since I love cooking with dates I figured I’d give these a shot.

2 shopping carts later (I swear it took an army to carry all the stuff in from the car) and a nap – there was A LOT of stuff, I wanted to jump on making something with these funky little things.  Since they were dried I knew I had to reconstitute them.

Nerd cooking lesson – Reconstitute is the process of rehydrating dried foods by placing the food in water or some other liquid, in order to bring them back to a resemblance of their original size, shape and texture.

I originally went with a beta-test batch (essentially enough for just one) where I reconstituted them in water.  The end result was awesome but you know me… I wanted, no, I NEEDED to give it that WOW factor.

Sugar Plum Crisp Bars meet Bourbon. Bourbon – work your magic and give me that WOW factor!

Folks, let me introduce you to WOW!

Now for those that watch their sugar intake, I did put some notes in the recipe on how to make this Diabetic Friendly.  I would, however, consult our doctor on their recommendation regarding your ‘prune’ intake.

What I loved most about them is that aren’t overly sweet but they are just so yummy.  I highly recommend you giving this a try; you will pleasantly be surprised.. and um “regular”  LOL

(Bourbon) Sugar Plum Crisp Bars

• Author: The Kitchen Whisperer

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups prunes, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup bourbon (optional) – use only 1/2 cup water if using the bourbon
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cup quick oats
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a medium saucepan, add the prunes, water and bourbon.
3. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 5-10 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
4. Stir the mixture a few times to prevent it from sticking. You want the prunes soft and malleable.
5. While the prunes are softening, in a bowl mix the oats, brown sugar, flour, baking soda and1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together.
6. Add in the butter to the oat mixture and mix.
7. Scoop out 1 1/4 cups of the mixture and set aside.
8. The remaining mixture press evenly into the bottom of a 9×13 ungreased glass baking pan. You can use metal but line with parchment paper first leaving a 1” overhang to help remove it.
9. When the liquid has dissipated from the pan, add in the lemon juice, zest and remaining cinnamon.
10. Spread the cooked prunes over the oat layer taking it within 1/4” from the edge of the pan. This will spread out during baking.
11. Sprinkle the reserved oat mixture on top. It won’t cover it all, no worries as it’ll spread out.
12. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the oats are a golden brown.
13. Cool completely and then cut!

Notes

To make this Diabetic Friendly use 6 tablespoon Splenda Brown Sugar in place of the regular 3/4 cup brown sugar. And sorry but I don’t believe Bourbon is diabetic friendly.

With regards to prunes, California prunes provide both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. About 60 percent of the dietary fiber in California Prunes is pectin, a type of soluble fiber that helps control blood sugar (glucose) levels in people with diabetes.

Prunes’ fiber (soluble) helps in normalizing the blood sugar levels by slowing down the rate of food movement in the stomach and delays the absorption of the glucose after the meal. The fiber also increases the insulin sensitivity and thus plays a key role in battling diabetes type 2. And also, prunes’ soluble fiber will provide a sense of satisfied fullness after taking a meal thus helping in preventing weight gain and over eating.

They have a very low Glycemic Index (GI) of about 29, which means that they keep you in full of energy for longer time. This product (Californian prunes) as part of a good and healthy well balanced diet.

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