Apricot Bar Cookies

Featured in the revised edition of The New American Plate

Canola oil cooking spray
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup canola oil
5 Tbsp. apple juice, divided
1/2 cup apricot jam, preferably fruit-sweetened
1 package (7 oz.) dried apricots, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 X 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix together oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda until well combined. In small bowl, whisk oil and 3 tablespoons juice together and pour over oat mixture, blending well until moist and crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup for topping. Press the remainder evenly into prepared pan. In small bowl, blend jam with remaining 2 tablespoons apple juice. Stir in dried apricots. Spread evenly over crust. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over apricots, lightly pressing down with fingers. Bake 35 min. or until golden. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes 16 bars. Per serving: 162 calories, 5 g total fat (<1 saturated fat), 28 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 63 mg sodium.