Anger Management

I shouldn't have been so hasty to slag Scottish cuisine yesterday. While I find haggis revolting, oatmeal is one of my comfort foods, providing it arrives in dessert form. Porridge is another story, but I digress.

When my computer woes went from bad to worse yesterday, I headed to the kitchen for a pan of much needed relief. Some people hit the bottle, but I hit the stove. I'd tried chocolate, but strangely this didn't put a dent on my mood. I needed oatmeal squares. Although I haven't whipped up a batch in years, these simple delights are one of the first things my mother taught me to bake. Maybe I just needed to be transported to a time when computers were for space programs and my biggest worries were my freckles.

If you're having a rough day you can lose yourself in these rich, buttery squares within minutes. They take no time to mix together, and only 15 minutes to bake. Waiting for them to cool will seem like an eternity, but if you scoop a spoonful onto a plate, it can be nibbled safely within 30 seconds. And don't fuss about the cholesterol. A note on the recipe card says it came from Aunt Bess, who lived to be 94, so they must be healthy.

Aunt Bess's Oatmeal Squares
Printable recipe

Makes an 8" pan or 16 squares.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter (must be butter for flavour)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups 3-minute oats*
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add oats and baking soda, mixing very well.
3. Press HARD into 8" pan and bake at 300F for 15 minutes. Watch so that they don't burn.
4. Cool and cut into squares.

* Recipe is gluten-free if you buy oats marked "gluten-free".