Peanut Butter, Maple and Strawberry Slice

I want a healthy snack.

This slice definitely is healthy.  Not sweetened with sugar, it is sweetened with maple syrup and fruit only.  In a word, delicious.  To me.  My husband didn't care for it.  My son wouldn't touch it, my daughter wanted seconds.

The slice needs to be cooled for a considerable time before you can cut into it.  I popped it in the fridge towards the end of cooling, as I was getting inpatient.

 Ours came out pretty crumbly and required a fork.

The girls in the family didn't mind that.

I threw a little pineapple into the strawberry mixture, too, and some mint from our garden.  What's wrong with the boys in this family?  This slice is a keeper!

Peanut Butter, Maple and Strawberry Slice

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction 

Ingredients

For the fruit sauce

• 2 cups of diced strawberries
• 1/2 cup pineapple (optional)  - or throw in any other fruit you have on hand that sounds good
• 2 tablespoons of warm water
• 2 tablespoons of cornstarch
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• a few leaves of mint, finely chopped (optional... we did this!  Yum!)
• 1 tablespoon of sugar (optional - I didn't use sugar.  Maybe that's why the boys didn't like them)

For the oat bottom

• 2 and a half cups of quick cooking oats
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 cup of nut butter (we used peanut)
• 1/4 cup of apple butter (or any other fruit butter... Sally says not apple sauce)
• 1/2 cup sliced nuts for topping (optional)
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

• Make the strawberry filling by mixing the cornstarch with the warm water until it is all dissolved. Set aside.
• Combine the fruit, mint, maple syrup and sugar (if using) in a pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir well.  Remove from heat and stir in the cornstarch mixture.  Stir until well blended and set aside to thicken and cool
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Make the oat mixture: In a bowl, combine all the oat ingredients until all of the oats are moistened and well blended.  Save 1/2 cup of the oat mixture.  Press the remaining mixture into the baking pan.  Spread the fruit filling on top.  
• To the reserved 1/2 cup oat mixture, add the sliced almonds.  Crumble this over the strawberry filling.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.