Cranberry Oat Bars

I am, without a doubt, one of the biggest fans of anything cranberry you will ever meet. Every year around Thanksgiving time, I make cranberry bread, cranberry sauce, cranberry scones … the list goes on. So when I discovered these, I fell in love with them. They’re absolutely amazing, so, as a cranberry lover, I feel obligated to share this wonderful recipe.

1 - 12-oz bag fresh cranberries
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup water
1 - 18.25-oz. box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, white sugar and water. Cook, stirring occasionally until all of the cranberries have popped and the mixture is thick (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, melted butter and eggs. Stir in the oats, brown sugar, ginger and cinnamon. Set aside about 1-1/2 cups of the mixture and spread the rest into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pack down to form a solid crust, getting it as even as possible. Spread the cooled cranberry sauce over the crust. Pinch off pieces of the remaining oat mixture and spread evenly over the cranberry layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes in the preheated oven until the top is lightly browned. Cool in the pan for about 45 minutes before serving.