CRUST

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4-1/2 cup of extremely finely chopped walnuts or almonds
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 tablespoons orange juice – add zest if you wish

FILLING

• 1-1/3 cups dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 large egg white slightly beaten
• Cooking Spray

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

For the crust:

1. Spoon flour into measuring cup to measure out. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, salt baking soda, cinnamon and nuts in a medium bowl and stir well with a whisk.
2. Drizzle butter and orange juice over the flour mixture stirring until it is moistened. (the mixture will be crumbly).

3. Reserve 1/2 cup of oat mixture.

4. Press the remainder of the oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

For the Filling:

1. Combine all the filling ingredients (cranberries, sour cream, sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, vanilla, orange zest and 1 large egg white) in a medium bowl, stirring well.
2. Spread the cranberry mixture over the prepared crust.
3. Sprinkle your reserved oat mixture evenly over the filling.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until edges are golden.
5. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Cranberries are becoming very popular for baking in place of raisins or other dried fruits.  They are being used as a topping for salads and incorporated into many recipes as their health benefits become more well known. Here are just a few of the health benefits of cooking with cranberries and adding them to your daily diet.

• Cranberry is felt to reduce the risk of heart disease as it works on low density lipoprotein and inhibits its oxidation
• Cranberry is known to be beneficial in preventing urinary tract infections caused by bacteria
• Cranberry has proven effective in anti-cancer studies in the prevention of cancer
• Cranberry's specific acid can aid in the prevention of kidney stone formation
• Cranberry inhibits bacterial growth which causes dental plaque 
• Cranberry has been shown to provide asthma relief
• Cranberry has been shown to increase circulation