Amah was the source of this recipe, and she got it from her friend Bea Gormley. Amah left out the butter one time by accident, and the “new and better” version was born. We called them Bea Bars for years, in honor of Bea. In Nanjing we had a guinea pig and named her Bea because she seemed like a Queen (Beatrix is the name of the queen of the Netherlands). A few days after the guinea pig arrived at our house, she gave birth to a huge litter full of small guinea pigs, and we called her Mommy Bea. So there have been many important Bea’s in our lives.These bars are delightful, and travel well on long trips.
Now everyone knows that fats are important, and that a no-fat diet is dumb. But if you have some reason to want a no-fat recipe, that is what this is. If you leave out the dried milk, it is also dairy free.
Beat until light and white:
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
Add:
1 teaspoon or a little more molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix in:
1 cup flour
½ cup oatmeal
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup powdered milk, which can be left out if you like.
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup raisins
Cook in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake 20 – 25 minutes at 350 F (180 C) degrees.