Giftmas is an annual tradition here on my site. Rhonda Parrish organizes the event to benefit the Edmonton Food Bank. Our goal this year is $1,500 Canadian which, because the Food Bank harnesses the power of connections and bulk buying will equal 4,500 meals. $1 = 3 meals. If you’re donating in American dollars, your donation will go even further!
Giftmas runs from December 1st through December 8th. So don’t wait to donate! Help out if you can.
Am I Canadian? Nope. Have I even been to Edmonton? Nope. Do I strive to care for my fellow human beings, even as they sadden and confound me? Yep. Times are hard. We need to extend kindness wherever and however we can.
As a THANK YOU to everyone who has visited this post, I’m sharing a Bready or Not post from years ago that makes a big platter of homemade candy/cookies using a number of ingredients you might donate or get from a food bank. This is a recipe that makes a lot to share, and that’s what Giftmas is really about: sharing.
Bready or Not: Oat and Toffee Grahams
Ingredients
- 12 graham crackers whole rectangles
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 sliced almonds or chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil and apply nonstick spray. Arrange graham crackers in a single layer side by side. They will not cover the entire surface of the pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, white sugar, brown sugar, and flour. Stir in the melted butter, egg, and vanilla until just mixed. Spoon the oat mixture atop the graham crackers, covering them completely.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until top is bubbly. Sprinkle all of the chocolate on top. Bake for another minute. Use an uneven spatula to smooth the softened chocolate to cover the graham crackers. Sprinkle on the almonds.
- Cool in pan. If slow to set, place in fridge until firm. Use a knife or–recommended–both hands to break the bars into pieces. Store in a sealed container with parchment or waxed paper between the layers.
- OM NOM NOM!
Oats trigger my migraines, so although this sounds delicious, until I can find more rolled barley flakes (which is what I’ve used in the past as a replacement) I can’t sample this. As someone who is obviously a bread expert, do you have a suggested replacement for rolled oats?
Hmm. I confess, I’ve never had to substitute for oats. I searched for other options, though, and saw other products like quinoa flakes and buckwheat flakes mentioned. As I haven’t tried them myself, I can’t vouch for how they work in this recipe or others. I hope you can find something that does not trigger a reaction (because migraines are the worst: I type my reply through the glare of auras).
Of all the biscuit-base recipes I’ve used, I’ve never thought of using them whole! Mind you, I don’t)t think we have square crackers here in the UK. Hmmm.
Fingers crossed we raise loads for food banks this year.
I can’t help but wonder how something like McVitie’s digestives would work here if the rounds were broken up and mosaiced together to create an even layer?
Yes, here’s hoping we can raise lots of funds to help people out this season!