Jam Bars

This is one of those recipes that I'd been wanting to make for years and had never gotten around to it. Jam bars are pretty standard stuff, aren't they? What had I been waiting for? I think they just seemed a little boring.

In fact, I ended up making these twice within two weeks to see which we liked better--the first time I only used blackberry jam, and the second time I used cherry jam and a sprinkling of chocolate chunks. Guess which one we liked better--with or without the chocolate?

Without.

The original jam bars were so good that the chocolate was overkill. Don't believe me? Try them out for yourself and see what you like better.



Jam Bars
(from Real Simple)
Printable Recipe
Serves 24

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 1/2 cups quality jam of your choice

Directions
1. Place the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and butter in a large bowl or a food processor and pulse several times until the ingredients are combined and a crumbly dough is formed. Add the oats and lemon zest. Pulse quickly twice to combine.
2. Press 2/3 of the dough firmly into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Spread the jam evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the jam; press down gently.
3. Bake at 350° until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool completely, about 2 hours, and cut into bars. Store in airtight containers. Enjoy!