Fruit Oatmeal Bars

I just love when Gavin's Snack Day rolls around.  It's my chance to play with recipes I otherwise probably wouldn't try!

And then I wouldn't know how awesome and EASY these bars are and that would just be a shame.

Fruit Oatmeal Bars
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman
Prep time: 10 minutes   Cook time: 40 minutes

14 tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) cold butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup oats
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 jar (10-12oz) jam or preserves of your choice

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.

I used old-fashioned oats because I wanted more texture.

2.  Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Hint: don't use fresh-from-the-fridge COLD butter.  Your arm will thank me.

Cool butter will suffice.

3.  Sprinkle half the mixture into the pan and pat lightly to pack it a little tight. Spoon the preserves evenly over the surface, then carefully spread it around. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly again.

Use a flat-bottomed vessel to help get an even & flat bottom layer.

Very gently spread the jam around so you don't pull up the crust.

I could just eat this as-is.

4.  Bake until light golden brown on top, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan.  When cool, cut into squares and serve.

Still have a TON of jam from last summer's canning session?  GREAT way to use it up!

You'll probably see a lot more recipes in the next few months that use jam or preserves.  And it's all Gavin's fault.  No really, it is!  I embarked on a giant canning effort last summer because my darling older boy LIVES for PB&J sandwiches.  So I made a number of batches of jam last summer, while congratulating myself that I wouldn't have to buy jam for a year.  And then school started.  And then he began requesting his sandwiches with just peanut butter.  No jam.  No honey.  Just the PB.  Really Gavin?! Really???  *sigh*

At least this recipe used up an entire big jar of my yummy 3 Berry Honey Jam (strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries)!  And these were soooo good that I might just have to make another pan on this later today for us to munch on at home.  Delicious!!!