I get a little carried away with my freezer jam stash every year. I love berries so much. And I love freezer jam so much. So, I jam and jam and jam until I can jam no more.
And then I hoard my jam all winter long, afraid that I will run out before summer berry season comes again.
And, every single year, you can find my summer freezer already packed with last year’s freezer jam and yet I still want to make more. So, I start looking for fun little treats like these to use up some of my stash so I can justify the makings of more.
It’s a vicious cycle really, but one that I don’t see changing anytime soon. I know myself pretty well.
Anyways, if you’re at all like me… or if you’re not, but you just love berry treats and buttery desserts (that can easily pass for breakfast!), give these simple, delicious bars a try.
They are incredibly simple to throw together, and absolutely addicting!
If you don’t have good freezer jam, then please use a mixture of regular jam and fresh smashed berries if you can. The bars won’t be quite as good with just regular jam, but if that’s all you have, don’t let it stop you!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, cubed & softened
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups homemade freezer jam*
- 1 1/4 cups of the crust mixture**
- 1 cup old fashioned or quick rolled oats
- 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, cubed & softened
Directions
*Or a mixture of about half jam and half smashed fresh - or frozen/thawed berries.
**This is not a separate ingredient. After you mix the crust dough, you will save some for the topping.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line a 9x13" dish with foil or parchment and grease.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, brown sugar and salt for the crust. Cut in the 1 cup cubed butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers, until the mixture resembles fine crumbs, or wet sand.
Scoop out about 1 1/4 cups of this dough mixture and set aside. Press the remaining dough into the bottom of your greased baking dish, gently flattening into an even base. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crust is just barely golden brown around the edges.
While the crust is baking, mix the crumble topping. In a medium bowl, combine the reserved crust mixture, the oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons butter, mixing with a fork or your fingers until you can squeeze clumps that stay together.
When the crust is done, take it out of the oven and spread the jam evenly over the hot crust. Crumble the topping mixture in small to medium clumps all over the top. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is nicely golden brown.
Cool completely in the pan before lifting the parchment out and cutting the bars into squares.
Freeze leftovers in an airtight tupperware container.
http://sweetannas.com/2013/07/strawberry-shortbread-crumble-bars.htmlRecipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen