Blackberry Bars

Photo: flickr user bhamsandwich

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Flour

1 cup Brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon Salt

2 cups Quick-cooking oatmeal

1 cup Butter

1 1/2 cups Seedless Blackberry jam,*

1/2 cup Chopped pecans

Preparation

* Or preserves or conserve

Bar cookies are easy to prepare because they are spread in a pan and baked all at one time. They should be cooled before cutting.

This is such an easy recipe-but it tastes like you spent hours preparing it. It's great for brunch and coffee klatches!

Preheat oven to 375 .

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and oatmeal. Cut in all but two tablespoons butter. Press 1/2 of flour mixture evenly into a greased 13 x 9-inch pan. Spread jam over batter in pan, then top with remaining flour mixture. Dot with two tablespoons butter and with chopped pecans.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely, then cut into rectangles.

Variation: Use other types of jam, such as apricot.

Yield: 24. Suzanne J. Brown, owner SBJ Communications, Skillman, NJ