Blackberry Oatmeal Bars -- A Small Deviation from a Pioneer Woman Recipe

Blackberry Oatmeal Bars

(one small step away from Pioneer Woman's recipe)

Of course I follow Pioneer Woman on Facebook.  Of course I had to make these yummy bars as soon as I saw the recipe link posted on FB this morning, from her show that aired this morning.  Only, I didn't have any strawberry jam in the house (SHOCK & AWE, I KNOW!), so I had to use what I had (fortunately!), which was Sugar Free Seedless Blackberry Jam.

Yes, I made this at 8am this morning.  Yes, we ate it for breakfast instead of as a dessert or snack.  And it was DELICIOUS!  If I were a coffee drinker, I'm sure it would be divine with coffee.  But I'm not.  So I just drank my standard fare---ice water.

Yes, this was supposed to cool completely before I cut into it.  But who can wait when it's all warm and heavenly and smells SO good???  This would be excellent with vanilla ice cream, but I couldn't do that for breakfast.  Sorry.  That would've been a bit much.

Want her recipe?  Ok.  Here it is:

1-3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces (plus a little more to butter your baking dish)

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1-1/2 cups quick oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

(oh, and I added a bit of cinnamon, just because)

One 10-12 ounce jar of strawberry (or blackberry or whatever you like) preserves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.

Mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the strawberry preserves. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake until light brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares. 

 There you have it!  Now, go and make it!  You won't be sorry!

Mama Bear