Raspberry Bars

            If I had to pick a favourite fruit, I would pick the raspberry. It is perfect in almost every way, except for its price. With 5 months of winter around here, there is a very short raspberry season. So If i'm craving raspberries, I often try to use recipes with jam or frozen berries instead of fresh.

         These bars use raspberry jam, and they are absolutely phenomenal. They are also quite inexpensive to make (under $5 if you have the staple ingredients) so they are a great choice when you want to make a "wow" dessert without compromising your wallet. An added bonus - the ingredient list is short & simple. Anybody can make them, and they are fail-proof. I promise!!

           So all of the ladies at the office who have wanted to make something off my blog but swear to me they can't bake - I promise, you can all make this. Like I have said before - If I can do it, you can do it!'

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup raspberry jam

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 8 inch square pan, and line with greased foil.
2. Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and rolled oats. Rub in the butter using your hands or a pastry blender to form a crumbly mixture. Press 3 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the jam.
3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars. (I let it cool at room temp for about 2 hours)