Favorite Jam Bars

By Hklbrries

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quick oats
• 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup less-fat margarine (with 8 grams fat per tbsp)
• 4 tbsp low-fat buttermilk (add one more tbsp if needed)
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup less-sugar jam or preserve of choice
• 1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

Details

Servings 16

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-by-9-inch or 8-by-8-inch baking pan with canola cooking spray.

Add oats, flours, brown sugar, baking soda and salt to a large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer on low speed to combine. Add margarine in chunks and beat on medium speed, cleaning margarine off beaters several times until a nice crumb has formed.

Drizzle buttermilk over the top of oat mixture and blend with mixer just until your crumb mixture has moistened nicely. Add one more tablespoon of buttermilk if needed. Spread 2 cups of oat mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish and press firmly. Spread jam on top with spoon.

Stir nuts (if desired) into the remaining oat mixture and sprinkle it over the jam in pan. Press firmly. Bake in the center of oven until golden brown (about 20 minutes). Let cool and cut into 16 bars.