Jam Bars

Awhile ago I bought Raspberry Lavender Jam from Woodring Orchard (my favorite jam sellers at Pike Place Market). I usually LOVE their jam, and am especially addicted to Huckleberry and Blueberry. I also love their raspberry jam, but with lavender thrown in it just tasted weird. The jam sat in our fridge, lonely and unused for several weeks, at which point I knew I needed to bake with it if I didn't want it to go to waste (and this jam is a little expensive and I would hate to not use it!). That's where this recipe comes in. Baking the jam helped lessen the impact of the lavender, and we enjoyed these bars immensely.

Oatmeal Raspberry Jam Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 1/2 cups quick oats (I used regular oats)
  
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest (omitted)
  
• 1 1/2 cups raspberry jam

Directions:
Heat oven to 350° F. Place the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and butter in the bowl of a food processor and pulse several times until the ingredients are combined and a crumbly dough is formed. Add the oats and lemon zest. Pulse quickly twice to combine.
Press 2/3 of the dough firmly into a greased 9-by-13-inch pan. Spread the jam evenly over the crust. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the jam, gently pressing down. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut into bars. Store in airtight containers.