Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

These are dangerously easy to make - like 5-10 minutes to put together and stick in the oven.  They are equally dangerous to have sitting on my kitchen counter.  I made 2 pans of these in the past week.  GAH.  The first batch was made w/ a mish-mash of fruit preserves in my fridge I needed to get rid of.  Which, getting a picture of those would've been like spotting Bigfoot - they were gone.  Does anyone remember/love Harry and the Hendersons?  Aww.

Strawberry and raspberry are tied for favorite, blackberry is a close second (only because those damn seeds get stuck in my teeth).

I use a food processor which takes maybe 5 minutes from start to putting the pan in the oven.  I should probably rethink using that method and cut the butter in by hand to avoid the temptation of making these so often.  But they just go down so smoothly as a dessert w/ (decaf) coffee or as an indulgent bfast.  Definitely sub in whatever fruit preserves you have on hand.  

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars
adapted from this Pioneer Woman recipe
8" or 9" square pan
makes 16 small bars
* If you are using fruit preserves out of your fridge, you may want to take the jar out and let it come to room temp or microwave for 30 seconds so it's a little easier to spread 

1/2 c cold butter, diced (yes, that's one stick)
1 c rolled oats (not quick cooking!)
3/4 c AP flour
1/3 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 to 1 c strawberry preserves (or whatever flavor tickles your fancy)

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray your pan with cooking spray or grease.  

Throw everything in a food processor and pulse a few times until blended, maybe for 10-15 seconds max.  There will be large, pea-sized pieces of butter, calm down, it'll all be ok!  The mixture is going to look very loose but I promise everything they'll turn out great.  If it makes you feel better, pulse a few more times until it's a little more blended.  

Scoop out 1/2 the mixture and layer on the bottom of the pan.  Distribute the preserves as evenly as possible on top of flour/butter mixture.  Sprinkle the rest of the flour mixture as evenly as possible on top of the preserves and bake for 40 minutes. 

The texture..I can't.  I just can't.

The first time I made these I was really freaked out it would be pulling a pan full of loose flour out of the oven but the butter and preserves are going to pull everything together.  As stated above, you can always nuke the jar in the microwave (sans lid people) for 30 seconds to loosen them up before spreading.