During the pandemic, Christina Tosi started an online bake-along series on Instagram called Bake Club. Her videos and the club provided much needed connection in a time of social isolation. Her Strawberry Pie Bars recipe came out of Bake Club. Not only did she teach viewers how to make their own jam, but also how to bake delicious bars that took only a few ingredients.
My variation
These Jammy Streusel Bars are a variation of the original recipe and allows me to use up the many bottles of Papaya Ginger Jam I have in my pantry. I found that the 2 cups of jam called for in the original recipe was too much so I reduced it to 1½ cups. I also added sliced almonds to give the bars a little extra crunch and added some ground ginger to the dough to reinforce the ginger in the jam.
Make it your own
The easiest adjustment is to use whatever jam you have on hand for the filling.
For the crunch factor, substitute the sliced almonds with another chopped nut like walnuts, pecans, or pistachios. Or even use a little leftover granola.
Switch out the spice in the dough to complement whatever jam you use. Or omit it completely.
To serve
The original recipe recommends serving these bars at room temperature or warmed in a toaster oven with a scoop of ice cream. Or to even eat them for breakfast. Yum!
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Jammy Streusel Bars
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 16 1x
Description
Use your favorite jam in this easy dessert. The dough does double duty as the bottom crust and the streusel topping.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon complementary spice*, optional
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups of your favorite jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8″ x 8″ pan with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and optional spice. Add the melted butter, mixing just until combined. Using your hands, press 1-1/4 cups of the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan, making an even layer all the way to the corners.
Spread the jam evenly over the crust. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds.
Scatter the remaining dough on top of the almonds to make a loose, crumbly topping. Do not press it down.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the jam filling is bubbling and the crumb topping is golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Can be served at room temperature or re-heated in a toaster oven.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 215.43
- Sugar: 17.06 g.
- Sodium: 156.83 mg.
- Fat: 7.99 g.
- Saturated Fat: 4.56 g.
- Carbohydrates: 34.24 g.
- Fiber: 0.91 g.
- Protein: 1.91 g.
- Cholesterol: 18.81 g.
Keywords: jam, shortbread, streusel
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