Oatmeal Almond Bars with Fruit Filling

Oatmeal Almond Bars with Fruit Filling

• • 1 cup rolled oats

  • 1/2 cup finely crushed raw almonds (or coarse almond flour)

  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 egg yolks

  • 1 cup jam

  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) chopped fruit or berries

Preheat the oven to 350. Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking dish with foil and spray the foil with non-stick spray.

In a bowl, combine the oats, almonds, flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle the oat mixture with the almond extract. Add the butter and egg yolks and use a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter and eggs into the oat mixture until it's coarse and crumbly.

Scoop half of the mixture into the baking dish and press firmly against the bottom. (You may think the mixture is too dry, but it will work.) Spread the jam evenly over the crust (warm the jam slightly if it's difficult to spread). Add the fruit or berries. Sprinkle the remainder of the oat mixture over the fruit like a crumble topping.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 1 hour in the pan on a wire rack, then lift the foil out of the pan and cool completely before cutting into squares.

Yields 16 bars.