Blackberry Crumble Bars

As soon as it hits June 1, the denim shorts and oversized tees are on, my hair lives in a messy bun and I’m in the kitchen making/eating my favorite summer foods - berries! Any dish you can think of that includes berries, I will eat it. This weekend, plans include baking blackberry crumble bars and then eating all of it before anyone else can even touch it.

You’ll need:

For the blackberry jam:
16 ounces blackberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the bar:
1/2 cup salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 cup old-fashioned oats

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook the blackberries, sugar and water for 15 minutes. Mash the blackberries as they cook to help them break down. You know the mixture is ready when it resembles the texture of jam and pulls away from the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 350F and line a square 8-inch glass pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars for 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract for another minute.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Stir flour mixture, along with oats, into the wet ingredients.

Place half of batter into prepared pan, spreading to the edges. Add a dollop of blackberry jam. Break remaining oatmeal batter into pieces and place over jam. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the bars comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

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