½cup(110g) light brown sugarpacked (it should be soft and fresh)
1 teaspoonpure vanilla extract
generous ¾cup(250g) jam or preserves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 pan with foil or parchment paper (leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal). Lightly spray with nonstick spray.
In a medium bowl, combine, flour, oats, salt, and baking soda.
In a large bowl, whisk butter, brown sugar and vanilla until well combined (this will take at least one full minute). Add dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until well combined.
Pull out about ¾ cup (a little less than half) of the cookie dough and place it in the refrigerator (it will be the topping). Dump the remaining dough into the prepared pan and press it down into a flat even layer (it will seem quite buttery). Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and carefully spread the jam on top of the cookie base. Take the reserved cookie dough from the fridge and crumble it over the top of the jam layer. Return to the oven and bake for 15-18 more minutes, until the topping is light golden brown. They might still look a little wobbly but they will firm up as they cool. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
These bars are soft when they are warm or at room temperature. If you refrigerate them they will firm up and be more sturdy.
Notes
Jam: We prefer a jam that has a balance of sweet and tart flavors. Some favorites are tart cherry jam and Bonne Maman Four Fruit Preserves.Recipe updated July 2023. We added weight measurements and an additional ¼ cup of flour. We found that the bars were a bit more sturdy with the extra flour and we preferred that. If you have made this recipe before and enjoyed it as is, feel free to just use 1-cup of flour.