Cherry Oatmeal Bars

Tis the season to bring desserts to parties!! ….And sometimes you need something quick and easy that you can bake, cool, and cut up to put on a platter. Give this a go.

Cherry Oatmeal Bars

Jam:

• 3 cups of frozen cherries

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

Bars:

• 3/4 cup softened butter

• 1/2 cup pistachios; blended/chopped

• 3.6 oz Melly Belly flour blend

• 1 cup oats

• 1 egg

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Start by making your jam. Mix your water and cornstarch in a cup and mix it. Set it to the side. Get a pot and put your cherries and sugar and set it on medium on the stove until it gets watery and slightly bubbly; about five minutes or so. Next, get a potato masher and gently squish your cherries to release more juices and and mash up the cherries. Once it starts bubbling, add your cornstarch slurry and mix it up. Set it on low for five more minutes until it thickens. Then set it to the side to cool.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While your jam cools, mix all of your bar ingredients together in a bowl until well mixed. Get an 8x8 baking dish, and grease it. You can also line it with parchment if you wish.

Get 2/3 of your bar mixture and press it down tightly in your 8x8 baking dish. Next, pour your jam over the base. Lastly, you will want to crumble the rest of the bar mixture and sprinkle it over the top of the jam. Once ready, bake it in the oven for 35-45 min until the top is a nice golden brown.

Set out to cool on the counter before cutting. You can choose to just scoop it like a crumble, or cut it into bars. If you want to cut straight bars, after it cools, set it in the fridge for at least 2 hours before cutting. I like the goopy rustic look, so I cut mine and place it in a dish for everyone to grab and enjoy!!