Jam Bars or Tart

Don't you love having a couple of dessert recipes to fall back on in a pinch. This one is great because you are almost guaranteed to have everything on hand. If you bake the dough in a tart pan, you can cut it into wedges and serve it as a tart. Otherwise, cut it into small squares.

Don't limit yourself to the preserves shown in the recipe, use what you like. I made one with my homemade Tomato Preserves and a mixture of the reserved dough, chopped walnuts and rolled oats for the topping.

Jam Bars or Tart
about 8-10 servings
print recipe

1/4 pound (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown or white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup preserves, such as fig, raspberry, or marmalade
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg, beat until smooth, then add the dry ingredients except the nuts.

Set aside approximately 3/4 cup of the dough and press the rest evenly into an 8x10-inch baking pan or a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or pie plate. Spread the preserves over the top. Mix the reserved dough with the nuts and crumble it over the top. Bake until lightly browned on top, about 40 minutes. Let cool, then cut into squares. Or serve as a tart, cut into thin wedges.