mixed berry crumb bars

while i was out in sun valley, idaho last week i had a different version of these bars. we were on a white water rafting trip and the tour guide's wife made huckleberry bars for a lunchtime dessert. i took one bite and knew i needed to get home and recreate them.

the recipe is super easy and comes together pretty quickly - you don't even have to turn on your mixer for these guys. you can use any flavor or brand of store-bought jam, but just make sure it's good quality.

ingredients:
recipe from allrecipes.com

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups any flavor fruit jam (i used mixed berry)

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch pan.

in a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and rolled oats. press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. spread the preserves over the top and sprinkle with the remaining crumb mixture, gently pressing crumbs into jam.

bake for 35 to 40 minutes. allow to cool and cut into mini squares.