Blackberry & White Chocolate Bars

Christy Bowers

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar (not packed)
2 sticks of butter
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup blackberry preserves
2/3 cup white chocolate chips
¼ cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a 12” x 8” jelly roll pan with parchment paper.  Sift the flour with the baking powder.  Add the sugars and mix well.  Add the butter and mix until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.  Stir in the oats.  Press ¾ of the mixture into the prepared pan.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Mix the remaining mixture with the almonds.

Remove the base from the oven and let sit for two or three minutes.  Spread the preserves evenly over the base.  (Hint – heating the preserves slightly in the microwave makes for easy spreading.)  Sprinkle with chocolate chips and then sprinkle the almond mixture over the top.

Return to the oven for an additional 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool.  Cut into bars and enjoy!!!

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
 ¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup blueberry preserves
Hot shortbread base (see below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl, whisk cream cheese until smooth and whisk in eggs, sugar and vanilla.  Evenly spread preserves over hot shortbread and pour cream cheese mixture over it.  Bake in middle of oven until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes.  Cool completely in pan and cut into 24 bars.  Bar cookies keep, covered and chilled, for 3 days.

Shortbread base

1 ½ sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut butter into ½-inch pieces.  In a food processor, process all ingredients until mixture begins to form small lumps.  Sprinkle mixture into a 13” x 9” x 2” baking pan with a metal spatula, pressing evenly onto bottom.  Bake shortbread in middle of oven until golden, about 20 minutes.