almond and oat jam bars.

Deb over at Smitten Kitchen turned me on to Liz Prueitt's Instagram.   She works at Tartine out in San Francisco and takes lovely pictures of food that I want to eat (lots of grains, beans, and desserts filled with all sorts of interesting flours).   The real kicker is that she includes recipes for some of these items - it's kind of like an Instagram cooking magazine and I love it.

These jam bars caught my attention a couple of weeks back because they felt like a healthy, good for you breakfast/cookie/afternoon snack item.  In essence, they are an updated Linzer cookie - one filled with oats and almonds and chia seeds (those all the rage ingredients).   I like them because they taste really, really good.   A little bit like a cookie and a little bit like a granola bar.  They are kind of the best of both world and most everyone I handed one to couldn't get enough of them.   

Almond and Oat Jam Bars 

Recipe from the Instagram of Liz Prueitt (lizprueitt_tartine)

For the Crust

4 oz. softned butter

3 oz. almond butter

1 ounce maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanila

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 cup oat flour

6 tablespooons sugar

For the Filling

2 tablespoons ground chia seeds

1/4 cup water

12 ounces of jam (I used homemade rhubarb)

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   

Mix all of the crust ingredients with hands or wooden spoon.   Divide into thirds, patting two-thirds into the bottom of 9x13 pan lined with parchment.

Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and spread over the crust.   Crumble the remaining one-third crust ingredients on top.  

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.  Let cook.  Cut and eat!