Fruit Bars

I took my daughter to the pet store because she wanted to see the animals and then she fell in love with a guinea pig and didn't want to leave without it.  She's been counting the money in her piggy bank and crying because she doesn't have enough in there and overall just not listening to me when I say we're not getting one right now.  Good times. I should add that a guinea pig is just the latest in a long line of pet's she has wanted recently.  It all started with my sister having a ferret....

Well hopefully the crying is over for a while or I'm going to have to join in and cry too.

If all else fails, bake!

I used to buy my daughter these fruit cereal bars that we got from Trader Joe's.  She loves them but the Trader Joe's is not exactly convenient to my house, so I decided to try to make some myself.  I wouldn't call these cereal bars because there isn't a speck of cereal in them.  In fact, the recipe I used was actually for fig bars.

I didn't have figs or I would have made them exactly like the recipe.

Anyways, I did have some strawberry jam that I had canned a while ago and needed to use up so that solved that problem.  I will be trying the fig version for sure.  I loved everything about these fruit bars and my daughter did too.  They have the same consistency as a fig newton, but better.  Enough said!

Fruit Bars

Modified slightly from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt + a pinch, divided
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 ounces jam (your favorite)

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 8x8 inch pan with tin foil (let the extra tin foil fold over the edges) and then spray the tin foil with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
3. Add both flours, baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt to a bowl and whisk together.
4. In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes until fluffy.
5. In a small bowl mix the egg and vanilla together and then add it to the butter and sugar mixture.
6. Slowly add the flour mixture into the butter and sugar mixture until combined.
7. On a floured surface, dump the dough out and roll into a ball. Divide the dough in half and press one half into the prepared pan.
8. Press the other half into an 8x8 inch square on the floured surface and then move to a plate, then freeze for about 30 minutes.
9. Put the dough that you have pressed into the pan in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and top with the jam of your choice. **If you'd like to make fig bars please click the link above for additional instructions**
10. When the dough in the freezer is firm, remove from the plate and place on top of the jam mixture.
11. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.
12. Remove from the oven and set the pan on a cooling rack for 2 hours. Once cool, remove the cookies by lifting up on the tin foil overhangs. Cut and serve.