Almond butter and strawberry jam bars recipe

July 13, 9:28 PMLA Cooking ExaminerErika Kerekes

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Peanut butter and jelly bars - good old PB&J - combine the traditonal sandwich fillings into a rich, sweet-and-salty bar cookie. This version adds a few twists: Almond butter replaces the standard peanut, ground almonds augment the dough, homemade strawberry jam fills the middle, and chopped Marcona almonds decorate the top. The result: a bar cookie fit for royalty.

Almond butter and strawberry jam bars

• 2 sticks (1/2 lb) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups smooth almond butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup almond meal (Trader Joe's is a reliable source)
• 2 cups homemade strawberry jam (you can substitute your favorite store-bought jam, but it is strawberry season - why not try the homemade?)
• 1 cup salted roasted Marcona almonds (Trader Joe's and Costco both carry these)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper or foil, then spray the liner with cooking spray.

In a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the extracts, eggs and almond butter, and continue mixing until it looks smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture along with the almond meal. Mix until the dough is just combined.

Spread about 2/3 of the dough in the prepared pan, patting it down with your fingers until it covers the bottom of the pan completely. Spoon the jam on top and spread it around evenly. Crumble the rest of the dough on top of the jam - it will spread while it bakes. Sprinkle the chopped almonds on top and bake about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely in the pan, then slide the whole batch out onto a cutting board, using the parchment or foil to pull it gently over the edge of the pan. Peel away the liner, cut into squares, and serve.