Blackberry Jam Almond Bars
Went to a lovely housewarming party this past weekend and decided to take a jab at these Blackberry Jam Almond Bars I stumbled upon over at 17 and Baking (Elissa is amazing if you haven’t checked out her blog yet). I think she yoinked the recipe from Sophistimom but, either way, I’m giving her the credit for posting the recipe and for the image above since I didn’t get a chance to snap a photo.
Anyway, they were super easy to make and came out delightful. The drizzle of frosting added that perfect bit of extra almond flavor which paired well with the tartness of the blackberry jam.
We be Jammin’
Bars
1 cup (2 sticks or 224g) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups (380g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
4 eggs
3 cups (300g) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup seedless blackberry jam
Drizzle
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a half sheet (13″x18″ rimmed sheet) with butter or nonstick spray.
Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Add in vanilla and almond extract. Slowly add flour and salt, and mix until just incorporated.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. It’s okay if you can’t quite get the corners, since it will spread during baking. Drop teaspoonfuls of jam evenly over the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden brown.
Allow to cool, then cut into squares (I used a pizza roller and a ruler to get even cuts.) Whisk together the powdered sugar, cream, and almond extract, and drizzle over the bars.
