Blackberry Oat Bars

These pecan bars are not terribly sweet—and quite easy, thanks to blackberry jam.

1 cup solid vegetable shortening, plus additional for greasing the pan

Parchment paper

11⁄2 cups all-purpose fl our

11 ⁄2 cups rolled oats (do not use quickcooking)

1 cup fi nely chopped pecan pieces

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon salt

2⁄3 cup packed light brown sugar

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg white

1⁄2 cup blackberry jam

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with a little vegetable shortening dabbed on a piece of wax paper. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fi t the bottom of the pan, press it into place, then grease the parchment paper. Set aside.
• Mix the flour, oats, pecan pieces, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside as well.
• Beat the shortening and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy, until the sugars have mostly dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Beat in the egg white, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and then beat in the flour mixture just until you have a dry, crumbly dough.
• Press about two-thirds of this dough into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Dot the blackberry jam over the dough and gently spread it to an even coating, taking care not to disturb the crumbly dough. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the blackberry jam; press down lightly with the palm of your hand or a fl at spatula to mash the topping a little into the jam.
• Bake until lightly browned and the jam is barely bubbling, about 45 minutes.
• To cool: Set the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing into 16 bar cookies (making four cuts each way in the pan).
• To store: The bars can be stored in a sealed container between sheets of wax paper at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Makes 16 bar cookies