Gooey Strawberry Crumb Bars (Vegan

You only need 6 ingredients to whip up these delicious buttery cookies, so I ask you very seriously - why are you not making these RIGHT NOW?

Makes approx. 12 servings

Adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook (obviously)

INGREDIENTS

- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup or 170 grams) cold vegan butter, cut into pieces

- 1 1/8 cup (156 grams) finely ground almonds (blanched, if you want a cleaner finished appearance)

- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- Approx. 3/4 cup strawberry jam (or whatever other flavor of jam you have available)

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a 6 x 10" (or equivalent) baking tray with parchment paper, leaving a little overhang.

2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture looks like sandy crumbs.

3. Transfer about two thirds of the mixture to your prepared baking dish and press down firmly with a large spoon or spatula to create an even, compact layer.

4. Bake until the mixture is relatively firm and light golden, about 20 - 25 minutes. Then, remove from oven and allow it to cool to room temperature on a baking rack (this will take a while - I would recommend turning off your oven and finding something else to do for a couple hours).

5. Reheat the oven to 350 F. Spread an even layer of jam all over the crust, then top the jam with the remaining crumb mixture. Use your hands to clump together portions of the dough as you're adding it so you get that rustic uneven appearance and nice big buttery bites of topping.

6. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the crumb topping is starting to get some color and the jam is bubbling all over, then crank up the heat to 360 F and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the topping is golden and beginning to brown in places.

7. Place the pan on a cooling rack, and wait for it to cool completely. Once room temperature, use the overhang to remove the bars and transfer to a cutting board, and slice into as many pieces as your heart desires. If you don't eat them all in one sitting, you can keep them at room temperature for a few days in an airtight container.