~~Crumble and Crunch Bars~~

This is a recipe adapted from some newspaper cuttings saved from years ago. It's an all time favourite in the household, and best of all, it's very easy to make!


Ingredients
100g Butter
45g Castor Sugar
1 Egg Yolk150g Plain Flour
5tbsp Strawberry Jam

Toppings
100g Butter
150g Plain Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder50g Soft Brown Sugar
40g Chopped Mixed Nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 8in sqr baking tin with butter.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the egg yolk and flour alternatively. Mix till a soft dough is formed.
   
3. Press the mixture into the bottom of the tin.
4. Bake the biscuit base for 15 minutes. While it is in the oven, we can make the topping
5. Mix together the flour and baking powder, and rub in the butter.
6. Stir in the sugar and nuts.
   
7. Take the biscuit base out of the oven and spread the jam while it's still warm.
8. Sprinkle the topping on top of the jam and bake for another 35minutes.
   
9. Cool completely before cutting into 14bars.

Baker's Note:

• If your strawberry jam was like mine and has a knack of staying together and refused to spread, put the jam into a bowl and stir it around a bit, so the jam.. erm...loosens up; trust me, it helps.
• The original recipe says to 'sprinkle the toppings'; what I normally do is to take little bits of dough and flattening it in my hands before laying it on top of the jam. I only 'sprinkle when I have the jam is mostly covered.
  
• I normally cut mine into 16 squares. So go ahead and figure out what works for you.

My sister's colleagues seem to have taken a liking to these gorgeous-jammied-crunchy-crumbly treats and have been placing orders for them:

*Drools*