Strawberry Jam Bars

Around here, the first fruit that shows up at markets in the spring are strawberries. I can't help buying them, even though I still have some in the freezer from last year. I used a quart to make freezer jam from the Ball's canning recipe, with no intention of trying to can the stuff. I froze a couple cups and still had about three cups left. One went into thumbprint cookies, another I've been using as a waffle topping for breakfast, but I still had  too much jam! Then I remembered a recipe for Raspberry Squares from the Cooks Illustrated people (in "The New Best Recipe"). Here is my adaptation:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups quick oats *
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
12 tbsp butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool, cut into 12 pieces
1 cup strawberry jam
* NOTE: you could use 1/2 cup chopped nuts in place of 1/4 cup of the oats. I have a kid with a peanut allergy and avoid nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x9 pan with oil, line with foil and spray again

In an electric mixer, combine flour, oats, sugars, soda, salt (and nuts) at low speed until combined. With mixer on low, add butter pieces and beat until well blended and resembling coarse sand or little pebbles.

Move 2/3 of the mixture to the pan and press evenly to form the base. Bake until the edges start to brown - about 25 minutes for me. Remove and spread the jam evenly over the top of the bottom layer. Sprinkle the rest of the topping on the jam and bake until the top is starting to brown and jam is bubbling out the sides - about 35 minutes.

Cool completely (1-2 hours) and remove from pan. You may have to trim off the very edges if any of the foil sticks, but it's OK, it makes it look prettier to have a square edge anyway, and you can eat most of the trimmings! Cut into squares and enjoy.