Chef notes

Strawberry Crumble Bars are just about the most perfect dessert around, as they are easy-peasy to assemble and taste delicious. All you need to make them is one bowl, a whisk and a fork (yes, you heard that right: a fork!). Many crumble bar cookie recipes call for softened, or even chilled, butter. And in order to incorporate the butter into the other ingredients, a stand mixer or food processor is necessary. Here, the crust and crumble topping call for melted butter, negating the need for any special equipment. Thus when the crumble bar craving hits, you are good to go with the bare minimum of kitchen tools. This also makes it a great recipe if you are baking in a kitchen you’re unfamiliar with when traveling or visiting family.

Moreover, like most crumble bars, the crust and crumble of these strawberry cuties are made from the same dough, further simplifying the preparation. Flour, sugar and salt are mixed with butter, vanilla and an egg. The resulting shortbread-like dough is the perfect crispy, buttery foil to the sweet, fruity filling. Although some crumble bar recipes might call for a filling of fresh fruit to be cooked down on the stovetop, we call for store-bought strawberry jam here. Not only does that simplify the ingredient list (the entire recipe calls for only seven basic ingredients ), but it also means that you can bake these bars no matter the season. Because the jam is already cooked, it holds its shape beautifully when baked in the oven. As long as you use a brand you love, store-bought jam is the perfect filling for these tender, tasty, bars.

Technique Tip: After stirring the melted butter and vanilla into the dough with a fork, use your hands to further incorporate all of the ingredients. When crumbling the dough over the jam, use your fingers to roll the dough into little balls before sprinkling.

Swap Option: You can use any flavor of jam that you’d like. These would be lovely with blueberry or raspberry jam, in particular.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup strawberry jam

Fulfilled by

Preparation

Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray or softened butter. Line the pan with a long sheet of parchment paper that extends up and over two opposite sides of the pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Pour in the melted butter and vanilla and, using a large dinner fork or your hands, stir until the dough holds together when squeezed. Add the egg and continue to mix until incorporated.

Press 2/3 of the dough firmly and uniformly into the bottom of the prepared pan with your fingers. Evenly spread the jam over the top and sprinkle the remaining dough in a decorative layer over the jam.

Bake for 35 minutes, rotating at the halfway point, until the crumbs are golden brown. Run a knife around the edges of the pan that are not covered with parchment and let the bars cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

The bars are best eaten the day they are made, but will keep for up to three days at room temperature, lightly wrapped in plastic wrap. They will soften as they sit.