FRESH Berry White Chocolate Streusel Bars

I LOVE to bake.  Yes I do.  I also LOVE any kind of FRESH berry - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries...they all make me happy.  When I have the opportunity to bake with berries I can't tell you how happy it makes me! VERY happy.  VERY, VERY happy.

That being said grab some berries and bake these bars!  If you only have one kind of berry that's fine as the original recipe only called for strawberries.  I just couldn't resist making these bars with all the berries I had on hand instead of just sticking with just the strawberries. 


What was really fun is that my alteration of this recipe created a RED, WHITE and BLUE dessert bar just in time for the up and coming July 4th holiday.  AND because this recipe makes such a large amount you can take this bars to a couple of BBQ's and still have enough for a stash to keep at home. :-)

Fresh Berry White Chocolate Streusel Bars
(recipe adapted from, Recipes from my Mom - a beautiful food blog that touches my heart and makes my mouth water )

Ingredients:

2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups AP flour
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup COLD butter, cut into small pieces
4 oz. fluid strawberry jam
1 tsp lemon zest
2 cups FRESH berries (chop or slice strawberries if you use them)
3 oz. fluid white chocolate (I used white chocolate bark that I melted in the microwave)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl whisk together oats, flour, both sugars, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

2. Add in COLD butter that has been cut into small pieces.  Combine into dry ingredients either with your hands or a pastry cutter until butter is well incorporated as little crumbles.  Remove 1 cup of mixture and with remaining mixture carefully pour into a 15x10 jellyroll pan/cookie sheet.  Press mixture into pan to create an even crust.

3. Place in oven and bake for 12-13 minutes or until it is firm to the touch.  You do NOT want to brown this layer.  Remove from oven.

4. Warm jam in microwave for 30 seconds.  Add in lemon zest and then pour over warm crust.

5.  Spread berries over jam layer and then sprinkle with reserved 1 cup crumb mixture.

Pop into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until topping is a light brown.   Remove from oven and let cool 1 hour before drizzling with melted white chocolate. 

Cut into bars and then melt with happiness as you bite into one of these yummy treasures you just created.

My goodness these little treats are yummy if I do say so myself! :-)

Happy FRESH Berry White Chocolate Streusel Bars Baking!