Every week Michael is joined by Sarah Boorer, Nine Radio Journalist & Country Women’s Association award-winning cook, to look at the world of baked goods, delicious treats and & easy recipes.

This week Sarah looks at Strawberry Bars

Ingredients

125 g / 1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1½ cups/ 225 g plain flour (all purpose flour)

1½ cups / 135 g rolled oats (traditional oats, not quick, instant or steel cut)

½ cup / 110 g brown sugar

½ tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 egg

2/3 cup strawberry jam

STRAWBERRIES

2 cups chopped strawberries (about 375g)

2 tbsp white sugar

2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350 (fan forced). (Note 1)
2. Spray a 20cm/9″ square tin with oil and line with baking/parchment paper with overhang (so it can be lifted out once cooked).
3. Mix together flour, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter and egg then mix.
4. Measure out 1 cup of the mixture (for topping) and set aside. Place remaining mixture in the tin and press into base.
5. Mix together Strawberries, sugar and cornflour in a bowl (don’t do this in advance because sugar will make strawberries sweat = runny filling).
6. Spread base with jam (Note 2), then scatter over strawberries. Use your hands to crumble the remaining mixture over the top (Note 3).
7. Bake for 35 – 40 minutes or until the top is deep golden. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before lifting out of the tin using the baking paper. It will sag – don’t worry, it will set.
8. Cut into squares. Serve at room temperature. Store in airtight container (in fridge if it’s very hot where you are).

Recipe Notes:

1. If you have a standard oven that is not fan forced / convection (i.e. no fan inside the oven), then it will take around 40 minutes to bake. Go by the colour of the top – it should be a deep golden brown.
2. If your jam is not soft and easy to spread, pop it in the microwave for 1 minute to soften.
3. The mixture will be a bit clumped together so use your fingers to crumble it onto the top.
4. OTHER FRUIT: This recipe works great with most fruits. For fruits like raspberries and blueberries that can be added whole, no need to toss in sugar or cornflour. For fruit that’s juicier than strawberries when chopped, like peaches and apricots, use an extra 1 tsp of cornstarch. If they are very sweet, no need to use the sugar.
5. Optional extra: ½ cup of chopped nuts into the biscuit mixture.
6. This freezes well! I froze most of the batch in the photos then I defrosted and served at room temperature.
7. Fresh Strawberry Bars nutrition per serving, assuming 16 (sensible) servings. I usually cut into 9 generous squares!

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