Baking with Oatmeal...Peachy Oatmeal Bars

Now these are easy bar cookies – a good one for young cooks to try.
I chose this recipe from Grandma's Sunday Suppers because I had a jar of peach preserves and the rest of the ingredients I always keep on hand.  We thought that any nice preserves, strawberry, cherry, apricot…would be just as good as the peach.  Do not use fruit-only or sugar-free jams; they will not be successful in this recipe.    Not having to prepare cooked filling makes these bars quicker than most oatmeal bars - and the coconut topping is a nice touch.
I was happy to just browse through my pantry and know I could make these delicious bar cookies.

           Peachy Oatmeal Bars

  1 1/2  cups  flour, all-purpose -- 6 3/4 ounce

  1         cup  oatmeal -- Old fashioned -3 ounces

     3/4  cup  butter -- melted (1 1/2 sticks)

     1/2  cup  sugar -- 3 1/2 ounces

  2         teaspoons  almond extract

     1/2  teaspoon  baking soda

     1/4  teaspoon  salt

                        Filling

     3/4  cup  peach preserves -- (about a 12 ounce jar)  

     1/3  cup  coconut -- flaked

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease 9" square baking pan.

Combine flour, oats, butter, sugar, almond extract, baking soda and salt in large bowl, beat with electric mixer at low speed 1-2 minutes until mixture is crumbly.

Reserve 3/4 cup crumbs mixture; press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared baking pan.

Spread peach preserves to within 1/2" of edge of crumb mixture; sprinkle reserved crumbs and coconut over top.

Bake 22-27 minutes until edges are lightly browned.  Cool completely; cut into bars.  24-30 bars.