Blackberry Tea Bars

Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with these blackberry jam bars.

Recipe Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup blackberry jam*

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray 13x9x2-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, use electric mixer at medium speed to beat margarine, sugar, and egg whites. Blend in, on low speed, almond extract, flour, salt and baking soda. Do not overbeat.
3. Spread dough in pan. Smooth top of dough with rubber spatula. Lightly run spatula over the top of dough to make 7 or 8 crisscrossing diagonal grooves. Fill grooves with jam or marmalade.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until top is firm and edges begin to brown. Cool and refill grooves with jam. Cut into bars.

Makes 28 bars.

*Substitute orange marmalade for blackberry jam to make marmalade bars.

Recipe provided courtesy of The Sugar Association, Inc.