Well friends, my favorite tv show the legendary #DowntonAbbey has come to an end and I think I literally feel a little hole in my heart. What a perfect ending for all my friends and family, I mean, ehem, for all of the characters. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better finale than what Julian Fellowes gave us. To go with my weekly teatime on Sunday nights while watching the show, I made these tasty snack bars.

They didn’t take long to whip up and using the foil liner for the pan really did ensure they came out easily. I used strawberry jam but I’m sure that made little difference to the end result. The oatmeal bar part was soft and chewy and the jam gave it a nice sweet note. They were a delicious accompaniment to our mint and chamomile tea tonight and I think Mrs. Patmore would be proud.

And now, I must head to clean the teacups (my own Grandmother Ellanor’s) and head to bed because as Isobel Crawley says, “We’re going forward into the future, not back into the past.” But, as the final words of Downton Abbey are spoken by the Dowager Countess, played by Dame Maggie Smith, “If only we had the choice.”

Oatmeal Jam Bars

Recipe from: Better Homes and Gardens

Makes: 36 bars
Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
• 6 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves
• 1 tsp. lemon juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Using a 9x9x2-inch baking pan, line your pan with foil, extending the foil over the edges of the pan. Grease foil; set pan aside. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in oats, brown sugar, and lemon peel; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until mixture is crumbly. Measure 1 cup of the crumb mixture; set aside.

3. Press the remaining crumb mixture onto the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine preserves and lemon juice. Carefully spread preserves mixture over hot crust. Sprinkle with the reserved 1 cup crumb mixture. Bake about 15 minutes more or until top is golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Once the bars have cooled, simply use the edges of the foil to lift the uncut bars out of the pan. Cut into bars.