Cinnamon Jam Squares

I needed a coffee cake in a hurry today (Oh, like that never comes up with anyone else) and these Cinnamon Jam Squares, were perfect. Fast, easy, and makes use of ingredients I already have. The recipe comes from my the 1973 edition of Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Bread Book. I get a surprising amount of use from this magazine-sized paperback book.

You Will Need:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup raisins

2 teaspoons packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup strawberry jam

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8x8x2 pan generously.

Stir thoroughly the first 5 ingredients. Cut in butter until you have coarse crumbs. Remove 1/2 cup of mixture and set aside. Combine the 1/2 cup mixture with the raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Into the flour mixture add egg beaten in buttermilk. Mix well (it will be slightly lumpy). Spread 1/2 the batter in the pan. Top with the raisin mixture. Drop jam atop raisin mixture by spoonfuls. Add remaining batter on top and bake 35-40 minutes, or until golden and toothpick test is clean. Cool. Dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares.