Live22 Recipe

Preheat and prepare pan

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a standard 8-inch square baking pan or line it with parchment paper leaving an overhang for easy removal.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth and homogenous.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula until just combined — avoid overmixing. The batter should be thick but spreadable. Set aside while you prepare the filling and topping.

In a small bowl, combine the diced strawberries and blueberries with the lemon zest, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Toss gently so the fruit is evenly coated; the cornstarch will absorb juices and thicken slightly during baking.

Let the fruit sit for 5 minutes to macerate and release a bit of juice, then stir again to redistribute any settled cornstarch.

In a small bowl combine the rolled oats, chopped pecans, brown sugar, melted butter and cinnamon. Stir until pieces are moistened and the mixture clumps slightly.

Reserve the topping until ready to sprinkle over the assembled batter and fruit.

Spread the prepared batter evenly into the bottom of the greased 8-inch pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

Scatter the fruit filling evenly over the batter. Distribute the strawberries and blueberries so every piece will have fruit; do not press them into the batter—leave them lightly on top so they will sink slightly while baking.

Sprinkle the Jackpot Crunch topping evenly over the fruit layer.

Place the pan in the preheated oven on the middle rack and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the top is golden, the topping is set, and a toothpick inserted into the center (avoiding fruit pockets) comes out with only a few moist crumbs.

If the topping browns too quickly, tent the pan loosely with aluminum foil for the last 5–7 minutes of baking.

Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack. Allow the bars to cool in the pan for 20–25 minutes so the filling sets and the bars firm up for clean cutting.

Using the parchment overhang, lift the slab from the pan and transfer to the wire rack. Cool another 10 minutes, then dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired.

Cut into 9 squares. Garnish each square with a small mint leaf if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.