Preparation Steps

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch baking pan.
• In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined and a dough forms. The dough will be crumbly.
• Press about two-thirds of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan to form the crust. Make sure it's evenly distributed.
• Spread the fruit jam or preserves evenly over the pressed dough layer.
• Crumble the remaining one-third of the dough over the jam layer to create a streusel topping. You can also use a grater for this.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the jam is bubbly.
• Let the bars cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares. This is important for them to hold their shape.