Fig, Apple & Vanilla Oat Crumb Bars

1. To prepare fruit, cut stems off of figs. Finely chop into 1/4-inch pieces (you can also pulse briefly in a food processor until chopped). You should have about 1 ¾ cup of chopped fruit. Place into a medium saucepan.
2. Peel apple. Grate with a coarse cheese grater; you should have about 1 cup of grated apple.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine chopped fig, grated apple, sugar and lemon juice. Set over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. As the fruit begins to soften, mash with the back of your spatula or use a potato masher to help break down the fruit.
4. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until very thick. Remove from heat and stir in Natural Vanilla Bean Artisan Flavor Paste. Set aside and let cool.
5. You should have about 1 ¼ cups of finished jam, you'll only need ¾ cup for the final bars (the rest can be used in another recipe or just enjoy it on your morning toast as it's delightful on its own!) Jam will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

For Crumb Bars:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-by-8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and cardamom. Mix on low speed until evenly incorporated.
3. Cut butter into cubes, sprinkle over top of dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until mixture forms pea-sized crumbs (you can use your hands if necessary to break up any larger chunks of butter).
4. Add oats and vanilla, then mix until evenly incorporated. The dough will look very crumbly, but should stick together easily when squeezed in your hand.
5. Dump about 2/3 of dough (300g worth) into prepared baking pan; press firmly into an even layer in the bottom of pan.
6. Spread ¾ cup of jam in an even layer on top, then sprinkle with remaining dough in coarse crumbles (you should still be able to see some of the jam peeking through).
7. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until jam is sputtering and crumbs on top are lightly golden brown (they won't change color significantly, gently touch the top and you should be able to tell if they're crispy or not). These bars don't have a very obvious sign of doneness, and are nearly impossible to under or overbake; cook slightly longer if you like crispier crumbs, or slightly less for a softer bar overall.
8. Remove from oven and let cool completely (optionally chill for a bit to make for cleaner cuts) before using the parchment paper to lift the whole block out of the baking pan, then cut into 16 square bars.
9. Leftover bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or so, or in the fridge for up to a week (though they'll soften slightly the longer they sit).