Coconut & Lime

Spiced Oatmeal Jam Bars
Ingredients:
2 cups oatmeal
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup jam (we used boysenberry)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoons cloves
1/2 teaspoons allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400. Butter a 8 inch square baking dish. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. In a small bowl, combine the spices, oatmeal, walnuts and baking soda. Stir into butter mixture. Remove 2 cups of the mixture and using your fingers press it evenly into the bottom of the baking pan. Using a spoon, distribute the jam evenly over the oatmeal mixture. Crumble the remaining oatmeal mixture over the jam. Bake 25 minutes or until golden. Cool and with a very sharp knife, cut into squares.



My thoughts:
I have a confession. I like the idea of jam more than I actually like jam. While I buy jam (and jelly) all the time: boysenberry, cloudberry, blueberry, cranberry, raspberry even a jar of clear kudzu jelly while on a trip to the South, rarely do I eat it. I don't like it on toast, on bread, in sandwiches or on biscuits. I do, however, like it in these oatmeal bars. Which, to me, is reason enough to make them.