Cherry Oatmeal Bars

I made this to use up some cherry jam that was kicking around in the freezer for a long time -- I put too much fruit in it so it didn't set properly, and it sounded like it would work for the cherry filling in this recipe.

Notes:

• I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8x8 baking dish.

Verdict: I don't know that I'd go out of my way to make these again (mostly because I usually don't have sour cherries on hand) but they did taste all right.

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RECIPE: Cherry Oatmeal Bars (Two Peas and Their Pod)

Neapolitan Cookies

I was drawn to these cookies because they looked cute, and who doesn't want three flavors in one cookie?

Notes:

• You can buy dried powdered strawberry and I highly recommend saving yourself the hassle of powdering your own. I decided to try making my own because I wasn't sure I wanted an entire bag of strawberry powder for the amount I needed, so I bought freeze dried strawberries and ground them in my food processor. I was successful, but it made a huge mess.
• The different doughs don't really like to stick together. They'll bake together in the oven but smashing them together while keeping the nice 1/3 sections was a bit challenging.
  

Verdict: These tasted nice but holy hell were they a lot of work for just 15 cookies. I wish the strawberry flavor was a little more pronounced -- maybe a bit of lemon juice would turn up the tartness a little. They're on the large side for a cookie (mine ended up being about 4 inches in diameter). I'm probably not going to make them again, but I'm glad I tried them!

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RECIPE: Neapolitan Cookies (Hummingbird High)

Oatmeal Soda Bread Scones

I made this bread a couple of times a long time ago and had a craving for it recently, so I trotted out the blender and made it again. This time I made it into scone like shapes instead of one big loaf and I think I like it better that way. It's easier to portion and store.

Notes:

• I bake mine on ungreased parchment paper.
  
• Instead of buying buttermilk specially for this, I usually make my own (put 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice or a neutral tasting vinegar into the bottom of your measuring cup, pour milk into it to measure 1 1/2 cups, then let stand for about 10 minutes), or dilute some yogurt.
  
• If you make them into scones like I did, shape the dough into two equal sized rounds about 3/4 inch thick, then cut them into 6 wedges each. Bake for about 12-15 minutes at 450 F. (I tried one large round cut into 8 wedges, but I thought the finished product was rather large for a single serving.)
  
• These are best the day they're made, but will keep a couple of days at room temperature in an airtight container. They also freeze well after being baked.
  

Verdict: I love this and have made it four times now. I love the heft and heartiness that the oats impart. Eat with liberal amounts of soft butter and any kind of jam you like -- strawberry and cherry jam are my favorites with this bread!

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RECIPE: Oatmeal Soda Bread (Simply Recipes)