Strawberry-Hazelnut Jam Bars

I am constantly juggling the daily tasks of growing a business and staying home with my growing boy. I love both, but it takes a lot of time, energy and patience to dedicate time to each every single day. I spend Cole's nap times working and his awake times playing, and I'm always looking for fun yet educational activities to do with my little guy. So, the ideal scenario is when my two worlds collide and I can gather inspiration for the blog while keeping Cole entertained.

It's rare to find opportunities that mesh well with both "jobs" {Cole isn't into extended dining experiences just yet!}, but every once in a while I discover events and adventures that lend themselves to the two perfectly.

A few weeks ago, I asked a girlfriend if she and her son would want to join us on a trip out to Swank Specialty Produce to try our hand at strawberry picking before the season came to a close. They were as excited about the prospect of fresh picked berries as we were, so we made a plan to meet bright and early "on the farm."

Except, if you know me, you know that my sense of direction is nothing to be envied. I rely HEAVILY on Google Maps, and I don't know what I did before GPS tracking came along. {Yes I do. I got lost a lot.} Armed with my phone and a robotic-sounding co-pilot leading the way, I figured I had nothing to worry about as the overview seemed pretty clear cut.

Down the back roads of Loxahatchee we drove, Cole and I, filled with enthusiasm and anticipation. We took our lefts and rights on streets like "Avocado" and "Persimmon", and it seemed to me we were on the right track to pick some produce.

When we got to the dirt roads with unclear signage, I let my phone do the navigating and listened carefully to her orders as she told me to veer right into an unmarked entrance. I drove in and found myself at what seemed more like an RV camping spot than a farm of any kind, so I pulled over to try to get my bearings and figure out where the GPS had lead me.

As I scanned the area from the driver's seat, I finally caught a glimpse of a cheerful looking sign that cleared up any confusion as to what I had wandered into: A Naturist Resort.

Since my mind was still fixated on strawberries, the word "naturist" didn't ring a bell until I noticed a smaller, more cautionary-looking sign stating that there was nudity on the property. Ah, yes... it all came together for me then. Naturist = Nudist. My trusted Google navigator had lead me to a NUDIST COLONY. My suspicions were confirmed seconds later, when I spied a nice looking older gentleman retrieving his mail wearing nothing but a t-shirt and a smile.

Now, I'm no prude, but I sat there stunned for a second before I burst into laughter. Cole, all the while, was observing his mother's manic behavior from the carseat, and probably wondering what in the world got into me. This will be a story to share in the future, for sure.

Anyway, we did eventually find our way to Swank which was just one dirt road entrance away, and I'm happy to report that strawberry picking was a success with both boys. {And that everyone at Swank was fully clothed.}

Gone pickin'. {Always attempting that perfect Instagram shot.}
Photos of me & the boys courtesy of Erica Dunhill.

We came home with a heaping pint of hand-picked strawberries, but we also found out that they sell jam and other produce as well. Though I didn't pick any up this time around, I hope to on our next visit. In the meantime, I was inspired to use up a jar of jam from Parksdale Farms that I've had for a while in these ridiculously easy Strawberry-Hazelnut Jam Bars.

I love that the base and the crumble topping for these bars are made from the same mixture, meaning less work. A layer of sweet and gooey jam {really, any flavor will do} is sandwiched in the center of the bars, covered with a crisp oatmeal and hazelnut topping and then drizzled with chocolate hazelnut spread.

The result is truly irresistible.... and that's the naked truth!

Strawberry-Hazelnut Jam Bars
Adapted from Food Network
Makes about 16 squares

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 {12 tablespoons} sticks butter, melted
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1 1/4 cups strawberry jam or preserves
2 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 inch pan with foil, overlapping on all sides. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup rolled oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt and mix to combine. Pour melted butter into dry mixture in a thin stream, mixing it into the dry ingredients until it has the look of wet sand.

3. Scoop out about half of the mixture and place it in the prepared baking pan. Press down with your fingers to pack it down into a sturdy base.

4. To the remaining mixture, add the rest of the oats and the hazelnuts, mixing to combine. Set aside.

5. Spread strawberry jam over the bottom layer in the pan, making sure to cover entirely.

6. Grab the remaining mixture by the handful, squishing it together to create a pebbly crumble and sprinkle it over the top of the jam. Cover completely.

7. Bake for about 40 minutes until the topping is lightly browned and the jam is bubbly. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

8. Place the chocolate hazelnut spread into a zip-top bag and snip one corner. Drizzle the crumble top with the spread. {You can also warm it up a bit to loosen it and just drizzle with a spoon for a more rustic look.} Cut into bars and enjoy!

Hazelnut Bow Tie Cookies | The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

The older I get, the more I agree with the old adage: "Tis better to give than to receive." But for the past 3 years, I've participated in an event that brings the absolute best of both worlds straight to my mailbox: The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!

This event -- the brain {tummy?} child of food bloggers Julie Deily and Lindsay Landis -- celebrated its 5th season of giving this year and I couldn't wait to get in on the cookie clamor.

Not only does FBCS contribute to spreading holiday cheer in the form of a national cookie exchange between food bloggers, but it also serves up a healthy donation to Cookies for Kids Cancer , helping to fund new therapies used to fight pediatric cancer raising over $35,000 in the last for years! I mean, total win-win.

I shipped out 3 dozen homemade cookies this year to three bloggers whose names are randomly selected from the bunch, then waited {im}patiently for my 3 dozen cookies to arrive from those who were matched with my name. Time sure does move slowly when you're waiting for cookie mail...

This year, I received some amazing Chocolate Chunk & Peanut Butter Pretzel Stuffed Cookies from Stark Raving Delicious, fantastic Hot Cocoa and Marshmallow Cookies from Annie One Can Cook, and finally, superb Chocolate Ganache Filled Gingerbread Cups The Suburban Soapbox.

Back in my kitchen, I was a busy little elf baking and packaging cookies to send out to my matches.

The key to choosing a cookie recipe for FBCS is to create something that will survive a trip through the mail. Nothing too gooey or crumbly. You don't want your recipients to end up with a box of cookie dust, after all. After much consideration, I came up with these Hazelnut Bow Tie Cookies.

Made up of a cream cheese-based dough, they're very much like traditional Hungarian Kiffles. I actually used the same dough recipe that I make Rugelach out of, and it worked out perfectly. The dough forms a fantastic base for the addition of a filling {I chose Chocolate Hazelnut Spread, but you can fill them with anything really} -- sturdy enough to hold up during travel, yet tender to bite into.

A sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts emphasized that roasted hazelnut flavor in the filling, and a dusting of powdered sugar over the top gives these pretty bites just the right amount of adornment.

Confession: I made these THREE separate times and forgot to photograph them. Every. Single. Time. On the final batch that I did photograph, I forgot to dust them with powdered sugar, hence my "naked" cookies in these photos. Sigh... welcome to the hectic holidays!

Anyway, enough yammering. If you're planning on baking {or mailing!} Christmas cookies this year, give these bow ties a try. They make a present anyone would love to unwrap and devour!

A great big thank you to my matches, to Julie & Lindsay, and to our wonderful sponsors who sent us goodies -- Dixie Crystals, OXO, and Land O'Lakes! Here's to another year of goodies and giving!

Hazelnut Bow Tie Cookies

1 {8 oz.} block of cream cheese
2 sticks butter {8 oz. total}
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups flour*
Pinch of salt
1/2 - 3/4 cup Chocolate Hazelnut Spread
1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
Powdered Sugar for dusting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and mix to incorporate fully.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Slowly add the flour to the butter mixture until it forms a dough that begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. {*I usually add just 2 cups of flour and then sprinkle in an extra 1/4 to 1/2 cup while the mixer goes until the dough is no longer super sticky.} Try not to over mix.

2. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and, with floured hands, gently knead it together to form a ball -- divide it in half. Place each half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Pat dough into 2 square-ish shapes and wrap well. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, several hours or overnight.**

3. When the dough is firm, place one square onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to a rectangle or square, about 1/4 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut as many 2 inch-wide strips across as you are able to, then repeat vertically to end up with 2x2 inch squares of dough. If you have scraps left over, re-roll the scraps and repeat the process.

4. Place the dough squares on a baking pan -- the corners should be facing each other so that you have a tray full of  "diamond" shapes.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

5. Fill a zip top plastic bag or small piping bag with chocolate hazelnut spread, then snip the tip. Pipe a straight line down the center of each diamond from tip to tip -- I estimate I used about a teaspoon of spread in each cookie. Sprinkle each cookie with chopped hazelnuts, pressing lightly to adhere to the spread.

6. Wet your fingertips with a little bit of water and lightly swab one side of the cookie dough to moisten -- this will make it slightly sticky so that it adheres to the other side and stays closed. Carefully fold the outer edges of the diamond in toward the center {like its hugging itself}, making sure to fold the sticky side over the non-sticky side so that it helps to seal the cookie. Repeat until all cookies are sealed into bow ties.

5. Bake for about 12 minutes until they're just slightly golden at the edges. They'll be a little soft when you take them out of the oven, but they'll firm up slightly. Remove from baking pan and place on a cooling rack.

When the cookies are completely cooled, dust with powdered sugar to decorate.

The yield depends on the size you cut your squares. Mine were about 2x2 inch squares and I got about 3 dozen cookies out of one batch.

**This dough is best after a rest and some chilling, but I will admit that I've used it without much of a rest and they turn out just fine. Chilling the dough does make it easier to roll out.