On our way into JPJ, the first thing we saw—and no one can miss it—is the huge Final Four placard from Minneapolis, where UVA won its first National Championship last April, with the National Championship trophy proudly displayed in front of it.
Our team has come down quite a ways from last year's ultimate high, but that was to be expected after we lost our three best players—all underclassmen—to the NBA draft. The game itself was thrilling, with a last-minute win against a good team, which was a big turnaround from the four recent ACC games we lost, all after holding a slim lead in the last three minutes. Most of our team still can't shoot it into the ocean from three-point range, but at least we have a shot at making it back to the NCAA tourney. We'll probably suffer a swift and ignominious defeat once we get there, but, hey, we'll always have the memories of 2018-19, right?
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*To her credit, Cassie expressed much excitement for Mom on her moment of glory. To her discredit, Cass didn't have the faintest idea who we were playing that evening.
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These are the cookie bars I made over the holidays, which you all seemed to like pretty well. The ratio of taste to the level of effort expended (that's T:LEE for you math majors) is very high, so this is a good choice if you're wanting something sweet, but don't have a lot of time or energy and can't or won't eat chocolate. The appearance of this batch was a little dull, because I used apricot jam, but you can brighten it up with a red jam (cherry, plum, or raspberry preserves would be good, and more flavorful than strawberry), which would also add some V-Day factor, if you're so inclined.
Granola-Jam Cookie Bars
Adapted from Karen DeMasco via Food52 (with video)
Time: ~1 hour (20 minutes active)
The original recipe is written for raspberry jam and pecans, but you can use any jam (or preserves) and nuts that you like and/or have on hand. Some classic combinations include: fig and walnut; apricot and almond; and cherry and almond or pistachio.
115 grams (~1 cup) pecan halves, coarsely chopped (see note)
190 grams (~1½ cups) all-purpose flour
115 grams (~1¼ cups) old-fashioned rolled oats
67 grams (⅓ cup) white sugar
67 grams (⅓ cup) packed dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
170 grams (¾ cup; 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
250 grams (~¾ cup) raspberry jam (see note)
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 degrees. While the oven is heating up, toast the pecans in a small baking sheet until they are fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes (set a timer as they burn easily).
2. Meanwhile, tear off a 12-by-12-inch sheet of aluminum foil. Turn an 8-inch square baking pan upside down, center the foil on it, and fold the excess evenly over the sides of the pan. Fold and crease the corners like you're wrapping a present. Slip the liner off the pan. Turn the pan right side up and insert the liner, carefully working it into the corners of the pan. Spray the liner with nonstick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, sugars, salt, baking soda, and, once they’re cool, the nuts. Pour in the melted butter. Using a silicone spatula, mix together until evenly moistened, like wet sand.
4. Press and firmly pack about two-thirds (470 grams) of the oat mixture into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the jam evenly over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture evenly over the jam, from edge to edge.
5. Bake until the top layer is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely, about 3 hours.
6. Using the foil liner, transfer the bars, still in one big piece, to a cutting board. Cut into sixteen 2-inch squares. Store leftover bars, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days or 1 week in the fridge.
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