Salted Caramel Apple Bars

If you read my recent post for Crunchy Peach Coffee Cake, you know I was excited to harvest fresh, delicious peaches from my peach tree for the first time a few months ago. Well, I'm happy to report that my apple tree produced a bounty of tasty Golden Delicious apples for the first time this year, too!

I'm not a fan of raw, tart apples, so of course I had to find a recipe with enough sugar to disguise the sourness. While this recipe doesn't have a ton of sugar in the bars themselves, the salted caramel sauce on top is plenty sweet enough to make these bars the most decadent apple dessert I've ever made. They were so good, I had two bars before they were even cool! 

Don't be too intimidated by the lengthy directions. These bars are fairly quick and easy to make, and totally worth the effort!

Salted Caramel Apple Bars

Prep time 30 min Bake time 45 min

Serves 12

Shortbread Crust

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

Apple Filling

3 apples, peeled and thinly sliced (1/4 inch)

2 Tbs all-purpose flour

2 Tbs granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Streusel

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

Salted Caramel Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar

6 Tbs salted butter, room temperature, cut up into 6 pieces

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving some overhang on all sides. Set aside.

Make the crust: Stir the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes while you prepare the filling and streusel.

Make the apple filling: Combine the sliced apples, flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until all of the apples are evenly coated. Set aside.

Make the streusel: Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Remove the crust from the oven, and turn the oven up to 350°F. Evenly layer the apples on top of the warm crust. It will look like there are too many apple slices, so layer them tightly and press them down to fit. Sprinkle the apple layer with streusel and bake for 30–35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator till set, about 2 hours.

Make the caramel sauce: Melt granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a high-heat resistant rubber spatula or wooden spoon until liquid. Be careful not to burn.

Once sugar is completely melted, immediately add the butter. The caramel will bubble rapidly when the butter is added.

Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely melted, about 2 minutes. (If you notice the butter separating or if the sugar clumps up, remove from heat and vigorously whisk to combine it again.)

Very slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup of heavy cream while stirring. The mixture will rapidly bubble when added. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute. It will rise in the pan as it boils.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Allow to slightly cool down before using.

Once bars are cool and set, lift the foil or parchment out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into 12 pieces. Drizzle some salted caramel sauce on top of each. I only used about half the sauce and it was plenty.

These apple pie bars can be enjoyed warm, at room temperature, or even cold. Store bars and leftover caramel sauce in the fridge. 

Crunchy Peach Coffee Cake

My absolute favorite time of year is spring. The weather is perfect here in NC, and every week there's a new flower ready to bloom. I just love to see colorful blossoms! 

A few years ago, my husband wanted to plant a new tree in the yard to replace one that had died. My only request was that he come home with something that flowers in the spring. I wasn't too picky because I love all the flowering trees--redbuds, cherry trees, crab apples, dogwoods, even Bradford pear trees. My husband, being practical as ever, came home with a peach tree the size of a twig that looked half dead. I'm pretty sure he found it on the clearance rack.

The first year, we got no flowers and no peaches. The second year, we got a few pathetic blossoms, and a handful of inedible peaches as small and hard as golf balls. The next year wasn't much better. I was unimpressed to say the least.

But this spring, the whole tree was covered with tiny but beautiful blossoms, and soon after, peaches! We waited impatiently while they grew from hard, green knobs to large, peachy globes. Much to my delight, the first one I picked was soft, juicy, and totally delicious! Right away, I started browsing peach recipes. This one looked the best, so I couldn't resist making it first. It turned out just as amazing as it looks, and it is great for breakfast, dessert, or anytime snacking!

Crunchy Peach Coffee Cake

Prep time: 20 min Bake time: 45 min

Serves 20

BATTER:

4 cups baking mix (such as Bisquick)

1 1/3 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

4 cups peaches, peeled and diced (about 6 peaches)

STREUSEL TOPPING:

1 1/3 cups baking mix

1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, chilled, diced 

GLAZE:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 Tbs milk or cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13” glass baking dish. (This barely fit in my pan after baking, so use as tall of a dish as possible!)

In a large bowl, mix batter ingredients: baking mix, milk, sugar and eggs. Stir just until smooth.

In another large bowl, mix streusel ingredients: baking mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter or fork.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Top with half the peaches. Sprinkle half the streusel topping over the peaches. Repeat layers. Sprinkle pecans or walnuts over top.

Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely.

In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients: powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Drizzle glaze over cooled cake.

322 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Maple Pecan Apple Pie Bars

My husband's ex-pat aunt and uncle were coming to visit us from Mexico this week, so I was trying to pick a crowd-friendly dessert to make for them. Since it's officially fall (even though tomorrow is forecasted to be 97°!) my first thought was something pumpkin, but apple seemed like a safer choice. My husband reminded me there's nothing more American than apple pie, so that settled the debate.

Normally, I prefer to make new and creative things, not the same old, same old. And apple pie, while delicious, is kind of boring. But this recipe was just different enough to spark my interest. The inclusion of maple extract in the glaze, something I was eager to try, was the clincher. So, I added a new bottle to my collection of extracts and got baking. (I found maple extract at Walmart, but if you can't find it, vanilla extract would do.)

This recipe turned out to be a huge hit with everyone, and they devoured the whole pan in two days. They pleaded for the recipe, so I promised I'd add it to my blog ASAP. Here you go, Aunt Patty!

Maple Pecan Apple Pie Bars 

Prep time: 15 min Bake time: 40 min
Serves 20

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, chilled
1 egg, slightly beaten

Filling:
1/2 cup flour
3 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup pecans, chopped (I used candied pecans since I had some on hand)

Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.



In a large bowl combine 2 cups flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder and mix well. Cut in butter with pastry knife or two forks or until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Add egg and mix to combine. Press dough into prepared pan.



To prepare the filling, combine apples and flour and toss to coat. Add brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Spread over crust. (Alternatively, you could use a 21 oz. can of apple pie filling.)

Bake 40 minutes. Let cool completely.

For glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, and maple extract and whisk until smooth. Pour over cooled bars. Top with chopped pecans. Allow glaze to set before cutting bars. Store in airtight container.

200 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Homemade BoBerry Biscuits

My coworker was talking about making homemade apple fritters all week, and they sounded so good I decided to make some, too. I searched Pinterest for my favorite apple fritter recipe, but you know how it first shows you all the results and then you have to click on "your pins" to find the recipe you saved? Well, right next to all the yummy apple fritter recipes was a recipe for blueberry fritters!

They looked awesome, so I decided to give them a try. Only problem was, the recipe called for 2 eggs and I had no eggs, because I used them all for some delicious egg salad the day before. Bummed, I decided to go back to my apple fritter recipe, only to discover it called for an egg, too! Double-bummed, I went back to Pinterest and saw the blueberry fritter recipe again, which reminded me of the BoBerry Biscuits they sell at Bojangles.

If you don't know what Bojangles is, well, I am so sorry!  Bojangles is a Charlotte, NC-based fast food restaurant with franchise locations pretty much everywhere south of the Mason-Dixon. They specialize in chicken and biscuits, and sticking with the theme, for dessert they offer their amazing buttery biscuits, speckled with blueberries and drizzled with glaze. I decided to search for a copycat recipe for those, and low and behold, I found one--and it didn't even call for eggs!

These turned out great and took about as long to make as it would've taken me to drive to my local Bojangles and buy some. I used some frozen blueberries, but fresh or even dried would be just fine.


Homemade BoBerry Biscuits

Prep time: 10 min  Bake time: 10 min
Serves 12

2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups buttermilk*
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbs shortening
1/2 cup butter, cut into 1/4 in cubes
5 oz blueberries

Glaze
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
4 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450F.

Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening and butter. Add buttermilk and stir till just combined.  Fold in blueberries.  Add additional flour if dough is too sticky.

Place dough on floured cutting board, rub rolling pin with flour, and roll dough out to desired thickness. (I like 3/4 inch)

Use a cookie or biscuit cutter to cut out biscuits.

Bake for 8-10 minutes till desired brownness.

Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over biscuits. These are great warm or cool!

*If you don't have buttermilk and can't be bothered to go get some, just add 1-2 Tbs of lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk and let it sit for 5 minutes till it starts to curdle. Voila! You have buttermilk.

244 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Crunchy Pretzel Pecan Strawberry Salad

It's strawberry season at last! I've been eagerly awaiting its arrival for weeks, and I had grand plans to kick it off with this yummy-sounding salad.  My favorite strawberry farmer told me 2 weeks ago that he should have tons of berries by this week. I don't know what it was that made me give him a call to verify before making the short drive to Early Farms, but I was totally bummed to learn that some kind of infestation had destroyed his entire crop in the short time since we last spoke. I sympathized with him for a few minutes while trying to decide if I even wanted to try this recipe with anybody else's berries. I had been salivating over it for several days, though, so I decided to pick up some still great, but slightly less amazing, berries from another fruit stand nearby. They weren't sweet as candy like my favorites, but with all the goodies in this salad, it really didn't matter. The pretzel/pecan crunch topping is absolutely amazing, and I may have eaten a significant amount of it straight from the pan. Fortunately, there was still plenty left for the salad.

Crunchy Pretzel Pecan Strawberry Salad

Prep time: 5 min  Bake time: 7 min
Serves 10

1 cup pretzels, crushed
½ cup pecans, chopped
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup butter, melted
3 cups strawberries, diced about a quart)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
8 oz whipped topping

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Mix together crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, brown sugar and melted butter. Spread on a large baking sheet with sides (I used my jelly roll pan) and bake at 400°F for 7 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and then break it into small pieces.

Beat together softened cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla.  Fold in whipped topping.

Before serving, stir the diced strawberries and sugared pretzels and pecans into the cream cheese mixture.

430 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Grape Salad

I am not a big fan of salad.  Sure, I'll scarf down that tiny little pile of lettuce slathered in Ranch dressing that they give you at the restaurant to placate you while they cook your steak, but traditional salad is not one of those things I could ever get excited about.  However, I do love the "salads" that have nothing in common with a Caesar or Cobb -- you know, the ones that are more like dessert!

This salad makes a half-hearted effort to be healthier by using light sour cream and low-fat cream cheese, but I definitely wouldn't call it health food by any means, but it is definitely good food, and super quick and easy!

Grape Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Serves 8

1 ½ lbs green seedless grapes
1 ½ lbs red seedless grapes
8 oz light sour cream
8 oz low-fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans

Remove stems from grapes and rinse. Beat sour cream, cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla with mixer. Stir grapes into the mixture and place in a serving dish. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over top right before serving.

338 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Blueberry Custard Pie

I LOVE blueberries, but not the tiny, sour, overpriced ones that the grocery store has most of the year. I lived in Michigan for a few years and there were half a dozen blueberry farms within 20 miles of my house and every year we'd buy gallons of dark purple, sweet, juicy berries the size of marbles. They didn't need anything to be delicious so we ate them plain by the fistful, but we'd also eat them with ice cream and bake them in pies.

I was so excited last week when I learned my local blueberry farm was open for business and I sent my husband with explicit directions to come home with no less than 2 gallons of blueberries. I wanted to make a blueberry trifle for the company I had coming, blueberry muffins for breakfast, and 2 batches of blueberry cobbler to feed the teenagers at youth group. He came home with NONE! By the time he got there, they were sold out.Total bummer. I gave up on my extensive blueberry plans, but I was so in the mood for blueberries that I gave in and bought 1 pint from the grocery store. It wasn't enough to make most of the recipes I was craving, but it was just enough to make this pie. I've never put custard in my blueberry pie before, and I've never put streusel on top, but I really loved the end result! This was good cold, but it was amazing served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Blueberry Custard Pie

Prep time: 15 min  Bake time: 45 min
Serves 8

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbs flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Streusel Topping:
½ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup flour
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, ¾ cup sugar, egg, 2 tablespoons flour, vanilla extract and salt with a spoon until smooth. Gently fold the blueberries into the sour cream mixture. Spoon the filling into the unbaked pie crust.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.

While the filling is baking, prepare the streusel topping: In a medium bowl combine the brown sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles course sand. Fold in the chopped pecans.

After the filling has baked 25 minutes, sprinkle the streusel crunch topping over the top of the pie. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until filling is set and topping is brown.

Make sure your crust doesn't burn. Either use a crust shield or make a loose foil tent towards the end of baking.

Remove from oven and let pie sit for at least 10-15 minutes. Serve pie warm or chill it and serve cold.

352 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Rainbow Fruit Tacos

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everybody! Today is the day I try to pretend I actually know something about my Irish heritage. My maiden name was Shannon, and I'm a Notre Dame fan, but otherwise I'm not much more Irish than a box of Lucky Charms.  Plus, I recently read a Buzz Feed article listing 7 myths about St. Patrick's Day that essentially negated everything I thought I knew about Ireland. Corned beef and cabbage as Irish staples? Totally bogus. That was sort of a relief, though, because I don't like either one of those.  What I do like are these adorable fruit tacos! This rainbow needs no pot of gold at the end, any little leprechaun would find these to be a perfect treat all by themselves.

Rainbow Fruit Tacos
Prep time: 30 min  Cook time: 7 min
Serves 7

Shells:
7 large flour tortillas
1 Tbs sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
nonstick cooking spray

Filling:
8 oz light cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs honey
1 Tbs sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup chopped strawberries
½ cup chopped mandarin oranges
½ cup chopped pineapple
½ cup peeled and chopped kiwi
½ cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

To prepare the taco shells, use a biscuit cutter (or an empty can) to cut 3" circles out of your large tortillas. Lay the cut tortillas out flat and very lightly spray them with the nonstick cooking spray. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle tortillas evenly with the cinnamon sugar.

Gently fold each tortilla in half and hang them upside down on the rungs of your oven rack (a slight fold will yield a wider taco shell that is easier to fill). Bake for 5 - 7 minutes and then remove and gently set aside.

For the filling, beat the cream cheese, honey, sugar, and cinnamon until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of the filling into each shell. Top with the chopped fruit.

384 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Apple Fritter Casserole

It's Labor Day weekend, and that means September has arrived--time for back to school, (slightly) cooler temps, and apples! It doesn't really start to feel like fall here until about November, but I start craving apple recipes just as soon as I see all those shiny, new school supplies.

I love a good apple pie as much as the next guy, and I have some nice recipes for apple cakes, breads and donuts, but this recipe is an interesting combination of all of those. I can't decide if it's breakfast or dessert, so I ate it for both!

Apple Fritter Casserole
Prep time: 20 min  Bake time: 25 min
Serves 12

5 apples, peeled & chopped
6 Tbs butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
2 Tbs water

5 large croissants (about 12 oz)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup apple butter
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup powdered sugar
4 Tbs heavy cream

Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir until completely incorporated. Transfer chopped apples to pan and stir until coated with sugar mixture. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring frequently. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and warm water. Add the cornstarch mixture to apples and continue to cook/stir for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside while prepping the other ingredients. The apples should be soft and the liquid will be a syrup consistency.

Preheat oven to 375°F
Whisk together the heavy cream, apple butter, eggs and cinnamon. Spray 9x11 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Slice the croissants in half across middle. Place the bottom halves of the croissants in an even layer. Pour half of the apple butter/cream mixture over the croissants. Top with half of the caramelized apple mixture. Arrange the croissant tops in an even layer. Top with the remaining cream mixture and apples. Pour all of the syrupy apple mixture over the casserole. Gently press down on the top with a wooden spoon or spatula. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes, or till lightly browned on top.

Mix powdered sugar and heavy cream together with a fork until smooth. Drizzle over the finished casserole.


320 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!
 

Creamy Watermelon Pie

Is it weird that I'm posting another watermelon dessert recipe less than 2 weeks after the last one?  I just can't help it; I love watermelon in the summer! Don't worry, September is almost here and that means all things apple, quickly followed by pumpkin season, then peppermint and gingerbread for Christmas....there's always another season coming up with its own set of flavors! But for now, I'm going to savor the last juicy melon of the summer in this amazing pie.

This is great for that end of summer watermelon that's not quite as sweet and tasty as earlier ones, and it's also perfect for this super busy time of the year when complicated recipes are just not gonna happen.  I've made this many times before and I plan to serve it this Labor Day because it's quick, cool, and everybody loves it. The only thing challenging about this recipe is finding the watermelon-flavored gelatin. Last year I tried several stores with no luck, but a buddy of mine found it and bought me several boxes because she knew how much I love to make this pie!

Creamy Watermelon Pie
Prep time: 10 min  Chill time: 2 hrs 
Serves 8

1 box (3 oz) watermelon gelatin
1/4 cup boiling water
1 tub (12 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 cups diced seeded watermelon
1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust


In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Cool to room temperature. Whisk in whipped topping; fold in watermelon. Spoon into crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

Turkey & Cranberry Spread Croissants with Grilled Peaches

Don't you just love simple suppers? You know, the kind that only take a few ingredients, whip up in minutes, and dirty just a few dishes? Yeah, I know, that's a pretty rare combination! Usually I try to blog about interesting recipes--the kind that look complicated and gourmet, draw oohs and ahhs, and will impress your friends and family.

This supper was none of those things, but it was so quick, so easy, and so yummy, that I figured maybe you would appreciate it just as much as I did. This is actually three recipes in one, though, so maybe that makes up for its simplicity. Make each one separately or make them all at once, but definitely make them!

Turkey & Cranberry Spread Croissant Sandwiches
Total time: 5 min
Serves 4

4 large croissants, split
1 batch cranberry walnut spread (recipe below)
8 oz shaved turkey
4 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 cucumber, sliced
8 lettuce leaves

Spread cranberry spread on insides of croissants then top with turkey, cheese, cucumber slices and lettuce.

Cranberry Walnut Spread
Prep time: 5 min
Serves 4

4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 Tbs cranberry sauce
2 Tbs chopped walnuts
1 Tbs honey
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon 

Stir cream cheese until smooth then blend in remaining ingredients.  Serve as a dip for veggies or crackers, spread on a sandwich, or just eat by the spoonful! 

Grilled Peaches
Total time: 10 min
Serves 4

4 peaches, halved and pitted
4 Tbs honey
8 scoops vanilla ice cream

Preheat grill. Grill peaches flesh side down for 4 to 5 minutes over low flame. Flip and grill for an addition 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let skin blacken.

Remove and drizzle with honey. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Monkey Squares (Banana Bread Bars)

What is up with bananas and their incredibly short edibility window? Nobody in my family cares much for bananas except me, so I don't buy them often, but when I do it seems like I never actually get to eat more than one of them before they're brown and mushy! I've tried buying them green to give myself a little more time, but somehow they manage to go from under-ripe to overripe in less time than it takes me to convince myself to snack on a banana instead of a bag of chips.

I used to turn my brown bananas into a loaf of banana bread, but this recipe takes it up a notch with the addition of a browned butter icing that is freaking awesome! Even better, I've learned that I don't have to use my over-ripe bananas immediately, I can stick them in the freezer and pull them out when I'm good and ready! This is great for when you only have one sad, little banana left and the recipe calls for three.  The skin turns completely brown when you freeze them, but the inside is just the right kind of mushy for this yummy treat.

Monkey Squares
Prep time: 15 min  Bake time: 25 min
Serves 24

1-1/2 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
4 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 Tbs milk

Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.

For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and mix just till combined. Stir in walnuts.

Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately. (The color change happens in an instant so watch carefully or it will burn!)

Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).  Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).

286 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Blackberry Crumble Bars

They say you appreciate things more if you have to work for them. If that's the case, then this ought to be the best dessert my family has ever had, especially for my mom!

Every summer, my husband and I pick blackberries from a tangle of bushes that grow wildly along the path we like to walk each night. I've never been to a blackberry farm, but I can only hope that cultivated bushes are a little easier to pick from than the unruly snarl we try to harvest. We usually leave bloody and covered in scratches and splinters, with purple fingers and torn clothes, but also with full baskets and happy smiles.

This year, my mom was visiting, so she agreed to help us with our endeavor, but her enthusiasm got the best of her when she tried to climb a little too deep into the maze and fell flat on her tushy, right in the middle of a thorny bush! She lost her whole bucket of berries, and her pride, but Allen and I managed to pick enough that she still got to enjoy this delicious dessert.

If you don't have access to your own berry patch, or prefer not to injure yourself in the quest for fresh berries, you can certainly go buy them.  I'm sure they'll taste almost as good! Actually, this recipe would work just fine with lots of different fruits, so feel free to try whatever kind you like!

Blackberry Crumble Bars

Prep time: 15 min  Bake time: 40 min
Serves 16

3/4 cup + 1-1/2 tbsp sugar, divided
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbs lime juice
2 cups blackberries
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg yolk
3 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment and spritz lightly with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch. Stir in lime juice. Add blackberries, toss to coat, and set aside.

In larger bowl, whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt.  Add egg yolk, vanilla and butter cubes. Using a pastry cutter, work the mixture together until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Spread 2/3 of the mixture into prepared pan, pressing down to even out and flatten. Top with blackberry mixture, spreading into an even layer.  Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over top and then sprinkle with remaining sugar.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick test is clean and top is golden brown.

Let cool completely before cutting and serving unless you are serving with ice cream, which is better with a warm bar. Cool about 15 minutes in pan before cutting if serving with ice cream.

117 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Pistachio Fluff Salad

I try really hard to make my menus seasonally appropriate, I really do, but sometimes you just have to satisfy a craving, regardless of what time of year it is!  In the summer, when you can actually get fresh, local fruit, I try to make all my favorite fresh fruit dishes and save the canned fruit for the dead of winter, but when I saw this recipe on Pinterest I knew I couldn't wait till winter.  This brings back great memories of my childhood when a can of fruit cocktail made a recipe seem gourmet and all the best salads had marshmallows in them.

Pistachio Fluff Salad
Total time: 5 minutes
Serves 10

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple (drain and reserve juice)
1 (3 oz) pkg instant pistachio pudding mix
1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip, thawed
2 large bananas, sliced
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 (15 oz) can fruit cocktail, drained
1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained

Place Cool Whip in a large mixing bowl.  Add instant pudding mix and stir gently to combine. Add drained pineapple, marshmallows, drained fruit cocktail, and drained mandarin oranges.

Slice bananas and swirl in reserved pineapple juice to prevent browning. Add to bowl and mix everything completely. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. (If you refrigerate your cans of fruit beforehand, this can be served immediately.)

251 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list! 

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

I have to admit, this recipe is TEDIOUS. Usually I scoff at any recipe that takes more than a half an hour and has more than a handful of ingredients. Call me lazy, call me a busy working mom, or just call me practical, but that's the way I roll. At first glance, this recipe seems pretty easy, and I'm sure that's why I tried it in the first place. Just cut up some fruit, sprinkle on some seasonings, and serve!  Sounds pretty simple, but when you look a little closer, you'll notice that this calls for all the ingredients to be finely chopped. This is a salsa, so the chunks have to be small enough to balance a bunch of them on a thin little chip. About half way through the recipe I wanted to chuck it all in the blender and call it a smoothie! However, once I finished this and gave it a taste, it was all worth it.

This has the perfect balance of fruit, sweet, and spice. And the cinnamon chips? TO DIE FOR. You might as well make a double batch of those because you will find yourself wanting to dip them in everything. Actually, you might as well make a double batch of the salsa, too, because you're gonna have a half a cantaloupe and honeydew left over if you only make one batch. Be careful with the cayenne, though. I usually half the amount it calls for and it's still plenty spicy to me.

You can also feel free to substitute other fruits if you want, just make sure you dice them super fine. Here's a tip I figured out after making this a couple times: watch a really absorbing movie while you do all that dicing and you'll be done before you can say hand cramp!

Fruit Salsa

Prep time 30 min
Serves 16

1 cup finely chopped cantaloupe
1 cup finely chopped honeydew
1 cup finely chopped peeled mango
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
1 green onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Chill until serving. Serve with cinnamon tortilla chips.

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips
Prep time: 10 min  Bake time: 10 min
Serves 16

16 small flour tortillas
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine cinnamon and sugar in a shaker or a small bowl.  Brush one side of each tortilla with melted butter then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Cut into wedges or strips and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake for 8-12 minutes or till golden brown.

178 calories per serving (salsa and chips.)  Click her for more nutritional info and shopping list! 

Strawberries and Cream Cookie Bars

The calendar says spring has arrived, and I've been collecting strawberry recipes all winter, just waiting for spring to change those tasteless white-bellied berries to plump, red and juicy.  Unfortunately, that hasn't quite happened yet, what with the freaky winter weather we've had this year, but I just couldn't wait any longer!  Fortunately, this recipe can camouflage even the most sour winter berries with its sweet strawberry glaze, and the sugar cookie crust just takes it over the top.  Best of all, like all my favorite recipes, this is quick and easy and everybody loves it.

Strawberries and Cream Cookie Bars
Bake time: 10 min  Total time: 20 min
Serves 20

1 (16.5 oz) roll sugar cookie dough
1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened
1/2 lb powdered sugar
1 (12.75 oz) tub strawberry glaze
1/2 pint strawberries, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray and spread cookie dough evenly on bottom of pan.  Bake for 10 minutes or till slightly browned. Let cool completely. Whip softened cream cheese till smooth; blend in powdered sugar. Spread cream cheese mixture onto cooled cookie dough.  Combine strawberries with glaze and pour evenly on top.  Keep refrigerated.

266 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Perfect for Every Occasion Panini

Have you ever noticed the labels at the bottom of each of my recipes?  They are a handy way to help you find the kind of recipe you want.  If you look on the lower right side of each page, you should see a list of all the different categories of recipes on this site.  Looking for a side dish?  I have 14 to choose from and you can see them all by clicking on "side dishes."  Obviously, some recipes are going to fall into more than one category; in fact, most do, but this recipe wins the prize, hands down, for the most!  This scrumptious sandwich would be great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, a late night snack or dessert.  It's meatless, so it's good for vegetarians and Lent-observing Catholics, it's quick and easy, so it's great for the lazy, and it's kind of fancy, so even the highbrow can appreciate it.  For you simpler folk, don't be turned off by the word "panini," it's nothing but a hot sandwich that's been squished into deliciousness.  You can make this in a gourmet panini press, in a pan on the stove like a grilled cheese, or even in a George Foreman grill, like I usually do.  However, and whenever, you make it, it will be great!

Apple Pie Panini
Prep time: 5 min   Cook time: 5 min
Serves 4

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese (you can get this at Wal-Mart near the deli section with the fancy cheeses)
1 1/2 Tbs honey
4 Tbs (1/2 stick) butter, softened
8 slices cinnamon raisin bread
1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
2 Tbs brown sugar 

Heat a panini press to medium-high heat.  Whisk the mascarpone and honey together until it’s well combined and fluffy.
 
Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread to flavor the outside of the sandwich. Flip over and spread 1 tablespoon sweetened mascarpone on each. Top 4 of the bread slices with a layer of apples and close the sandwiches with the other slices, buttered side up. Sprinkle some brown sugar on top.

Grill two panini at a time, with the lid closed, until the fillings are warmed and the bread is toasted, with a sweet crust, 3 to 5 minutes. Top each sandwich with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, if desired. 

328 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Cherry Pineapple Glazed Ham Steak

One of our local radio stations started playing Christmas music today.  Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE Christmas music, but we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet!  I am definitely not ready for Christmas.  To be honest, I don't really like Christmas.  Thank you, Jesus, for the miracle of Christmas, but the modern holiday I could do without.

To me, Christmas is nothing but stress: finding gifts for impossible-to-buy-for people, cooking a ton of food and then feeling guilty about eating it, traveling hours and hours to the arctic tundra of Indiana to visit family, untangling dozens of strands of lights only to have them quit working as soon as I hang them up, and pulling half-digested tinsel out of the cat's butt (yes, I really have had to do that, on multiple occasions!)  One of these years, I'm going to ignore societal expectations and spend Christmas all by myself on a sunny beach. But, alas, not this year.

Despite the eater's remorse I always feel, the best part about Christmas is definitely the food.  The cut-out cookies I make every year with my mom, the peanut butter buckeyes I make "for my dad," the yule log that's basically a gigantic Swiss cake roll. Okay, clearly I favor the desserts of the season, but how about that glazed ham?

You know, the one covered in pineapple rings and studded with cherries? Now that's a great combination.  Did you ever notice how it never tastes quite as wonderful as it looks, though?  That's because the ham to glaze ratio is off!  You take this huge hunk of meat and put fruit and glaze only on the outside, so each slice gets only a microscopic amount of the good stuff!  In a perfect world, every bite would be slathered in that fruity sauce.  Well, this recipe gives you just that, without the stress of the holiday season.  Whether or not you share it with those relatives you'd rather avoid is totally up to you!

Cherry Pineapple Glazed Ham Steak

Total time: 15 min
Serves 4

1.5 lb ham steak (I use thick cut, fully cooked)
2 Tbs butter
1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks (or tidbits, drained)
4 oz maraschino cherries (in juice)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves


Melt butter in a large skillet and add pineapple. Sauté till nicely browned.  Add cherries, sugar, and spices and stir till sauce starts to thicken, about 2 minutes at medium heat.

Remove fruit from pan, leaving glaze, and add ham steak. If using one very large ham steak, I like to cut it into single serving sizes before cooking. Sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Serve topped with fruit and drizzled with glaze.


463 calories per serving. Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Happily Apple-y

I think I understand why Eve was tempted in the garden of Eden by a bright, juicy apple.  I mean, apples are practically the perfect food!  They're great baked in a cake, fried in a pie, tossed in a salad, stewed in a sauce, puffed in a dumpling; heck, they're even tasty raw and plain!  They're a good source of potassium, phosphorus, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron and zinc, and they contain vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, K.  Plus, keep 'em cold and they last just about forever!  I'm pretty sure Eve took one look at that miracle fruit and knew she had to have it.  Okay, I know some theologians will argue that the tree of knowledge grew pomegranates or some other food more common to the region, but come on, who's gonna give up paradise for a pomegranate?  But the apple, now that's almost worth the curse.

This cake is a perfect example of the versatility of the apple.  It's sweet, moist, and absolutely delicious, yet it's chock-full of wonder fruit, so you can feel just a little bit better about feeding it to your family.  Plus, it comes together in no time but tastes like it took all day.  I made it today on my lunch break!  I took it to my mother-in-law's tonight and she said it was the best dessert I've ever made.  Thanks, Eve, for eating the apple!

Caramel Apple Cake
link to original recipe
Prep time: 15 min  Bake time: 45 min
Serves 20

Cake:
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
3 cups peeled and chopped apples

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13" pan.  Combine oil, sugar, and eggs.  Stir in flour and baking soda.  Add vanilla, pecans, and apples.  Spread in prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes.  Cool for at least 2 hours, then prepare frosting.

For frosting, boil all ingredients in a small saucepan for 2 minutes.  Set pan in a bowl filled with ice water.  Beat icing until of spreading consistency, about 5 minutes.  Spread over top of cake.  Sprinkle with additional pecans, if desired.

388 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!

Score One for Salad

My child does not like salad in any form.  To be honest, I'm not a big fan myself, but I make it and eat it and try not to whine too much about it because I know it's good for me, but Rachel snubs her nose at anything with the name salad - even fruit salad!  I personally love fruit salads.  Fruit by itself is okay, but there's something about mixing a bunch of it all together with a sweet sauce that elevates it to something extra special.  I've posted several great fruit salads on here in the past, but all of them have had fluffy, creamy, high-calorie fillings that pretty much negate any of the health benefits of eating a big bowl of fruit.  But this salad is actually pretty light, yet still super yummy!  Even better, Rachel ate a whole bowlful without one complaint.  Score one for salad! 

Strawberry Cantaloupe Salad
link to original recipe
Total time: 15 min.
Serves 6

2 cups sliced strawberries
2 cups diced cantaloupe
4 oz diced mozzarella
1 cup raspberries
2 Tbs sunflower kernels
4 Tbs light raspberry vinaigrette
1/8 cup sugar (if desired)
1 Tbs thinly sliced mint leaves (if desired)

In a large bowl, combine strawberries, cantaloupe and cheese. Drizzle with vinaigrette.  Add sugar, if desired, and toss to coat. Just before serving, gently stir in raspberries; top with sunflower kernels. If desired, sprinkle with mint.

172 calories per serving.  Click here for more nutritional info and shopping list!