Summertime Sweets

In yet another effort to give my children healthy food options (because fruit snacks and goldfish aren't two of the food groups) we made frozen yogurt pops this week.  I saw a post from my friend, Alicia's blog and thought if those sweet kids like this treat that maybe mine would too.

I mixed up vanilla greek yogurt (since the last time I fed them plain, they accused me of giving them sour cream) with some freshly sliced strawberries.  I put the mixture into the Popsicle molds I found in our basement and let them freeze over night.  

Voila!  A healthy afternoon snack that both kids loved!

Gail Simmons' Pear Tart

My mom and I are fans of the Dash magazine that comes as a weekly insert in our local paper. Usually we never actually make anything but ooh and ahh over the recipes. However we did try out this recipe from last week's insert.
I love fresh pears so naturally I did really like this recipe. It's like a cake and a pie all in one!

Gail Simmons' Pear Tart
Dash Magazine
½ cup (1 stick) softened, unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
Juice of ½ lemon, divided
1 lb pears (Concorde or Anjou), cored and sliced ½ inch thick
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Butter a 9-inch spring form pan. Squeeze half the lemon juice over pears.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer, cream ½ cup butter and 1 cup sugar on medium until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla. Beat in flour mixture on low until batter just comes together. Spread in pan. Wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes.
Arrange pears in tight concentric circles on top of dough. Squeeze remaining lemon juice evenly over pears.
In a bowl, mix 2 Tbsp sugar with cinnamon. Sprinkle over pears.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until edges are golden and center is set.
Cool tart in pan for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edge. Remove sides of pan.

Happy Birthday Sean!

To celebrate cousin Sean's 21st birthday we had frozen butterfinger dessert. I've only made this once before but it must have left an impression on Sean since it was his requested dessert.
It's super easy to make and is quite tasty!


Frozen Butterfinger Dessert
found on Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup crushed saltines (about 30 crackers)
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
4 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 Butterfinger candy bar (2.1 ounces), chopped

In a large bowl, combine the cracker crumbs and butter. Pat three-fourths of the mixture into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. Cover and refrigerate. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in ice cream until blended. Spread over crust. Spread whipped topping over pudding layer. In a small bowl, combine chopped candy bar and the remaining crumb mixture; sprinkle over whipped topping. Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours.

Rhurbarb Dessert

With still more rhubarb left from my parents, I thought a little something sweet would be in order. I found this recipe tucked into my recipe box and thought I would try it. It's very easy to make and is very sweet. I served ours with sugar-free Cool Whip (the sweet dessert and cool whip cancel each other out, right?), but ice cream would also be good with this.

Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

5 cups diced rhubarb

1 (3oz) package strawberry jello

1 cup sugar

2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 box white cake mix

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Arrange rhubarb in pan. Sprinkle jello and sugar over rhubarb. Top with marshmallows. Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Carefully pour cake batter over all and spread evenly. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes or until tests done. Turn cake only serving plate.

Holiday Cake Truffles

I recently made a couple batches of these truffles for a few holiday parties. I love how quick they come together, and they taste fantastic! The best part, it's completely customizable! The white truffles were a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting dipped in almond bark. The red ones are chocolate cake with chocolate frosting dipped in red candy melts with sprinkles on top.

Cake Truffles
1 9x13 cake - any flavor, baked
1 tub frosting - any flavor
1 or 2 packages of almond bark or candy melts

Make cake according to cake mix directions. Let cool completely. Break up into tiny pieces in large bowl. Mix with frosting. Use small candy scoop and make into small balls. Freeze overnight. Melt almond bark or candy melts and dip balls completely and let set.

Cheesecake Bites

I'm making quite a few little desserts for the holiday season. Here's one that is easy to make that tastes delicious! Using a premade frozen cheesecake adds to the ease. And the contrast between the crisp chocolate shell and smooth cheesecake filling makes them irresistible.



Cheesecake Bites

1 plain cheesecake, thawed

1 package chocolate candy melts



With a small cookie scoop, scoop the cheesecake filling (being careful not to get the crust) into small balls. Freeze to firm up. Dip in chocolate candy melts. Let sit until firm. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Birthday Crisp

I know most people celebrate birthdays with cake...but after cupcakes twice this week I needed to make something different. Luckily Caroline was up for a birthday apple cranberry crisp!


I found this recipe on weightwatchers.com and liked the contrast between the baked apples and the craisins. It was slightly tart, slightly sweet, and definitely party-worthy.

Apple Cranberry Crisp
serves 6
5 points each

4 apples, peeled and slices
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup uncooked oatmeal
2 tablespoons unpacked brown sugar
2 tablespoons reduced calorie margarine
1 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine apples, lemon juice, and sugar. Toss to coat. Place in the bottom of a 9" pie plate. Sprinkle with dried cranberries.
In a medium bowl mix oatmeal, brown sugar, margarine and cinnamon. Sprinkle over apple mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes. 3/4 cup = one serving.

Dreamy Apple Pie

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We had a great time celebrating and spending time with family. One of the recipes I made was this pie I found on Pioneer Woman. It is perhaps the best apple pie that I have ever made. You MUST try this! I didn't alter the recipe at all, so here's a link to it. Dreamy Apple Pie

Peach Cobbler

It's peach season here. The best peaches finally made it to the grocery store. So I celebrated by buying a lug (box) of them. I had to make something yummy for this weekend, so I made my Grandma O's Peach Cobbler. It's so easy and completely delicious!

Peach Cobbler
by Gay Ogren
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh peaches, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the butter in a 9x9 pan and put it in the oven to melt. Mix the milk, sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Pour over the melted butter and spoon 2 cups of peaches over the batter. Bake about 40 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Over the weekend I did a little baking. I spotted these bars on Bake at 350 and knew I would have to try them. They are delicious! Great peanut butter flavor, and a great chewy texture. I'll have to make these again soon!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
from Bake at 350
6 TBSP unsalted butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8x8 pan.
Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
Cream the butter and peanut butter together until smooth. Beat in the sugars until combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
Stir in the flour mixture. Add the chocolate chips, stirring until combined.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.

Happy Birthday Nate!

(above) Caroline modeling Nate's new t-shirt



(above) Caroline and Papa Don cuddling after bath time

Nate celebrated his 29th birthday this week. Every year for his birthday, he selects a special treat to take to work. Most years it's something that takes some planning to make (i.e. carrot cake). But this year he wanted my Aunt Ann's "Can't Leave Alone" bars. They're simple to make and they stand up to their name. They're chocolaty, but not too much. They're sweet, but not too much. They're gooey, but not too much. Try them, you'll love them!

Can't Leave Alone Bars
1 yellow cake mix
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter

Mix the cake mix, oil and eggs with a fork. Pat 2/3 of this mixture in a 9x13 pan. Melt the condensed milk, chips, and butter together and pour over the mixture in the pan. Drop the remaining cake mixture by spoonfuls over the chocolate. Flatten it as you put it on the chocolate and then swirl with a knife. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Butterscotch Pecan Pie

Monday was my brother Daniel's 25th birthday. We helped him celebrate by hosting a birthday dinner (or supper as it's known in my family). My brother had no opinion on what we should serve - the only thing he wanted was a birthday pie. I made a butterscotch pecan pie which I originally found at Bakerella (love that website!). The pie was soooo easy to make and everyone thought it was delicious. (Although I personally prefer fruit pies, this was yummy!)
Here's a picture of Caroline wishing Uncle Dan a "Happy Day!" Too cute!

Butterscotch Pecan Perfection Pie

From www.verybestbaking.com

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell*
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels
3/4 cup light corn syrup
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups whipped cream (optional)

Directions:PREHEAT oven to 350º F. MELT morsels in medium, uncovered microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. Morsels may retain some of their shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. ADD corn syrup, eggs, flour and salt to melted morsels. Beat on medium until smooth. Stir in pecans. Pour pecan mixture into pie shell. BAKE for 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out with little bits of filling attached. If browning too quickly, cover with foil. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Refrigerate 1 hour or until serving time.

If I Can Do It...You Can Too!

This week's TWD recipe was Honey-Peach Ice Cream. But because we're lactose-intolerant and we don't have an ice cream maker I decided to substitute it with Chocolate-Crunched Caramel Tart. If you'd like to see reviews and photos of the ice cream click here.
This was my first time making caramel. And to be quite honest I was a little worried about it. Growing up, caramel was something that only REALLY good cooks like my Aunt Carol could make. Luckily Dorie gave a tip in the recipe to have all of the ingredients ready because once the sugar starts melting it goes really fast. How true it is! So, my first experience with caramel was a success!!
The tart was impressive looking and people at work raved at how good it was. I wasn't overly impressed with it. Don't get me wrong it was good - but I only had one bite and thought that it was enough. But there is definitely a WOW factor with it. The crust and the peanuty crunch of the caramel go very well with the smooth dark chocolate ganache. The photo I took was absolutely horrible so I'm not going to even post it, but trust me it looks good!
For a look at a photo of this dessert and the recipe visit Annie's Eats.

Parisian Apple Tartlet

This week's TWD recipe was the Parisian Apple Tartlet. I thought that it looked too good (and easy) to be true. Not only does it look like something you'd find in a bakery case, it's delicious. One of the best parts of the recipe was how easy it was to put together. To make it even easier I made mine into squares/rectangles instead of the preferred circles. I'd recommend this to anyone that would like a yummy dessert but is a little short on time.

Parisian Apple Tartlet

(makes one 4-inch tartlet)

1 1/8-inch-think 4-inch circle cold puff pastry

1/2 firm sweet apple (such as Golden Delicious), peeled and cored

Light brown sugar

1 tsp butter, cut into three pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put pastry circle on the sheet.

Cut the apple half into four chunks and center the chunks on the pastry circle. Sprinkle the apple with 1-2 tsp brown sugar - depending on how much sweetness you want - and dot with bits of butter.

Bake tartlet for 25 minutes, until the pastry is deeply browned and puffed up around the apple and the apple can be easily pierced with the tip of a knife.

The perfect combination?

For a few weeks now I've been unofficially part of the Tuesdays with Dorie baking group. It's a group of avid bakers who are baking their way through "Baking From My Home To Yours" by Dorie Greenspan. The photos are gorgeous and the recipes look amazing. This week's pick was Chipster-Topped Brownies. First of all, what's better than chocolate chip cookies or brownies? How about chocolate chip cookie topped brownies! The recipe itself looked like it was going to take some time, but it was very easy to put together. The results - amazing! Nate and I shared one and I sent the rest to work and got rave reviews! I forgot to take a photo - but trust me, they look good and taste even better!

Chipster-Topped Brownies
For the brownie layer:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 sticks butter, cut into chunks
1 2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c all purpose flour
1 cup walnuts (I omitted this)

For the cookie layer:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter (at room temp)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips (or use chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13 pan. Place it on a baking sheet.

To make the brownies:
Put both chocolates and butter in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stirring occasionally, heat until the ingredients are melted, shiny and smooth. If the mixture gets too hot, the butter will separate from the chocolate. Remove the bowl from the heat.
Beat the sugar and eggs on medium-high speed for about two minutes. Beat in the salt and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Add in the flour and walnuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Set aside.
To make cookie dough:
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugars goether for about three minutes. One at a time, add the egg and egg yolk, beating for one minute between additions. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients. Mix in the chopped chocolate. Drop the cookie dough by spoonfuls over the brownie batter and, using a spatula, spread it evenly over the brownie batter.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the cookie dough is deep golden brown and firm. And a thin knife inserted into the brownie layer comes out with only faint streaks of moist chocolate. Cool to room temperature. When completely cool cut into 24 (or more) bars.

Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp

I am so glad that it's rhubarb season! There's something about the tartness that I love. Each spring I like to try at least one new rhubarb recipe. I found this recipe in my new cookbook "Baking From My Home to Yours" by Dorie Greenspan. Everything that I've tried so far in the cookbook has been fabulous, and so I was excited to try this one. Let me tell you, it does not disappoint. I love how the sweet strawberries and the rhubarb create a great fresh flavor. I've made this a couple of times already and minus accidently dropping it when I was getting it out of the oven, it's easy to assemble and prepare.


If you have fresh rhubarb and are not sure what to do with it - try this!!




Strawberry Rhubarb Double Crisp

"Baking from My Home to Yours"

For the crisp mix:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 c oatmeal

pinch of salt

tiny pinch of ground cinnamon

1 stick (8 T) butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:

1 lb (5-6 stalks) rhubarb, trimmed and peeled

3 T cornstarch

1/2 cup cold water

3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp vanilla

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put a 9-inch square baking pan on a baking sheet.

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, ground ginger, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl. With a fork, stir the ingredients until they are thoroughly moistened. Spoon half the mixture into the pan and pat it down lightly to form a thick crust; set aside the remainder for the topping.

Slice the rhubarb into 1/2 inch pieces and scatter them over the pressed-in base. Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water; set aside. Put the strawberries, sugar and ginger in a medium saucepan and, with a fork, crush the berries. Place the pan over medium heat and , stirring occassionally, bring the mixture to a full boil. Pour the dissolved cornstarch into the pan, and stirring with a whisk, bring everything back to a boil. Keep cooking and stirring until the strawberry filling is thick and no longer cloudy, about 3 minutes. Pull the pan from the heat, stirin the vanilla and pour the filling over the rhubarb. Scatter the remaining crisp mix over the filling.

Slide the crisp into the oven and bake for 60 minutes, or until the topping is golden and the strawberry jam is bubbling up all around the edges. Cool until only just warm or at room tempurature.