Spring Bouquets and Blueberry Snack Bars

.  So, I'm a little disappointed in myself.

This post was originally supposed to be a giveaway for my dear readers (i.e., $10 off a stunning floral bouquet) but because of this or that, it took me way too long to get this post completed.

Therefore, I'm just going to have to promote the bejeezus out of FTD bouquets.  And Lucky Leaf Pie Fillings [the sponsor of this post].

And I can vouch that the FTD bouquets are lush, gorgeous, and the perfect centerpiece to give your home the most lovely Spring touch because FTD sent me a complimentary arrangement of my choice, of which I just could not pass up the Lavender Fields Mixed Bouquet... can you blame me?

The flowers [and vase] came with a packet of flower 'food', so the beautiful arrangement lasted a good week or so on our kitchen counter.  It was always so refreshing turning the corner from coming in to our apartment and seeing bright, luscious flowers that you don't get too often living in the city.

But in addition to the free bouquet,  Lucky Leaf also sent along four pie fillings and three very Spring recipe cards.

So let me speak of one of the most delicious bars I have ever made.  I kid you not.  These things were gone in a flash at work and I didn't stop hearing about them until long after.  They were goOooooOOOooood.

Blueberry Snack Bars.

Sweet, moist, dense cake-like bars topped with a creamy cheesecake middle, rich blueberry pie filling, and finished with crunchy walnuts.  Pa-LEASE.  Makes my mouth water.

And you know what slays me?  

The fact that they weren't completely homemade. 

I can hear the gasps from the true bakers of the world but you know what?  Sometimes you do what you gotta do.  And that's that.  This time around the quick and dirty method was just what I needed though, because I made these late at night after a work event.  But I guarantee you no one would have guessed how easy peasy these were!

Hopefully by this time I've convinced you to at least take a gander at the lovely products FTD has to offer, I do believe a very special Mother's Day happens to be tomorrow...

Or at the very least, I hope you're already gathering together the ingredients for these bars.  Oh you are?  Happy baking!  .

P.S. you've probably noticed I don't have any of my own pictures on this post, huh?  Well I had a bit of a snafoo with my camera and they were deleted from my memory card.  So...this post...just needs to be done.  Sowwy guys.

Hummingbird Oatmeal Cookies

.  So Easter…

I am neither prepared nor ready to admit this lovely family holiday is fast approaching.  It most definitely crept up on me, to say the least.

So what do you know...Easter has come and gone and this post surely did not make it out before the Easter holiday.

I whipped up these cookies a few weekends ago [the second I pinned them] in hopes that I’d [go gaga over them and] get the chance to share them with you all for the holiday.  But as you can see, that most definitely did not happen.  And I'm not happy with myself.  But hopefully there will be some reason for you to include these delish chewy cookies in your upcoming entertaining repertoire.  For they most certainly deserve to be.

You may recall that I've made Bake or Break’s Hummingbird Cupcakes many a times before, they were actually one of the very first recipes I ever posted on LSM.  Which I’m sure I've told you.  Several times before.  But to this day, they continue to be one of my go-to and all-time favorite recipes.  And I can now vouch that my baking blog idol, BoB, has done it yet again.  But this time in cookie form.

These perfectly sized chewy, chewy cookies contain all of the traditional Hummingbird flavors: ripe bananas, sweet pineapple, fragrant spices, and crunchy pecans.  With a dollop of rich cream cheese frosting to top it all off [literally and figuratively], these cookies are near perfection.

And outright addicting. 

A sure crowd pleaser for any holiday brunch, lunch, or dinner. 

Or any ol’ time for that matter.  Because they’re good year round.  You’ll see  .

Adapted from Bake or Break

Ingredients:
Hummingbird Oatmeal Cookies:
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 medium ripe banana, mashed
1-1/2 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. chopped dried or candied pineapple

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
1-1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Banana chips, chopped pecans (garnish; optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350ºF.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. For cookies, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Mix in vanilla extract until combined, then add banana and mix until combined.
3. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add flour mixture, mixing just until combined.  Stir in oats, pecans, and pineapple.  
4. Drop dough by scant tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.  Flatten each cookie slightly. 
5. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on pans before removing to wire racks to cool completely.  Repeat with remaining dough.
6. For frosting, in a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and butter with mixer on medium speed until well blended and smooth.  Mix in vanilla extract until combined.
7. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of frosting on cookies and garnish, if desired.  

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Peppermint Fudge Cookie Sandwiches

.  Okay, this is getting serious.

Christmas is less than 5 days away and I still have some serious Christmas recipes to share.  So in part to the fact that I have little to no time to pump out these posts...let's get right to it.  Short and sweet.

First.  These cookies are ah-maze.  And I'm not joking.  They very much remind me of the dark chocolate lava cookies that seem to melt away in your mouth.  I mean, I named these 'fudge' cookies for a reason, right?  And for an extra special touch, you're getting a double dose of chocolate with the mini chocolate chips studded throughout.  Because who doesn't need more chocolate?  Plus they add a subtle crunchy texture to these luscious, seemingly creamy, cookies.

But the true holiday spirit comes when you get to that buttercream.  The candy cane buttercream, mind you.  Yes, real candy canes are crushed and added to a classic vanilla buttercream, upping the holiday ante.  And who would have guessed the chocolate/peppermint combo was so downright addicting?  Because neither Robbie or I could stop eating these little things.

Not to mention they're just too darn cute.

Well, I hope that everyone has a wondrous holiday and ends 2013 with a bang.  I'll be spending the last couple of weeks of the year in Minnesota and Arizona with family and friends, so odds are this will be my last post.  For the year, I mean.

I already have loads to catch you all up on, particularly with wedding planning, so I can't wait for the New Year to roll around.

Love you all, see you in 2014!  .

From Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

Fudge Cookies:

1 c. plus 1 tbsp. all purpose flour

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

8 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 c. packed light brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

1 c. mini chocolate chips

Peppermint Buttercream:

3/4 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2-1/2 to 3 c. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 to 2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

1/2 c. candy cane dust (about 9 candy canes)

Directions:

1. For cookies, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Melt chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute, stir, and continue to melt in 30 second increments until fully melted and smooth; set aside.  In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla extract; set aside.  With electric or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute).  Beat in brown sugar and sugar, scraping down the sides, until mixture is granular.  Mix in egg mixture until incorporated.  Add chocolate and beat until combined.  Add dry ingredients on slow speed.  Fold in the mini chocolate chips (do not overmix!).  Chill dough for 30 minutes.
3. Heat oven to 350°F.  Scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll into a slightly flattened ball.  Place onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 10 minutes or until cookies have just begun to set with the centers still appearing very soft (they will set as they cool).  Move to wire rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, for buttercream, place candy canes in food processor and crush to a fine dust.  
5. In a medium bowl, beat butter for 1 minute.  Add 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar and mix on low speed.  Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream.  Beat for 1 minute.  Stir in candy cane dust with a spatula and add heavy whipping cream as needed if buttercream requires loosening.  
6. Frost half of cooled cookies and top with remaining half of cookies to create sandwiches.

Yield: 2 dozen cookie sandwiches

Caramel Apple Streusel Pie

.  How has Thanksgiving already come and gone?  I haven't even had a split second to catch up with everyone to see how their food-filled day went.  And now it's almost Christmas...

But let's recap.  My Thanksgiving was spent out in Naperville, Illinois, where my aunt and her family live.  My parents [in Minnesota] and my brother [currently in Missouri for Army training] also made the trek to the Chicago suburb.  We're all over the place, huh?  But fortunately we were all able to be under one roof for one of my favorite holidays, if even for a short while.

But my Thanksgiving was off to a great start the moment I got to my aunt's house.

Right before our early dinner, my aunt asked me to grab the wine.  Unbeknownst to me, I snagged a bag in the fridge and brought it out to the table.  The next couple of seconds were a bit of a blur but I remember my mom asking me what kind it was.  I casually shrugged and started reading the label.

'Jess.'  'Bridesmaid.'  'Melissa.'

Those are basically the only three words I remember reading.  But as the utter confusion passed, I started piecing it all together.  My best friend, and Maid of Honor, was asking me to be in her wedding!

Mel is a huge wine connoisseur, so her 'invitation' was so completely her.  Absolutely perfect and I couldn't be any more honored to stand by my beautiful best friend on the biggest day of her life.

See?  A great start to my Thanksgiving.

Comically, the rest of the holiday went by rather quickly.  We apparently got right down to business and the first round of 'Thanksgiving' was over in all of about 35 minutes.  If that.  But I guess that only alludes to the delicous-ness of the our meal: we were all heads down, forks to mouths.  And then once we were done, we got back to catching up with everyone.

The aftermath of Thanksgiving.

And of course, there was dessert.  Made by me.  Unfortunately dessert is the only contribution I will ever have to any dinner party.  But I think everyone agreed, this recipe didn't let me down.

From the crunchy toffee crumble to the luscious caramelized-apple filling overflowing in a homemade crust, what's not to love?  And the fact that we only had a modest sliver left by the end of the night signifies there wasn't much we didn't love about it.  Plus my papa requested this pie for Christmas.  Musta been good then, huh?!

Well I hope everyone's enjoying the holidays, they always seem to fly by faster each year.  Like I said, it's been busy our way, too, and hopefully I can get caught up sharing everything.  But in the mean time...enjoy this pie!

Happy baking!  .

Adapted from Handle the Heat

Ingredients:

Crust:

1-1/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. sugar

1/2 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks

2 tbsp. cold sour cream

2 to 3 tbsp. cold water

Caramel Apple Filling:

6 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 c. heavy whipping cream

4 tbsp. butter

Toffee Streusel Topping:

1/4 c. all purpose flour

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. cold butter, cut into chunks

Scant 1/3 c. toffee bits

Directions:

1. For the crust, in the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, and sugar until combined.  Add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with larger chunks of butter remaining.  Add sour cream and pulse to combine.  Drizzle two tablespoons of ice water over mixture and pulse until it just comes together without being wet, sticky, or crumbly (if dough doesn’t hold together when pinched between your fingers, add another tablespoon of water and pulse).
2. Place the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and shape into a disk.  Chill in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.  
3. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling out on a lightly floured work surface (keep turning dough after every roll to ensure it doesn’t stick to the counter and is of even thickness).  Roll out into a 1/8-inch thick 13-inch circle. Gently place the dough over a 9-inch pie pan and press into the tin.  Trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang.  Crimp or decorate edges and pierce the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.  Freeze for 30 minutes, or until very firm.
4. Heat oven to 375°F.  Remove the pie shell from the freezer and place a double sheet of foil over the shell, pressing the foil gently across the bottom and up the sides of the pie.  Place two cups pie weights or dry beans over the parchment.  Bake 20 minutes or until crust is dry and light in color.  Carefully remove the parchment and weights and continue baking for another 12 minutes, or until just turning golden.
5. Meanwhile, for the filling, combine apples, lemon juice, light brown sugar, sugar, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, vanilla extract, and heavy whipping cream in a large bowl. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the apple mixture and cook 8 minutes or until the apples begin to soften.  Pour the apple mixture into the pie crust.
6. For the topping, in a medium bowl, combine flour and sugar.  Cut butter into the flour with a fork to form coarse crumbs.  Stir in the toffee bits and sprinkle over apple mixture.  Wrap the edges of the pie crust with a crust shield or foil.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Let cool before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

  

A Recipe Contest/Giveaway and Flakey Cran-Apple Hand Pies

.  I'll be honest.

Couldn't be any more excited about this giveaway.

I've done a number of Lucky Leaf giveaways that include a package of goodies for myself and in turn, I bake up a recipe using the Lucky Leaf products and basically write a review.  So whether I like their pie fillings or not, you guys are getting the honest truth.  Fortunately, I've fallen head over heels for their pie fillings and will [most likely] never use another brand again.  They got me hooked.

Well for this giveaway, one of you is getting my most favorite package to date but also have a chance to enter the Lucky 13 Recipe Contest!

Without getting into too many of the details [who needs those?], the Lucky 13 Recipe Contest basically entails using [at least] one can of Lucky Leaf's pie fillings, the entire recipe must only take one hour, and...that's it!  Just come up with something creative and fun using their scrumptious product and YOU could win the grand prize of of $2,500!  I'd say that's a hefty payment for a pan of bars.  Or whatever it is you decide to make.

Unfortunately, I didn't read closely enough about the one hour limit, so this here Flakey CranApple Hand Pie recipe won't be making it into the contest as planned.  Dang it.  Because I'm really excited about these.

One could always use a store-brought pie crust to cut the prep time.  But to substitute for the homemade, flakey crust recipe I have here just wouldn't be the same.  The shining star [in my humble opinion] couldn't be replaced by Pillsbury.  Sowwy.

I realize this comparison is probably a baking sin and Laura from Tutti Dolci [source of the original recipe] would cringe if she read this, but for relatable purposes I'm going to say it.  The crust and filling combination of these hand pies strongly resembles a gourmet Toaster Strudel.

Gah, I'm sorry.  I said it.  But who hasn't had one of those stuffed pastries?!  And dang it, they're good!

But these hand pies are even better.  Not even on the same level actually.  But the flaky, peel-away-layers reminded me of those breakfast treats [minus the icing].  So I had to say it.

And now that I've spurred your creativity, get in that kitchen and bake up some goodies with Lucky Leaf pie fillings!  Oh, but you don't have any pie filling, you say?  Well then!

Enter a comment below telling me what you would bake up for the contest [if you were to enter] and I'll choose a random winner that will receive a Lucky Leaf package containing a can of Lucky Leaf pie filling, a ceramic pie bird, a recipe card, and and two pie slice boxes with forks.

Uh, awesome!

So get thinkin' and commentin', you have until December 2nd, to enter my contest as well as the Lucky 13 Recipe Contest.

Happy baking!  .

My Notes:

• These hand pies are best the day they are made, but just keep them tightly covered when you're not snackin' on them and they'll keep for a good number of days.

Adapted from Tutti Dolci

Ingredients:

Flakey Pie Crust:

1 c. cold unsalted butter, divided

1/2 c. buttermilk

2 c. flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Large pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

3 to 4 tbsp. cold water

Filling:

1 (21 oz.) can pie filling (your choice)

1 large egg

1 tbsp. water

Turbinado sugar

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, grate 1/2 cup of butter.  Cut the remaining 1/2 cup of butter into cubes and place in small bowl as well [keeping separated].  Place in freezer for 15 minutes to chill as well as buttermilk.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.  Sprinkle cubed chilled butter over flour mixture and cut in butter using a pastry blender or fingertips until the biggest pieces are the pea-sized.  Fold in grated butter.  Drizzle buttermilk over mixture and using a spatula, gather dough until it forms clumps.  Add tablespoons of water, one at a time, and gently knead dough to form a ball.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and flatten slightly to form a disc.  Refrigerate dough for 1 hour or up to 2 days.
3. Heat oven to 400°F.  Grease two baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.  Whisk egg yolk and water in a small bowl to create an egg wash; set aside.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness, rotating dough after each stroke.  
5. Use a pastry wheel [or cookie cutter] to cut out 2-inch squares.  Place half of the squares on the prepare baking sheet and brush with egg wash.  Place one scant teaspoon of pie filling onto crusts.  Cut two slices into the remaining crusts and use to top the pies.  Seal edges with a fork.  Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.  Repeat with scraps and remaining half of dough.
6. Bake 16 minutes or until pies are puffed and golden.  Transfer to wire rack to cool.  Repeat steps with scraps and remaining half of dough.

Yield: 2 dozen hand pies

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Cookies

.  It has been quite some time since I've published posts within days of each other.  The Fall/holiday baking season must be getting to me.  It's too hard to resist.

But first things first.  I did have a Musselman's Giveaway a week or so back and it's about time I announced the winner of the Apple Butter, decorative bread carriers, and a Fall Musselman's recipe card!

And the lucky winner is... Drum roll pleaseeeee....

WHITNEY!!

Congralations girlie, and now all you must do is wait for your Musselman package to arrive!  Thanks again to the readers who participated, I absolutely love these giveaways and it's such a joy to share them with you all.  Until next round!

But hold on, don't leave.  Because we're about to get into these cookies.  Ones that I couldn't wait to post.  Because a combination of soft, fluffy pumpkin cake cookies studded with mini chocolate chips, and topped with a classic buttery glaze, is just too dang good not to share.  I can't keep all of these addicting goodies to myself.

But what I was truly excited about is the source of this recipe.  I nabbed the original Old Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies from Ms. Jamie over at Life as {Emma's} Mom.  But Jamie isn't just some random blogger who I happened to stumble upon.  Nope, we actually went to the same high school in good ol' Woodbury [but she's a couple of years younger than I am].  And although our paths never crossed too often, the bloggosphere [and social media] has seemingly brought us together.

As her blog name may indicate, Jamie is a loving mother to her beautiful daughter, Emma.  And even though I don't know her precious mini me personally, it has been a joy to watch Emma grow up via [Instagram] pictures and videos.  And now that Jamie has her blog, I've also been incorporated into another passion of hers: cooking.

I can't tell you how many times I've come across the mouthwatering pictures of the dinners and treats Jamie makes for her daughter and fiance.  First, it makes me wish I lived closer so I could randomly stop by.  And two, I'm hoping Robbie never wisens up and realizes what he's missing out on.  I may need some cooking lessons...

But the moment I glanced at these pumpkin cookies, they were 'pinned' and moved to first on the list for my next baking day.  And the second these babies were out of the oven [and glazed as fast as humanely possible], all of my beliefs about Jamie's cooking/baking were confirmed.  I'm hooked.

These cakey cookies are absolute heaven.  So soft and pumpkin flavorful that you'll be coming back for way too many.  If there even is such a thing.  A perfect fix for those Fall-spices cravings we all get!

Happy baking!  .

My Notes:

• Jamie's original recipe didn't include mini chocolate chips.  So if you're not feeling those, leave them out.  Trust me, you'll still get a delectable cooke you won't be able to get enough of.
• This may test your patience, but be sure to let the cookies cool completely before glazing.  Otherwise the glaze will drip right off!
• For festive purposes, Jamie also added some food coloring to her glaze to get that orange pumpkin feel.  I'm boring and left the coloring out, but have fun with it!

Adapted from Life As {Emma's} Mom

Ingredients:

Soft Pumpkin Cookies:

2-1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1-1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 large egg

1 c. pumpkin puree

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/4 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips

Classic Glaze:

2 c. powdered sugar

3 tbsp. milk

1 tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Grease 2 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, in a medium bowl.  
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until combined (about 1 to 2 minutes).  Beat in egg, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. until thoroughly combined.  Gradually add in flour mixture just before thoroughly combined.  Gently fold in mini chocolate chips.
4. Drop batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets.  Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm.  Remove from oven to wire rack to cool completely.
5. For glaze, in a medium bowl, beat together powdered sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.  Glaze cooled cookies as desired.

Yield: 30 cookies

Musselman's GIVEAWAY & Autumn Apple Butter Dip

.  Hello, my lovelies!

It's been a while but the giveaways are back!  I don't know about you all, but I absolutely love these.  And not just because I get free baking stuff sent to me [it doesn't hurt]...but because I get to test of some quality products and let you in on the real deal.  And then, one of you lucky ladies/fellas get some free stuff, too!  It's a win-win for everyone.

You may remember that I've done an Apple Butter giveaway before but Musselman's is always coming up with creative ideas for their products.  So what do we got this time 'round...

Well in honor of my most absolute favorite season, Musselman's went completely Fall and sent me a package of: Apple Butter, four completely Fall recipes with a twist [including Spiced Apple Cake with Orange Glaze, Overnight Oatmeal, and Party Swedish Meatballs], and four decorative mini loaf containers for gifts.

Now even though the above three recipes all sound scrumptious [uh hello, swedish meatballs are perfect for football game days!] but I just couldn't pass up the Autumn Apple Butter Dip because 1) two ingredients?  C'mon.  And 2) who doesn't love snackin' on dips while watching a gamut of Sunday football games?  Hands raised high.  I know.

So the dip it was.  A couple of 'cups', a few swirls, and into the serving platter this very Fall-esque, hint-of-pumpkin dip went.  Served with a platter of Gingersnaps and we've got ourselves a lovely snack.

So what do YOU have to do to get in on this apple butter action?  Well, easy.

Musselman's recently revamped their Apple Butter e-Recipe Book that you must check out!  And when you do, simply leave a comment below on this post telling me which of the de-lish Apple Butter recipes from Musselman's e-Recipe Book that you'd like to try [or already have].  Then, whomever is the lucky winner, will receive the same giveaway package I received, complete with a large jar of Apple Butter to make your favorite recipe!  Again, win-win all around here, folks.

So get browsing and leave a lovely comment.  You have until October 26, 2013, to enter so there's no time to waste.

Happy baking!

P.S. head on over to the Musselman's website to view the Autumn Apple Butter Dip recipe featured here, it's worth the click!  .

Secret Recipe Club: Apple Peanut Butter Bars

.  Okay...so you might be thinking that's a different combination?

I mean, people eat apples and peanut butter before workouts though, right?  But I'll give it to ya, you don't usually find these two ingredients together in a baked goodie.  Or at least I've never stumbled across it...

So thank the good Lord for my September SRC assignment, 365 Days of Baking and More by Lynne, for introducing me to one of the most nostalgic [takes me back to school days], addicting bars I've had in quite some time.

But first, let's talk 365.  Because I was absolutely giddy the second I saw which blog I was assigned this month.  And I'm sure you can guess why?

Out of all of my SRC assignments thus far, I have yet to have one that is also strictly a baking blog.  Can you ba-lieve that?!  Yes, I've absolutely adored each and every assignment I've had because les' be honest, I've gotten some damn good recipes [e.g., Grasshopper Bars, Christmas Cake Truffles, Danish Puff, and more].

But this time, I didn't have to do an inkling of researching to hunt down any baking recipes.  Because they were all. right. there.  And this time around, I had an extra hard time narrowing down my options because there were just so many treats!  Who can resist Pumpkin Biscuits with Cinnamon Honey Butter, Banana Bread French Toast, Chocolate Caramel Macchiato Cake Balls, and Salted Caramel Thumbprints.

And to make matters slightly 'worse', this blog does have some enticing cooking recipes that also got me thinking.  Albeit I have no cooking skills, don't Basil Baked Salmon, Baked Ravioli with Bechamel Sauce, and Apple Cheese Chicken sound deee-lish?  Yes, yes they do.

But for whatever reason [I'm thinking it was the apple/peanut butter combo], I couldn't pass up the Apple Peanut Butter Bars.  Oh yeah, and possibly Lynne's husbands' reaction when he took a chomp out of these bars: "Oh my God, what the hell are these?!  These are unbelievable...!"

And that is a direct quote.  Check the bottom of Lynne's post ☺

And without even knowing him, I already like Lynne's hubby because he was spot on with this recipe.

The best way [that I can think of] to describe these bars is to compare them to the most chewy peanut butter cookies you've ever had.  And in some spots where the tart apple pieces reside, you get an almost fudge-like texture.  No joke.  And to top it off, a creamy, uber peanut buttery glaze is drenched across the top.  I'll be honest, I couldn't get enough of that glaze.  And if you have kiddos, these bars will be right up their alley.  Throw them in their lunch boxes for school and you've have one happy child.  Or keep them at home for your own personal snack.  Either or.

Thanks again, Lynne, for a recipe I completely devoured thoroughly enjoyed and shared with everyone.  Happy baking, everyone!  .

My Notes:

• Lynne's recipe was adapted from the original by substituting the peanut butter glaze with a pecan topping and also layering the apples rather than incorporating them in pieces.  I was being lazy and decided to just stir the apple pieces in and I also didn't have any pecans on hand, so I went with the peanut butter glaze.  Either way, you'll love 'em.

Adapted from 365 Days of Baking and More

Ingredients:

Apple Peanut Butter Bars:

1/2 c. unsalted butter

2 c. light brown sugar

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2-1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced to bite-sized pieces

Peanut Butter Glaze:

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/4 c. milk

1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly until smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until creamy.  Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  
4. Add eggs, one at a time, to the peanut butter mixture, mixing well after each addition.  Add vanilla extract and stir to combine.  Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth.  Fold in apple pieces.
5. Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake 30 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.  Remove pan from oven and set aside to cool.
6. For peanut butter glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk, peanut butter, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.  Drizzle or evenly spread the glaze across the top of the bars.  Cut and serve.

Yield: 2 dozen bars

Apple Spice Layer Cake with Caramel Mascarpone Frosting

.  Well that title sure is a mouthful!

But a mouthful of this cake and you won't really care how long the title is.  All you'll be thinking is that it's one good cake.  One Fabulous.  Dense.  Rich.  Fall-ey.  Cake.

But let's rewiiiind a bit.  Because you're probably wondering why I would spend a good chunk of a beautiful Sunday indoors slaving away over this cake.  Well...I guess you do crazy things for those special people in your life.

Okay, cheesy.  Barf.

But for reals.  Robbie's birthday was August 18th [hey, a late post is better than none at all!] and he requested an apple cake for the big 2-7.  So while he and his brother, Danny [who flew in for the night on his way to his new home in NYC], went to a Cub's game, I spent the afternoon with the pups baking one of the best quality cakes I've ever made.  Ever.

Now I realize I say this quite a bit, but I'm always amazed at the superb quality of recipes I find on the world wide web.  And granted there might be a botch or two in between, but it seems that the recipes just keep getting better.  And better.  And better.

Props to you, bloggers.

So let me explain this decadent treat.

The cake itself is dense, as I said earlier.  Filled with bits of tart apple and spiced to perfection with cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.  Not quite sure you could fit one more spice in there actually.  Now that's what I call Fall.

Moving on to the frosting.  The Caramel Mascarpone Frosting, that is.  It's quite lovely.  The classic frosting is mixed with a homemade [easy peasy] caramel sauce that really brings the cake to an entirely new level.  And to top it off, toasted pecans line the outside.  Along with a slathering of that homemade caramel sauce.  I mean, if you think about it, this cake is really like a huge, fat, gourmet caramel apple.  Yeah, basically.  But not.

Yes, Robbie got to eat his homemade birthday cake while watching a football game AFTER coming home from the baseball game.  Spoiled...

You get the idea.

Regardless, I absolutely adore this cake.  And fortunately for you, I whipped up this post just time for Fall baking season and the food frenzy we call the 'holidays' [okay, I realize they're still a couple of months away but it's just never too early!].  It's truly a show-off-my-baking-skills goodie and who doesn't want to impress the relatives?!  That's what I thought.

Anywho, hope you're all having a wonderful weekend wherever you are.  Happy baking!  .

My Notes:

• As you'll see below in the ingredients list, the recipe calls for two batches of the caramel sauce.  But PLEASE NOTE, you must double the caramel sauce ingredients here to get two batches if you want to use the caramel in the frosting as well as on top of the cake.  Please and thank you.
• Make sure to let the caramel sauce completely cool before adding into the frosting.  I think I added it a bit too early [shocked that my patience got the best of me...?] and my frosting ended up a touch runny.

Adapted from Joanne Eats Well With Others

Ingredients:

Salted Butter Caramel Sauce:

1 c. sugar

6 tbsp. butter

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Spiced Apple Cake:

1-1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 c. sugar

2 tbsp. molasses

6 eggs

3 c. cake flour

1-1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. ground allspice

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 c. sour cream

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Mascarpone Frosting:

2 batches of the Salted Butter Caramel Sauce

1-1/2 c. butter, at room temperature

2 tbsp. heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. powdered sugar

1 c. mascarpone

2 c. chopped pecans, toasted

Directions:

1. For the caramel sauce, melt the sugar over medium to high heat in a large pot, whisking to make sure the sugar heats evenly and is a dark copper color.
2. Add butter, whisking continuously.  When the butter has melted and incorporated, turn off the stove and pour in the heavy whipping cream.  The mixture will foam and rise but continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth.
3. Pour the sauce into a glass bowl and set aside to cool until ready to use.
4. For the cake, heat oven to 350°F.  Grease two or three 9-inch cake pans depending on your preference and/or the size of the cake pans [if they're deep, you can most likely just use two].  Line each pan with parchment paper.
5. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar together until light and fluffy [about three minutes].  Beat in molasses, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.  Add eggs, one at a time, thoroughly incorporating each egg.
6. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and ginger.  Add sour cream and flour mixture alternately to the butter mixture, starting and ending with the flour.  Drain the shredded apples a bit and stir into the batter along with the vanilla extract.
7. Split the batter evenly among the cake pans.  If using two cake pans, put on the same rack in the oven.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes if using three pans or 50 to 55 minutes if using two, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before unmolding to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. For the icing, cream the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy [about three minutes].  Add the powdered sugar over low speed until combined.  Then add heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract.  Increase speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy [about three minutes].  Add mascarpone and beat over low speed just until incorporated.  Take one batch of caramel and stir into frosting, using large strokes to create swirls.  
10. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread icing over the top.  Top with the second cake and repeat.  Cover the cake with an even layer of frosting.  Pat the toasted pecans onto the sides of the cake.  Melt your second batch of caramel to just room temperature.  Pour the second batch of caramel over the top and, using a spoon, spread it almost to the sides of the cake.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 16 servings