A late Tuesday with Dorie- Caramel Crunch Bars

Opps I am a bit late on TWD this week, but hey I have had a pretty legitimate excuse!! I have been here for the past week. Just got home on the red eye yesterday....

We had spent some time at the beach, & we did some of this..

Saw so many of these... and they are just as majestic & magical in person as you would expect.

And just had a wonderful vacation & it goes went way to quickly... Sigh, back to the grind today. But just had to share a few pictures with my TWD entry, to explain why I am so late. Hopefully you can forgive my error. ;) I made the Caramel Crunch Bars before I left. They were just wonderful! Once again I used Pamela's GF Flour Mix and it worked like a charm. Great choice!

I even wrapped them up as gifts for some girlfriends I was meeting for brunch that morning. They were a hit! This is a recipe worth repeating.. please see Whitney's great site. :)

Double Blueberry Crisp Bars

Every year for Christmas my Mom puts together "stockings/goodie bags" for her girls. She always puts the most creative things in it.... This year it contained The Wine Lover's Desert Cookbook... How well my Mom knows me.. Wine & desert together?? Hellooo 2 of my favorite things! This is the first recipe I have sampled from the book and it did not disappoint. It was delicious and relatively healthy (as far as deserts go). I used gluten free oats and Pamela's GF baking mix...It would be a fabulous served warm with Vanilla bean ice cream for desert, or as I served it this morning at work.. as a yummy breakfast/brunch treat.

Double Blueberry Crisp Bars

*The Wine Lover's Desert Cookbook

1 pint (2 cups) Fresh Blueberries

1 cup dried Blueberries

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 granulated sugar

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup all purpose flour (I used Pamela's Gluten Free Baking Mix)

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup skim milk

Preheat the oven to 350F & position the rack near the center. In medium sauce pan, stir together the fresh & dried blueberries, juice and granulated sugar until sugar dissolves. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the fresh blueberries give off their juices and the mixture begins to thicken slightly, about 8 minutes. (the filling will thicken considerably as it bakes).

In a medium bowl, stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon & salt. Add oil & milk, stirring until the ingredients are evenly moistened. Use your hands (dampened with water, if needed) to press about one third of the mixture into the bottom of an unbuttered 8 x 8 inch pan in a solid compact layer. Pour and spread blueberry mixture evenly over the bottom crust, then sprinkle the remaining oat mixture evenly over he filling and gently press into place. Don't worry if some blueberries peek through. Bake until the top is golden brown 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool the bars at least 30 minutes for easiest cutting. Cut into 5 equal strips in one direction, then 3 in the other to make 15 bars. Serve warm or at room, or store in an airtight container at room temp for up to one week.

Tuesdays with Dorie- World Peace Cookies

Hello February, woa is it really possible we are here already?? Where does the time go?? Too fast I say!! To kick off this months Tuesdays with Dorie, Jessica of Cookbookhabit chose World Peace Cookies. (please see Jessica's blog for the recipe or see page 138 in the book) Traditionally I have never been a fan of chocolate cookies. Now don't get me wrong... I heart chocolate just as much as the next girl, but chocolate cookies have never really "spoken" to me. So when I saw this recipe, of course my first thought was that I might not be a fan. But boy was I wrong!These cookies really were just divine. They were the perfect combination of salty and sweet! And they had a "shortbread' ish" texture which was a nice surprise. The recipe was simple to put together, instead of chocolate chips... I chopped up some semi sweet baking squares I had left over from my holiday baking. I also substituted gluten free (Pamela's mix) flour for all purpose, & was happy to see that was an easy switch. The World Peace Cookies were an absolute hit with everyone I gave them away too (of course I had to get them out of my house asap, for fear of having to add 20 more workouts to my week if I ate them all, ha).... This one is a keeper, and without a doubt will be repeated! Great choice, Jessica!

Tuesdays with Dorie- Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread

I can honestly say I am not sure I have ever tried real gingerbread. Cookies of course, but not the real thing! Lucky for me Heather from Sherry Trifle, chose it for this weeks TWD recipe. I made a few adjustments for my gingerbread, only out of necessity.. as I just didn't have the right ingredients. (it was 17 degrees on Sunday.. and my lazy self was not up to braving the cold for a trip to the store.)
Never the less I think this recipe turned out great! I used semi- sweet chocolate instead of bittersweet, I also used Pamela's Gluten Free Flour Mix... & I could not find buttermilk at my Albertsons. (Have I mentioned I hate my neighborhood Albertsons? Everything is overpriced, their produce is never good and they don't have a wide variety of product... Opps sorry for my tangent... I'll be quiet now.) Anyways, I looked up "Substitute for Buttermilk" and it I found several sites that suggested 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 cup milk, allowing it to sit for a few minutes.

My gingerbread sank a bit in the center, no doubt because of the Gluten Free switch. Despite that, it was just delicious.. and something I may never have tried on my own. Once again, another fun week with TWD... thanks Heather for the great choice.

* PS- Next week... "World Peace Cookies", I already made them and they were divine!!

Chili and 17 degree weather...

Ahhhh winter has reared it's ugly head, in Denver today, with a high of 17 degrees! Brrrrrrrr.. (Last week we were so spoiled with 60 degree weather, and I loved it!) So it seemed like a perfect day for chili! I am not sure who I originally got the recipe from...I think my cousin Kara or my sister in law, but regardless I believe it is a weight watchers recipe. It is super simple, hearty and just the right amount of spice. It is great straight off the stove, and freezes well. :) I topped mine off with a few crumbles of white cheddar. It was the perfect way to end a very wintery day. 

Chili

3 14oz cans of crushed tomatoes

4 tbsp of olive oil

1 green pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 red pepper

1 red onion

3/4 lb of lean ground beef ( or turkey)

1 tbsp flour (I used GF flour)

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp cocoa

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3/4 of can of chic peas (I left these out... just wasn't feeling them tonight)

Brown meat in skillet. Chop onion & peppers. Add olive oil to large pot, heat up and add onions. Cook till softened and translucent. Add peppers,  cook until soft. Add tomatoes, beef, spices, flour, and vinegar. Stir till well mixed and bring to boil, cover and turn to simmer for 45 minutes. Enjoy. :)

Cream Cheese Brownies

This recipe was inspired (and found) by of one of my friends/coworkers. She has been having a cream cheese brownie craving for sometime... and she sent me this recipe, from the Joy of Baking on Monday. She wasn't having the best of days, her husbands company closed its' doors that morning...and they became one of the millions of families feeling the affects of our troubled economy. Needless to say, the girl REALLY deserved some home-made brownies... and who am I to refuse!!
This is a very easy recipe and literally came together in about 10 minutes. The only change I made was I used a Pamela's Gluten Free baking mix instead of all purpose flour. Thankfully the conversion was a success, and they were just as the recipes described.. very fudgy, rich and delectable!!Cream Cheese Brownies-
*Joy of Baking- Medrich, Alice. 'Cookies and Brownies'. Warner Books, Inc. New York: 1999.

Makes about 16 - 2 inch squares.

Brownie Layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour ( I used Pamela's Gluten Free Baking Mix)
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Layer-
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan. Set aside.

In a stainless steel (heatproof) bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon or spatula) after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and beat, with a wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan (about one minute). Remove 1/2 cup of the brownie batter and set aside. Place the remainder of the brownie batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Then in the bowl of your food processor (or with a hand mixer), process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and egg and process until creamy and smooth. Spread the cream cheese filling over the brownie layer. Spoon small dollops of the reserved brownie batter evenly on top of the cream cheese filling. Then with a table knife or wooden skewer, swirl the two batters without mixing them.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate the brownies until they are firm enough to cut into squares (at least two hours). Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut into 16 squares. It is a good idea to have a damp cloth nearby to wipe your knife between cuts. These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Tuesdays With Dorie- Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins

This weeks recipe was chosen by Rebecca of Ezra Pound Cake (whose site I adore btw), Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins. As my first TWD of the year, this couldn't have been more appropriate for me.... as I love muffins.... corn, berry, chocolate muffins.. you name it.

Dorie certainly did not disappoint with this recipe. I did, however, make a few adjustments of my own for this recipe.. The first was using Pamela's Gluten Free Flour mix rather than All Purpose Flour and I left out the cilantro... as it is the one spice that makes me cringe...not a fan.

I know so many of the TWD bakers made this to serve with a Chili recipe.. and it really would be the perfect addition! I however, was not feeling Chili on Sunday... but instead paired it with "breakfast for dinner"... an omelet. :) Thanks Rebecca for this great choice, I will surely be repeating it... and was thrilled the GF conversion was a success.