Strawberry-Plum Crisp

This is what summer tastes like! Fresh fruit!!
Strawberries are in season and I bought a load of them a few days ago to make jam, but even after a big batch I had a lot of fruit left. And I also had a few black plums lying around that were a bit to tart to eat raw but were getting a bit too soft... So I made a fruit crisp, one of my favorite dessert to eat AND to make, also a good way to save fruit that are about to die... There's no recipe, per say, only instinct and common sense!

Ingredients:

For the fruit mix:
3 big black plums, thinly sliced (don't bother peeling them, the peel will get nice and soft)
About 3-4 cups strawberries (maybe 5,...it made 6 cups of fruit total), hulled and sliced in half if needed (I sliced the bigger ones in half, left small ones whole!=BIG strawberrry chunks!!)
1 cup sugar (more if you like it very sweet...)
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 TBSP lemon juice

For the topping:
2-3 cups quick oats
About 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup soft butter, unsalted
1 tsp chinese five spice
Pinch of salt

Mix all the topping's ingredient together until it clumps when you squeeze it. If it's to dry add more butter, if too wet add flour.
Mix all the fruit mix stuff, pour in a 8x8in. baking pan.
Spread the topping and press gently to make it even.
Bake at 350 on the middle rack for about 30 minutes, until it starts bubbling and the fruit is fully cooked (poke it with a fork, there shouldn't be any resistance!).

Grab a spoon and dig in!

p.s. starwberries are very juicy, so to prevent a mess in your oven put a sheet of foil on the bottom rack! This one didn't boil over but just in case... ;)

Peach and Strawberry Coffee Cake

This is what happens when you get a tub of sour cream on special that's close to the 'best before' date but since you usually don't really use sour cream in semi-healthy baking you kinda end up searching through books and magazines for a recipe that uses LOTS of it...so theeeeen you end up with this yummy, moist and soft peachy coffee cake. I got the recipe in a big baking book and changed it up a bit. It originally called for blueberries, but I didn't have any so I substituted for peaches and strawberries. I also switched half of the sugar for brown sugar because peaches and "cassonade" go hand in hand, right?

Here's the recipe:
the cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, soften
3/4 cup sugar, half regular half dark brown(pack it well!)
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

the filling:
2 cups frozen of fresh fruit of your choice(i used peaches and strawberries)
1 TBSP brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cloves

the topping:
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 TBSP butter or margarine, melted
1 TSPP flour

Start by turning on the oven at 350 and set the rack in the middle of the oven. Also grease or spray with oil a 9in. springform pan.
Get the fruit mix ready by simply mixing the fruit and the sugar with the cloves and set aside.
Make the topping: mix all the ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, mix the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the egg, vanilla and sour cream and mix.
Gradually add the flour and blend it all well.
The batter will be a bit hard, it's ok!

Spread 2/3 of that batter in the prepared pan. If it's too sticky, put some butter or oil on your fingers and press the batter evenly around the pan. POur the fruit mix over and sponn the reaming batter over the fruit. Again, oily fingers will help!! Sprinkle the topping over for the final layer and bake for 60-65 minutes, until a knife in the middle comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then detach the side of the pan to cool completely.
(by the way, I LOVE my springform pan!!! great for cheese cakes! everybody should have one! just saying...)

Oh My!

Raspberry-Cream Cheese-Peanut Butter Brownie.

Please ignore the mention of "healthy baking" at the top of this blog...this is not one of those recipes. This one is decadent, rich and oh so sinful! It's chocolate, cream cheese, peanut butter, jam, all in one. A medley brownie if you will.
I got the recipe in a big baking bible book, I forget the title, and I changed it a bit to fit today's craving of choco-pb&j-cheesy treat.
It requires quite a bit of organisation so it's good to read the recipe first before getting started. Start by turning on the oven at 350. Also get a 8x8 square pan ready, sprayed with oil.
Here's the ingredients you'll need:

for the filling:
4oz. soft cream cheese
4oz. smooth peanut butter(you could use crunchy but I like smooth...)
1 egg
3 TBSP sugar
1 tsp vanilla

-beat the cheese and p.b. together until smooth, add the egg, sugar and vanilla and mix until very smooth. Set aside.

for the brownie batter:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (NOT melted!)
3/4 cup+1TBSP sugar
1 egg
3oz semi-sweet chocolate melted
2oz unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt

-start by melting the chocolates(in the same bowl...), once melted set aside to cool a bit.
-mix the butter and sugar together until creamy.
-add the egg and beat in.
-add the chocolates slowly and mix well.
-add the flour and salt and blend in with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Spread the batter in the pan, leaving 1 cup aside for the topping.
Spread the cheese/pb mix over.
Add a few teaspoonfulls of jam, I chose raspberry. But cherry would be good too, or strawberry, or even marmalade. Drop spoonfulls of the remaining batter on top.
Spread all that goodness around and swirl a knife through the top to make a pattern. It will look messy but the heat of the oven will take care of the final spread...
Pop it in the oven (on the midddle rack)for 35 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack and slice.

It's sooooooooooo gooooooood!!!!!

Peach and Berry Cobbler

I'm baaaaa-aaaack!!
I know it's been a really long time since I've posted anything, I apologize to my followers...but since I've moved my kitchen set-up is different and it's a bit harder to take nice pictures. Plus I have to admit my blogging mojo kinda went away. That does not mean I stopped cooking though, I still cook and bake a lot, even more so because I moved in with my boyfriend who eats A LOT!! So I gotta feed the man, you know?
Last night for dinner I made some chicken casserole thingy, and for dessert I baked this:



Yummy, warm and comforting peach cobbler with berries. I got the recipe in a Taste of Home magazine. The recipe was for double that, so I cut it in half that's why the mesurements are a bit weird...But the result is awesome nonetheless!



Here it is:

6 peaches, sliced
1/6 cup all-purpose flour (take the 1/3 cup and fill it half-way...)
2-3 TBSP honey
Juice of half a lemon
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries

Topping:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 cup butter, cold and in small cubes
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP buttermilk

Start the oven at 400F and spray a 8x8in baking pan with oil.
In a bowl mix the peaches, flour, honey, lemon juice and salt and let it stand for 10-15 minutes.
In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients and cut the butter in until it becomes crumbly, and when you squeeze it it clumps together a bit. Add the buttermilk and stir until it comes together in a soft dough.
Fold the berries in the peach mix and pour in the baking pan.
Drop tablespoon fulls of dough on the fruit. (Sprinkle with sugar if you feel like it, about one teaspoon.)
The dough does not have to be all sealed around the edges, the batter will spread a bit.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the topping is cooked( a tooth pick will come out clean, or you can check underneath if you lift it...it should be fully baked).



The bf loved it and i did too! I did miss the cinnamon a bit though, so next time I'll throw some in there. But the fresh peaches speak for themselves. I love them!

Chocolate Walnut Fudge

What can I say about chocolate fudge?? Well, not much, really, except whoever discovered chocolate and the fudge principle is genius. Seriously.

I rarely make it because I don't want to gain 400 pounds, but it's Christmas, so I made a batch and will give most of it to my brother and his family. But of course I kept some, they didn't all fit in the box....Oh, too bad...
I got the recipe in the same magazine as the cherry balls. It's so simple, it's a charm to make, not too messy, and it's also easy to cut. Big plus when it comes to treats like that!
So without further ado, I give you the best fuedge in the world, and wishing you all a very Happy Christmas filled with good food and family.
Cheers!



1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate vhips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup icing sugar
1/2 TBSP almond extract
1/2 TBSP vanilla extract
1 cup chopped walnuts.

Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (fancy word for "stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water) or in a micro-wave if you a have a big enough bowl (it's A LOT of chocolate!!).
While that's going on, line a 8x8in square pan with foil and brush with butter, or margarine.
When the chocolate is all nice and smooth let it cool a bit and add the condensed milk, sugar, both extracts and a pinch of salt. Stir it until all smooth, incorporate 2/3 cup of walnuts and pour into the prepared pan.
Smoothe the top, sprinkle the rest of the walnuts, pushing them down a bit so they stick, and send it to the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Then all you need to do is lift the foil out, the fudge will come out with it, and cut into cubes with a sharp knife.
Who wouldn't love this as a gift??



The kids are gonna go crazy...(and the big kids too!!)

Cherry Brandy Chocolates

Christmas time is the perfect time to make treats like these. Last night was the swim team's Christmas party and as always we all were required to bring something..Let me just say, potlucks are the best partys! There's so much variety and you get to discover new ways of doing things. Usually at these kind of parties I always bring dessert. Or something along that way...One time I made jello shots...what, it's kinda like dessert!
Anyway, for this party I had a recipe picked out, some kind of brownies, but one night last week I was going through a special edition of "taste of home" featuring cookies and candies only, looking for something cute to bring to my brother on Christmas Eve, and I came accross these little babies. Oh My...I was instantly intrigued. Seemed relatively easy to make, with only a few simple ingredients, so I decided to make these for the swim party too. And I'm glad I did! They were a hit and (like the jello shots) I think they will be remembered...
Here's the recipe, as written in "Taste of Home; Best cookies and candies":

For about 4-5 dozen little balls, you'll need:

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/2 cup cherry brandy (may be a little hard to find, but it's worth it, and btw that brandy is amazing in Sangrias!!)
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 TBSP unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cup icing sugar (yes, it's a lot of sugar...)

6-8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 TBSP shortening
White cookie icing (optional but pretty!!)

First step, the night before, soak the cherries in the brandy, cover and refrigerate overnight. I'm sure if you're pressed for time 2 hours would be enough, but the longer it soaks the softer the cherries will be, and soft is what we want here!

The next day:
In a bowl cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar in batches and mix, at first with the mixer but after a while you'll have to let go and put some effort into it, with a good ol' spatula and some elbow grease. It will seem like a lot of sugar, but in the end what you're looking for is a crumbly mixture like this:



Drain the cherries (keep the liquid!! that precious brandy...), add to the sugar mix, along with 2-3 teaspoons of the soaking liquid. Mix until it come together. If you feel like you need more sugar, add more sugar; or if it's too dry more brandy ...
It will look like this:



Then it's time to make the little balls, about teaspoon fulls, roll them nicely and place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.



Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
After one hour, melt the chocolate and shortening until smooth, and cool a bit.
Roll the balls in chocolate, covering them all around and return to the sheet. I found the best way to do this was with a spoon and a toothpick.
Finally, drizzle the white icing in a disordely fashion, and send it to fridge again, uncovered. Chill until you're ready to go.



Plate, cover, and when you get to that party make sure they stay in the fridge until ready to serve!



Merry Christmas!!

Fruity Date Squares

A few weeks ago I went a little crazy at the grocery store and somehow thought I might "need" a big box of dates. Huh. Well it's all good dates are good in oatmeal. But I think deep down I had a craving for date squares. I love those. Plus you don't even need a recipe just some simple guidelines. I remember making them a lot when I was baking at that coffee shop in Whistler. It's super easy!
For these ones though I decided to make them a little more Christmas-sy and add candied fruit and apricots. And it worked really good!

Check this out.
First off, cook the fruit:

2 cups dates
1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
1/2 cup candied fruit mix
1/2 cup raisins

Put them all in a sauce pan and cover 3/4 with orange juice, add a teaspoon or 2 of brown sugar if you like really sweet things...:



Let them turn into this:



Meanwhile do the "crust":

2 cups oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour (all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour...)
Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, about 1/2 tsp each.
1/2 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
*you may need more butter, melt a little extra just in case...

For this part, just mix all the ingredients, butter last, and stir until it clumps together when you squeeze it:



If you feel like you need more butter or oats, adjust necessarily.
Oh and by the way, that mix can be used for fruit crumbles...so too much is no biggie..!
Oil-spray or butter a 8inch square pan and evenly press 2/3 of the crumb mix at the bottom. Spread the date mix (that has cooled a bit; really it takes about 10-15 minutes...watch it carefully though you don't want that sticky mess!!), evenly, and sprinkle the rest of the crumb mixture on top.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, until golden, and if need be turn on the broiler for a few minutes for extra crisp!



Let it cool completely on a rack, cut and enjoy!



p.s. don't be impatient like I was and eat a piece 5 minutes after it was out of the oven.....holy burn...

Apple Walnut Coffee Cake

Well, I wanted to make muffins last sunday, but since Halloween kicked my butt this year, I was in NO shape of baking on that day. The couch was my haven and could not move. So my lovely Cortlands were still sitting in the fruit bowl, and today on my day off, on this gloomy rainy friday, I felt like baking something more comforting than muffins.



This coffee cake comes from the "Taste of Home-Fall Baking Issue" magazine. Not at all "healthy oven"...no butter in here but LOTS of sugar.
The almond extract in this cake is really delightfull. Different from the ol' vanilla. And the recipe called for only cinnamon but I added cardamom, my new favorite spice, and it's a-ma-zing with the almond flavor!

Ingredients:

4 cups chopped peeld apples
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a big bowl, mix the apples and sugar and let it stand for 20 minutes or so.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and extract. Add to the apples and mix well until the apples are all coated.
In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Stir into the apple mixture until just combined, and fold in the walnuts.
Pour into an oiled 11x7in. baking pan, smooth the top and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle will come out clean.
Let cool in the same pan. No need to unmold!



I love how this cake is so moist inside thanks to the apples, and I LOVE how the top becomes slightly crunchy.

It's good as it is...:


Or with a big serving of homemade applesauce on top!:


Did I ever mention how much I love apples?...

Apple-Berry Maple Crunch

I love fall. I love the fruits and vegetables of fall, like apples. I grew up in a very "orchard rich" area, and I remember going apple picking every year as a kid. Now I live in the city but still, in autumn, when apples are in season, I eat so many of them. They just taste so much better! And I always have tiny flashbacks of when I'd pick apples with my parents or with school trips...Now I don't go pick them myself, though...that's what farmer's markets are for..!!
Today I got a big bag of MacIntosh, one of my favorites. I love Lobos best but they are very juicy so not the best for baking...Macs are good for pretty much everything!

So with all those nice apples I had to bake something. I thought of a pie, or a cake...but I love crumbles and cobblers and things like that, so I looked through Ms. Philips' healthy baking book(which I'm slowly baking my way through, for real...it's awesome.), and found this amazing maple crunch. Apples, berries AND maple??? Yes please!!

You'll need:

5 big or 6 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced about 1/3 inch thick.
1 cup frozen or fresh berries (I used raspberries and blueberries).
1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cup quick oats
1/3 + 1 TBSP all-purpose flour
1/3 + 1 TBSP pure maple syrup
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 1/2 TBSP canola oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 TBSP sugar

-Turn on the oven at 350 and set the rack in the middle.
-Spray a 13x9 (or a 11x7 for thicker pieces) ovenproof glass dish with oil.
-Put the apples and berries in the dish, and spread the applesauce on top.



-In a medium bowl, mix all the other ingredients except for the sugar until well combined.
-Crumble the mixture over the apples, and sprinkle the sugar on top, along with a bit more cinnamon if you're like me and LOVE cinnamon...



-Bake until the apples are cooked and the top is golden brown,about 40-45 minutes

-Eat warm with some vanilla frozen yogurt!!



Oh, yummy apples how I love thee...

Peanut Butter Cookies

I have to admit I've never been the biggest fan of peanut butter. I eat it on toasts that's it. When I buy a jar at the grocery store it usually lasts a long time!
I was never a huge fan of peanut flavor either, like in sauces and all. And as much as I love chocolate, the two together was never my thing. Reese's PB cups don't do anything for me. Sorry...BUT. Peanut butter cookies I like. They're so smooth and sweet and salty. The downfall of them is the amount of fat that's in there. I remember when I'd go visit my grandma she'd keep them a cookie box lined with paper towel that would get drenched in oil. The traditional recipes call for commercial peanut butter AND shortening. Not good.
SO when I found this recipe in Sarah Philips' "Healthy Oven" I had to try it. And I have to admit, they're amazing. And the fat amount is a lot less than grandma's cookies. Plus by using natural peanut butter it assures you there's NO shortening in here! (because we all know commercial PB is loaded with that shtuff...)
Today I thought I'd get over this whole "pb and chocolate" non-sense and add some chocolate on those cookies. It works nice. I admit, they go together quite nicely...but I still won't eat Reese's cups. Not when I can have these!!:



Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 TBSP unsalted butter at room temperature.
1 egg
1 TBSP light corn syrup
1 TBSP vanilla extract

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (for dipping)...(optional but recommended!!)

Preheat the oven at 350F and set the rack in the middle.
Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, using a mixer or a spatula (spatula in my case...my grandma never had a mixer...),beat the peanut butter, sugars and butter until well mixed. Add in the egg, corn syrup and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture in 2 batches.
*You'll notice the dough will not come together quite nicely in a big ball, but don't worry. That's ok...
Roll the "dough" into little balls, about 1 teaspoon worth for each ball. Place on an oiled cookie sheet, about 1 inch appart. With a fork, press on the dough balls to create that cute peanut butter cookie pattern we all know and love...



Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool them on the sheet for a minute and transfer to a rack.
*If you need to make 2 batches I suggest you get the littl' balls ready while the first batch is in the oven...saves time...just saying..!



Now. To take it to the next level, melt some chocolate in the micro-wave and dip each cooled cookie until the top in coated. As I said you can skip this step but why would you??



Don't they look so cute?

Citrus Squares

This is my "bring something to a pot-luck" dessert. It's rich yet light, sweet but tangy, creamy and crumbly...in other words, one bite of this is a whole range of sensations and tastes that just go together so amazingly and make you go "Oh My" at every bite. And it's so unbelievably easy to make, it requires very few ingredients, and it's also adaptable. Like if you don't have limes just use lemons, or vice versa, if you don't have lemons use orangs, tangerines, clementines, etc. Any citrus works here so there's really no excuse!! I usually do these with lime only because I really love limes but this week I happenned to have also lemons AND oranges, so I did a mix of all three. CRA-ZY good! But, I also have to admit, the graham cracker crust is what makes this thing. There's just something about these crackers...Anyway, I'm gonna stop rambling and give you the recipe so you can try them too! I got it from "Healthy Oven" by Sarah Philips(yes, her again...)



First, make the crust:
(well, actually, first turn on the oven at 325F and set the rack in the middle...)

1 1/4 cup graham cracker crubs
1/4 cup sugar
3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted.

-Stir all 3 ingredients together until combined.
-Press the mixture firmly and evenly in the bottom of a 8-inch square pan (that you previously sprayed with oil lightly), and set aside.

Then for the top part:

3 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP cornstartch
One can LOW-FAT sweetwened condensed milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 TBSP grated zest of whatever citrus you'll be using...
1/2 cup juice of those same citrus fruits...

*this time I used the zest of 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 an orange and one full lime. for the juice I used the whole lime, 1/2 an orange and 1/2 a lemon (see how I did this reverse...? clever, I know...)

-Mix the sugar and cornstarch and add the condensed milk slowly while stirring. Then add the egg, zest and juice and mix until just combined.
-Pour over the crust.
-Bake for about 25 minutes, until the edges look firm but the middle is still giggly a bit. It will firm up when cooled, I promise!!
-Let it cool at room temperature and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours before slicing.



Bring this to a diner party and people will think you're a genius!
...or, keep it all to yourself, 'cause it's that good!

Honey-Nut Cake

Today I had the day off, so I decided to bake something. It was either that or go for a bike ride, I chose the sweet treat!



I wanted to try a new recipe from my favorite baking book, looked through and decided to go for this cake. It sounded really nice, different, and I had all the ingredients on hand. Even the skim milk powder!! I bought it months ago, thinking it would be good for shakes, but it sat in the pantry for a long time until now. This recipe calls for only 2 Tablespoons of it but hey, now that the bag is open I WILL use it in shakes..!
In this recipe there's a lot of honey, and that flavor comes out so nicely! The ground ginger tones it down a bit, but the honey!! It's beautifully sweet and it makes the cake nice and yellow.
Okay, so here's what you'll need:

Dry ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour, sifted.
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
pinch of salt

Wet ingredients:

3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1 egg
2 egg whites
2 TBSP instant skim milk powder
1 TBSP canola oil
1 TBSP vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Turn the oven on at 350F, set the rack in the middle.
Mix all the dry stuff and set aside.
Mix all the wet stuff until frothy, pour in the dry stuff, add walnuts and mix until just combined.
Pour in an oiled 8-inch square pan, smooth the top and bake for 35-40 minutes.

When it's done, the top will spring back when you press on it gently in the middle.
Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, on a wire rack.



Unmold and cool completely on a rack.
.......................................

Enjoy with some frozen yogurt or ice cream!



I decided to leave the cake dry but a nice lemon or orange glaze would be really nice with this. Or a berry coulis of some sort...

White Chocolate, Fruit and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies.

It's been a while since I made cookies...and I chose the first really hot day to turn on the oven and bake some. Oh well, ...I can handle the heat...
These cookies are really nice. I took the basic recipe in the "healthy oven" book, so they're somewhat "healthier" than the usual chocolate-nut-fruit cookie. They each have about 80 calories but they taste like they're 200 calories each, they're so nice and sweet and soft. Nice way to induldge...



Ingredients:

Dry:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup quick oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

Wet:
6TBSP unsalted butter at room temperature(today it was almost melted...)
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 TBSP vanilla

1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried fruit mix(apricots and cranberries were used here)
1/3 cup chopped nuts(i used walnuts...)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar with a mixer or by hand with a rubber spatula until nice and creamy.
Add egg and vanilla and mix until all is smooth.
Add the flour to the butter mix, in 3 parts, and with the last part throw in the fruits, nuts, and chocolate chips. Mix until combined but without overmixing.
Drop heaping teaspoonfuls on an oiled baking sheet, 1 inch appart.
Bake for 10-12 minutes(mine took 10...)
Cool on the sheet for a minute before transfering to a tray and cool completely.
This will give you about 2-3 dozen cookies.

I find the white chocolate chips is a nice twist on the oh-so-popular regular chocolate and the apricots come out nicely too!



Have a glass of milk on the side and pretend it's Christmas...

Unexpected Berry Crumble.

This is one of my favorite things to make when I have a craving for fancy dessert but it's too late to bake a cake. I had no plans of making this tonight but after a rather spicy stir fry I felt like having a sweet fruit dessert. It's super easy to make, and very easy to change from time to time. And also you can make it in individual baking ramekins so that way there's no temptation for seconds and you're not "stuck" to eat it for days afterwards...



The crumble mixture also is the easiest thing, it doesn't even have to be THAT precise, use more butter if you want a soft crust or more oats for a cruchier one. And it can stay in the fridge for a few days if you don't use it all. It can even make a good base for date squares. I don't remember where I got the recipe though. I think it was from a Food Network show, may have been Anna Olson's or Ina Garten's, I don't know... I scribbled it down on a piece of paper and kept it in one of the many baking books I own:

1 cup flour(i used whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 stick unsalted butter(about 8 tablespoons), cut into cubes
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Mix everything together with a fork or a pastry cutter until it ressembles coarse crumbs:



For the fruit underneath the possibilities are endless. Whatever you got is fine. For this one I used a mix of berries, frozen because it's not berry season yet. The only thing to remember here is to give the fruit a little boost! A little sugar, cinnamon, squeeze of lemon juice and a bit of flour to thicken the juice given by the fruit. If you like the crumble really juicy use veeeeery little flour or none at all(I omit the flour when cooking with apples, but frozen fruit always give out more liquid...) This is why I love making these: no need to measure!!

Bake it at 375F for about 25-30 minutes, until it becomes bubbly. Then what I do is turn on the broiler and let it brown a bit and crisp up...but if you do this don't walk away from the oven!!



Enjoy!!

Lemon Bars with Blueberries and Coconut.

I've been wanting to make lemon bars for a while now. I've seen many recipes online and in books for them and they always look sooooooo good! I love lemons, anything lemons really so...And it just so happens I bought fresh lemons at the grocery store earlier. Perfect timing. So I looked in my "healthy oven" book for a healthy version, but there was none in there, so I turned to a "regular" recipe (from a book called "basic baking"), with lots of sugar and real butter... but hey, a girl deserves a treat once in a while!
I tweaked the recipe a bit from the original by adding blueberries and coconut. I actually got THAT idea from the coffee house I used to work at in Whistler, we were making lemon bars similar to these with cranberries. But since I didn't have cranberries I settled for blueberries. Turned out great! And they're very easy to make. And even more easy to eat...



Ingredients:

for the bottom layer::
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 TBSP dark brown sugar
Grated zest of one lemon
1/2 cup unsalted butter

for the top layer::
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 TBSP flour
3/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut(plus 1-2 TBSP for the top)

Directions:

-Preheat the oven at 350F and set the rack in the middle.
-Make the bottom layer: mix flour, salt, both kinds of sugar and lemon zest. Cut the butter in small pieces and add to the flour mix. With a pastry cutter or two kinves, or in the food processor if you have one(i do, but I like to do it by hand...my grandma never had a food processor...), blend until the butter is about the size of little peas. Transfer to an UNGREASED non-stick 8inch square pan and press with a spatula and get everything even. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
-Make the bottom layer: beat the 3 eggs, add sugar, salt, lemon juice and mix well. Add the blueberries and coconut and mix in( the color will change, obviously...). Incorporate the flour (here because I used frozen fruit I added 1 1/2 TBSP of flour...).
-Pour the lemon mixture in the pan over the bottom layer, sprinkle a bit more coconut on top and bake for 45-50 minutes. When it's done, the top will be golden brown and the middle will be firm when you jiggle the pan.
This picture is not the clearset but here's what it looks like when just out of the oven:



-Let it cool on a rack and wait until completely cooled before cutting into bars.

*If you make these for a special occasion, or if you feel fancy, sift some powdered sugar on the top. This always masks the imperfections. I didn't bother with this because...well I just couldn't be bothered really.
These are SO GOOD! It's very lemony; sweet and tangy perfect for spring!



Enjoy!!