it's what's in the middle that counts

"You've been silent for a month and you are giving us bars?! Really?" I know that's what you are thinking and yes, I am. "Oat bars? AGAIN?" Yes, but these are different, I promise. I make bars and cookies and individual things a lot because I'm often doling them out for meetings with large groups of people and as much as I love cake and pie and tarts, you have to save all of that manhandling with the serving knife for your family. That and certain people need portion control. Come on, you all have that person in the office (or home, ahem) who thinks that "just one slice" equates to a quarter of the cake and before you know it a cake for sixteen has turned into a cake for six. Then you have people like me who say "oh just a sliver" and ten slivers later you've had two whole pieces. I am not in denial, people, I know my weaknesses. That being said, there is something awe-inspiring about toting in a nice, round confection eight inches across and six inches deep with simple, chic . I will have to tame the pie wrangler sooner or later.

Back to important matters, these squares are fabulous and I didn't do any crazy tweakage from the original recipe...the first time I made them. I am still perfecting a white chocolate pistachio version and if you master it before I, please let me know. I have a feeling it has to do with much more sugar occurring in white "chocolate" than dark and I need to mess around with that a bit. Ignoring the chemistry behind these for now, though, I have to say, these bars have satisfied my longing for Keebler® MAGIC MIDDLES! Do you remember these? Were you actually birthed when these things were in existence? I think I OD'd on these cookies around the same time I did on Cool Ranch Doritos® and Pizzarias Chips (also discontinued) but like all things from the past, they come back and haunt me every so often and I wonder why, oh why did they ever go away? The centers to these bars have the same melty-but-not-gooey consistency when left at room temp. If you put them in the fridge, they firm up nicely and are equally as enjoyable. However, if you want a trip down '90s junk food lane, leave them on your table and nix the nuts.

Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars

adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Yield: 32

INGREDIENTS
oatmeal dough
2 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 stick and 6T unsalted butter, room temperature
2 C brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
2 t pure vanilla extract
3 C old-fashioned (rolled) oats

chocolate filling
14-oz can sweetened condensed milk, any fat content
2 C (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T unsalted butter
1/4 t salt
1 t pure vanilla extract
3/4 C salted peanuts, coarsely chopped I think anything goes here. I tried macadamias, almonds and cashews and they all turned out great!

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9-by-13-inch baking pan with foil or grease thoroughly.
oatmeal dough
1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and set aside.
2. With an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar on medium speed until thoroughly combined.
3. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for a minute after each egg goes in. Beat in the vanilla. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
4. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until just incorporated. Still on low speed, or working by hand with a rubber spatula, stir in the oats.
5. Set aside 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the mixture, then evenly press the remaining dough over the bottom of the pan. Set aside while you prepare the chocolate layer.

chocolate filling
1. If you don't have a double-boiler, set a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
2. Put the condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter, and salt in the bowl and stir occasionally until the milk is warm and the chocolate and butter are melted. Remove the bowl from the pan of water and stir in the vanilla and nuts.
3. Pour the warm chocolate over the oatmeal crust, then drop the remaining oatmeal mixture over the top in clumps.
4. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the chocolate layer is matte and starting to come away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and cool for about 2 hours before cutting.

Nutrition: 341 cal, 17.5g fat, 190mg sod, 42g carb, 23g sugar, 1g fiber, 4g protein

 

tapping into maple

Once the apples and pumpkins have done us many favors, I find the longest lasting fall flavor is maple. Who couldn't nosh on pancakes or french toast smothered in local maple syrup through all of the cold weekends of winter? I, unsurprisingly, am also the type to keep chowing down on those warm, filling breakfasts through the spring and summer, but that is besides the point.

Torren thought it would be a good idea to purchase an entire gallon of Grade B (dark and robust in flavor) maple syrup so he could extend his brewing hobby to making maple wine. Well, I cracked open the jug in hopes of spurring him on and it has continued to sit in the fridge, taking up prime real estate from our milk and my obsession with Polar Seltzers (don't get me started on the weird drink concoctions I make with those). I decided that the jug was fair game and went on to bake various maple blondies and pumpkin cookies with the stuff and was happy with the moist, chewy outcome of these.

Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

adapted from Big Fat Cookies
Yield: 4 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 C unsalted butter, room temp.
1 1/3 C packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 C maple syrup (I used Grade B for a deeper flavor)
2 t vanilla
1 3/4 C oats, not instant
1 bag Hershey's© Cinnamon Chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
1. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon into a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until smooth. 3. On low speed, add the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla and mix until blended.
4. Blend in the flour mixture, until incorporated. Mix in the oatmeal.
5. Stir in the the chips with a spoon or spatula.
6. By rounded tablespoon, space twelve balls of dough on sheet, spacing them at least 21/2-inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. After a minute or two, move cookies from sheet to a rack to further cool.

Nutrition: 106 cal, 4g fat, 33mg sod, 16g carb, 11g sugar, 1g fiber, 2g protein

pairing autumn with peanut butter

Peanut butter and its bff's chocolate and banana have been executed often in this house. This is mostly because many of my loves have a soft spot for peanut butter. Actually, obsession is probably a better way to describe it.   I am always trying to think of combos with peanut butter to meet their standards while simultaneously feeding my need to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen.  I was wracking my brain for a twist on PB while using what I had stored up at home.   The pile of this season's apples and a gallon of maple syrup were calling. I thought the combo of peanut butter and apple slices as a diet mainstay for picky children all the way up through adults on the run could work in a baked good.  Who doesn't enjoy this combo?  Throw in some oats and perhaps this can even be considered a breakfast bite.

Peanut Butter Apple Crumble Bars

adapted from Foodologie, this recipe can also be made vegan with substitutions noted.
Yield: 32 bars

INGREDIENTS
base
1/2 C reduced fat peanut butter
1/2 C maple syrup
1 C flour, whole wheat or all-purpose
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 T unsalted butter or coconut oil at room temp.
1/2 t vanilla

apple filling
5 apples, peeled, cored and diced
1/3 C flour
1/2 C dark brown sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 T cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t nutmeg

topping
1/3 C flour
1/3 C oats
1/2 C dark brown sugar
3 T reduced fat peanut butter
2 T unsalted butter or coconut oil

DIRECTIONS
apple filling
1.Combine all ingredients for apples, let sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the base and topping.

base
Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a 9×13-inch baking dish with foil
1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer cream butter and peanut butter until uniform in color. Add vanilla and maple syrup.
2. Add in flour, baking soda and salt and beat until a dough forms.
3. Press dough into base of pan and chill in the freezer while making the topping.

topping
1. Melt together butter in a saucepan or in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in peanut butter until combined.
2. Add in sugar, flour and oats.

assembly
1. Remove dish from freezer, spread apple filling evenly over peanut butter base.
2. Sprinkle crumble topping over apples.
3. Bake for 30-35 min. Can be served immediately with ice cream or allow to cool and store in an airtight container at room temp. for four days.

Nutrition: 112 cal, 4g fat, 96mg sod, 19g carb, 13g sugar, 2g fiber, 2g protein

a little help from my friends

L to R: Cookie Dough Filled Cupcakes with chocolate ganache frosting, Samoa Cupcakes, more Cookie Doughs, Fluffernutter Cupcakes, Samoas
First, I have a question, or rather, a request.  I need help and I'm asking you for it!  My sister's graduation is coming up and I offered to make her something with her favorite ingredients in mind.  She loves cookie dough, brownies, s'mores, peanut butter, oreos and ICE CREAM.  That's easy!  I know!  I have made her so many things in the past involving all of those that I'm at a loss.  Cookie and brownie dough filled cupcakes?  Been there.  S'mores bars.  Done that.  Cookie based, cookie dough ice cream cake?  Last year's b-day.  Those Oreo cupcakes?  For HER.  So now, I beg of you, be creative and help me out a little!

T: Cookie Dough Frosting Cupcakes B: Fluffernutter Cupcakes

Moving on...Summer, my favorite season, is looming and the schedule is getting packed.  I haven't had too much time to bake (and I have to admit, my thighs weren't thanking me for it earlier) and honestly, as the weather gets warmer, I don't really want to.  I hope to debut some cooking recipes and fresher, lighter yums as the warm months begin.  Honestly, I had been on a huge healthy food makeover until I started this lovely writing!  I love my sweets but truthfully, I am often trying to "healthify" one of my favorite dishes so I can eat it more regularly.  Sometimes it's a hit and sometimes it's a miss.  I know for every low fat, lower cal person there is another screaming "Blasphemy!  Authentic foods should be left to their buttery, sweet perfection!  Cheese should be indulgent and gooey!  Don't you dare put applesauce in those cupcakes!"  Well, I am a friend to both sides of the coin, just as I love my MacBook but would also take a PC considering my Dell lasted six years through college and beyond, dust-filled and all.  Some days Ben & Jerry's is all you can dream of and that Skinny Cow cup just won't cut it.  Other days, you just need a little something to tide you over for being really well-behaved.  You wouldn't believe how hooked I am on Yoplait's dessert-flavored yogurts.  Come on, you know what I mean!  There are days where you are OK with the lighter, albeit processed, alternatives and there are others where you just want a slice of your grandmother's homegrown berry pie– organic but caloric!  "Eat a salad and shut up" you say!  Please.  Congrats if you can eat one green thing after another but my mouth craves a variety of crunchy, chewy, salty, sweet, leafy, cheesy, fresh and gooey.

Sorry for the diatribe but if you do see a lighter version of something crop up (trust me, I have experimented with the chocolate chip cookie and they cannot be healthy and be GOOD at the same time, may as well eat a chocolate chip pancake because that's what happens to them), don't freak.  Know that I have their calorie-filled friend in my back pocket and am happy to share that version, too.  I think it just depends what you are in the mood for.  Can you have that richly frosted mini cupcake or would you rather have the fruit puree-based humongo cupcake with light cream cheese frosting?  There are days when my tummy wants to be full and days when my taste buds are yearning for the good ol' times.

With that being said, here's an easy recipe for stuff that you had in your pantry that can be lightened and I'll tell you how and with what:

Candy Oat Bars

Adapted from Southern Living® Incredible Cookies
Yield: 32 bars

INGREDIENTS
2 C quick cooking oats
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour try subbing half with whole wheat
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 C chopped pecans I often omit these because many people do not like nuts but if you do, feel free to try different varieties, subbing in another candy is also funful if not the lighter version, haha
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 C) butter, melted I've tried the light butter sticks by Land O'Lakes and was just as successful as when I used butter
1 1/2 C M&M's, Reese's Pieces, morsels, chopped candy bar, whatever your heart desires
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk I use fat free sweetened condensed whenever it is called for

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9"x13" baking dish with foil, grease if not using the fab non-stick kind!
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, baking soda, and salt
2. Add melted butter, stir together until mixture is crumbly.
3. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of mixture; press remaining mixture into the prepared baking dish
4. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
5. Stir 1 C candy pieces with sweetened condensed milk and spread over baked crust.
6. Combine remaining 1 1/2 C crumb mixture with the 1/2 C remaining candy pieces and sprinkle over condensed milk mixture, pressing lightly.
7. Bake for 18-20 min, or until golden. Cool completely before cutting.

Nutrition: 219 cal, 10g fat, 72mg sod, 25g carb, 17g sugar, 1g fiber, 3g protein
(Lighter version, with pecans) 179 cal, 8g fat, 112mg sodium, 25g carb, 17g sugar, 1g fiber, 3g protein