Everyday Edits

Gluten-Free Pasta Salad

 

We are not a gluten-free family, but I loved this gluten-free pasta salad recipe so much I took a chance with my family. And they loved this brown rice based recipe. Of course, I might have kept the gluten-free detail quiet until I got a thumbs up.

Does anyone else wait to disclose to the family the ingredient list to the picky eaters in the family? I am married to the pickiest eater in our house! 

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A girl on my tennis team brought this gluten-free pasta salad for the post-match mixer. It is never a good sign when I start to think about food during the match. Let’s just say some of us inhaled this salad. There was not a big enough spoon to scoop up the fresh veggies and tangy salad dressing clingy to the pasta. 

The pasta salad was my first gluten-free anything. I could not tell the difference. It turns out I am an equal opportunity pasta lover.

It was an easy recipe with the only difference to say “regular” pasta salad, was the pasta was made from brown rice. Who knew? The brown rice pastas are in the same aisle as the regular pasta. If you can’t find, just look for it in the more expensive section of pastas. I usually shop in the dollar pasta section. It is a little pricier than my usual pasta bags and boxes. I found more options at Trader Joe’s and for less money. 

GLUTEN-FREE  PASTA SALAD RECIPE 

The flexibility of this pasta salad was what I loved about it. I used a variety of veggies and I varied the list of veggies each time I made this recipe. My go-to veggies for this salad included cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli and red peppers.

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This is my new favorite go-to summer pasta salad. It’s easy to prepare and looks so pretty on the table. What do you think? I have you cooked with brown rice pasta? I couldn’t tell the difference which I think is the best compliment! 

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Print Recipe

Gluten-Free Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 box brown rice pasta
  • 1/2 bottle Fat Free Zesty Italian
  • 1/4 cup sugar or sugar substitute
  • assorted veggies: broccoli, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, peppers and any favorite veggies

Instructions

  • Cook pasta per instructions. Drain.
    Mix Salad Dressing & Sugar.
    Add assorted vegetables. Chill before ready to serve.

Here is another gluten-free recipe I tried out with my family.

Shhh… the family did not know the main ingredient was in the recipe’s title.

Let me know if you have tried gluten free pasta in the comments.

Lower Calorie Sugar Cookies

 

I realize sugar cookies may not be the first treat that pops into your head as we roll into spring. But one could argue this time of year is a great time to test a new recipe for lower calorie sugar cookies.

It is called research. 

The lower calorie count is the result of less butter and sugar than other sugar cookie recipes. And, not to worry, the dough is still smooth and easy to roll.

It’s like the decade of low-fat cookies where we thought we could eat twice as many cookies because they were labeled low fat. 

Except with this recipe, we now know we don’t necessarily need an additional stick butter. And, like so many of my recipes, I think I just screwed up the analogy.  

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The dough gives me consistent results with my cutouts.  I like my dough a little thicker so the cookie can hold a generous layer of frosting. What about you?

On a side note, here’s a quick read on the history of the sugar cookie. 

Baking temperatures vary, but I like my sugar cookies on the soft side. I set time or nine minutes and get an evenly baked sheet of sugar cookies.

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RECIPE

 

Print Recipe

Lower Calorie Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • dash salt
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. milk
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

  • Whisk flour, baking powder and salt.In large bowl beat butter, sugar until smooth
    Add egg, milk and vanilla
    Add flour mixture
    Gather dough and divide in half. 
    Flatten into 2 disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight
    .Heat oven to 350. Roll out cookie dough.
    Place cut out cookie shapes on an ungreased baking sheet.
    Bake at 350 for approximately 9 -10 minutes depending on oven.

Oven Baked Jicama Fries Recipe

 

Does anyone watch Joy Bauer, a nutritionist & frequent contributor, on the Today Show? You know she never gives up trying to tweak recipes for her clients on their weight loss journeys. I love her enthusiasm. I mean she convinced me to make cauliflower pizza dough. At some point, I decided pizza is perfect should never be tweaked. But, Joy finds ways to make our favorite binge foods more healthy including a way to rethink french fries. I made these ovens baked Jicama fries because I thought there was no way to fake a french fry.

Oven Baked Jicama Fries

Before this recipe Jicama was never on my grocery list. But, I grabbed a Jicama at Sprouts and it sat on the kitchen counter for a day or three until I found the recipe on Joy’s site. I had all the spices and seasonings in my pantry. I cut the Jicama into chunky slices. It took a few slices to decide if these oven-baked fries were going to be  McDonald size fries or Red Robin steak fries. I settled for a cut in between the two.

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Oven Baked Jicama Fries Recipe

The recipe is very easy.  It requires a bowl and a baking sheet along with the following seasonings.

Oven Baked Jicama Fries
 
Author: adapted from Joy Bauer
Serves: 1 CUP
Ingredients
  • 1 JICAMA, SKIN REMOVED, CUT INTO FRIES (I LEFT THE SKIN ON A FEW)
  • 1 TABLESPOON EVOO
  • 1/2 TEASPOON KOSHER SALT & ADD TO TASTE
  • 1 1/2 TEASPOONS PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER & CHILI POWDER
  • 1 1/2 TEASPOONS ONION POWDER
  • LIME JUICE, OPTIONAL (I MISSED THIS)
  • ** ADJUST/EDIT SEASONINGS BASED ON PREFERENCE
Instructions
  1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 425
  2. PEEL AND CHOP JICAMA INTO FRIES
  3. IN LARGE BOWL ADD EVOO, SPRINKLE WITH SALT
  4. SPREAD ON BAKING SHEET LINED WITH PARCHMENT PAPER IN A SINGLE LAYER
  5. SPRITZ OLIVE OIL SPRAY IF NEEDED ON JICAMA
  6. SPRINKLE PAPRIKA, GARLIC POWDER & OPTIONAL SEASONINGS
  7. BAKE IN OVEN ON TOP RACK FOR 20-25 MINUTES.
  8. IF DESIRED SQUEEZE LIME JUICE & SALT TO TASTE.
 

RESULTS

These oven-baked Jicama fries do not disappoint. It’s the seasonings that make these taste like the real thing which makes me start thinking about seasonings I could add to say.. frosting. You know to make Greek yogurt taste like frosting. It’s only a matter of time before Birds Eye starts selling frozen chopped Jicama. Maybe they already do sell frozen Jicama?

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If you want to search all of Joy Bauer’s healthier option recipes, you can find them on her site.

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Link to:

Lori’s Culinary Creations

Easy Meatball Rolls Recipe for Hangry Teenagers

Summer schedules always throw me into a tailspin. When my kids were little it was three-hour tennis drills. This summer, it’s part-time work schedules and late nights that tend to roll into the early morning. Our kitchen starts to resemble a 24-hour diner. This easy meatball rolls recipe is perfect for all the hangry teenagers.

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I saw this easy meatball rolls recipe on the Food Network’s The Kitchen. Does anyone watch this show on the weekend? I love the weekly food themes. One of the host’s voice drives me nuts, but I love the weekly recipe themes and the friendly banter between the hosts.

The best part of these meatball rolls is I had ALL the ingredients in my fridge. I always have a tube of crescent rolls and frozen meatballs are a staple in my freezer.

So I  actually made this recipe while watching the show.

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Easy Meatball Rolls Recipe

The ingredients were easy with a tube of pizza dough, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and meatballs.

I don’t know if the pizza dough is vegan, but switching out the cheese and meat would make this a vegan-friendly recipe.

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It’s a meatball wrap with the layers of sauce, cheese and meatballs on one edge of the dough and then the opposite side folded on top. I  sliced the roll into bite-size squares making sure each slice had a meatball.

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I pinched the edges and put the bite-size rolls in a muffin pan to contain the melted cheese and sauce. Set the oven to the recommended oven temperature for the refrigerated pizza dough.

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the weekend edit

My baby graduated from high school last weekend. I did great until Monday afternoon when I inhaled a 1/2 bag of Costco size Kettle Chips. It didn’t help that Denver had a week of rain and grey skies.

Thank goodness I discovered Dead Like Me on Netflix! I love this show with Christina Applegate and it was exactly what I needed to take a deep breath and celebrate my baby’s next chapter (and ours).

While bingeing Dead Like Me I found a few things to share over this Memorial Day Weekend. Did I find you?

If you are always looking to update your patio you must check out this comprehensive list.

I am looking to step up my summer cocktails and this looks like a fun one.

overhead view of three glasses of frozen frose garnished with strawberries

Need a little direction with your garden? Carole has the answers.

Looking for an easy monster cookie with oats and chocolate and peanut butter. Grab or pin Lauren’s recipe here.

Looking for a fun crafty for a hostess gift? You can grab a free printable here.

Check out Debbie’s latest project as she and her husband celebrate a pending empty nest.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Snickerdoodle cookies are a favorite around our house because they are one of the few cookies I bake without chocolate! My boys (all of them) are not fans of chocolate. I can not wrap my head around the concept of that last sentence.

But, Snickerdoodle cookies, with the sugar and cinnamon combo, are a delicious blend of sugar and spice! Here is one more favorite non-chocolate cookie.

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This Snickerdoodle cookie recipe is straight out of the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook from over twenty-five years ago. It was a wedding gift. My mother-in-law, or maybe it was my mom, knew cooking was going to come with a steep learning curve for me.

This is one of the few recipes I pull into the cookie rotation at our house. I make this a few times a year for my husband! Since I am not a fan of cooking, baking is a fun way for me to share my gratitude for all the things my hubby does around the house.

Baking is a great way to thank him for spending an hour to fix my printer when I can not get the ink cartridges to load correctly so the printer “senses” the cartridge’s presence!

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These Snickerdoodle cookies come out pretty much perfect every time I bake them. It’s one of the few recipes I follow line by line. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.

My sister is sending me a long-distance eye roll right about now.

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Print Recipe

SNICKERDOODLE COOKIES

Someone Doodled on my Snickers 

Ingredients

  • 3 3/4 CUPS FLOUR
  • 1/2 TSP. BAKING SODA
  • 1/2 TSP. CREAM OF TARTAR
  • 1 CUP BUTTER, SOFTENED
  • 2 CUPS SUGAR
  • 1/4 CUP MILK
  • 1 TSP. VANILLA
  • 3 TBSP. SUGAR SUGAR-CINNAMON MIXTURE
  • 1 TSP. CINNAMON

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375.
    Add dry ingredients in a bowl. 
    Beat butter, sugar in a separate bowl until creamy. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to the beaten mixture.
    Form dough into 1 " balls and roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.
    Place on lightly greased cookie sheets and flatten with bottom of a glass. 
    Bake at 375 for about 8 minutes. 

Who knew a shot glass was a multi-purpose tool? I use a shot glass whenever a cookie recipe includes the instructions to “flatten” the dough. It also works great when you need a circle cookie cutter on the fly.

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Enjoy these soft and chewy Snickerdoodle cookies with a glass of chilled milk! Oh, and if my husband is reading… I can explain why the printer is in the middle of the yard… have another Snickerdoodle cookie, sweetie!

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Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

There is a new man in my life; I stalk him weekly and I always leave a message (in the form of a comment). He is a lifestyle blogger. I pin and print almost every recipe he posts. And, I loved his recipe for these frosted sugar cookie bars. frosted-sugar-cookie-bars-everyday-edits

The ingredient list was short and the bake time was under 20 minutes. And, no cookie cutters needed for these sugar cookie bars.

Until I made this recipe, it never occurred to me that I could bake sugar cookies without cookie cutters.

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Yep, the only thing you need for these sugar cookie bars is a sheet pan. I decided to use two smaller baking sheets so I could adjust the thickness of the cookie dough on the second pan.

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The second baking sheet was covered with about 1/2 of the cookie dough.

I like my sugar cookies (and bars) thick. Kind of like my middle after inhaling a pan of these frosted cookies. 

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Michael, my blogger crush, created a beautiful ombre frosting technique. It was an epic fail on my end of the country. 

Frosting Fiasco 

When my ombre tinted frosted started with a Pepto Bismol shade of pink it was impossible to take it down to a blush. Attempts to add more neutral frosting just made it a lighter shade of Pepto Bismol. 

So I put the Pepto Bismol tinted frosting and the two additional shades of pink aide and started over. I used a smidge of pink tint to create a shade of blush for my frosted sugar cookie bars. The lesson: I made an edit and saved the frosting. #everydayedits

I found my new favorite frosted sugar cookie bars recipe from Michael over at Inspired by Charm. In full disclosure, I saved the link to his blog for the end of my post. Because, once you click over to his blog, I may not see you at mine! Make sure you tell him his Colorado stalker sent you!

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Print Recipe

FROSTED SUGAR COOKIE BARS

Author: adapted from Inspired by Charm

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. sour cream
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Line baking sheet with foil (for thicker bar use a smaller baking sheet). 
    In a large bowl: sift flour, baking powder & salt.
    In separate bowl cream butter, sugar for about 3 minutes. 
    Add egg, sour cream and vanilla
    Slowly add the flour mixture
    Press the dough onto the baking sheet, bake for about 14 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
    Frosting 
    1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
    4 cups confectioners sugar
    1/4 cup half and half or whole milk
    1 tsp. vanilla
    1/2 tsp. almond extract
    Food Coloring & sprinkles
    Once cookie bars are cool spread the frosting on the cookie bar.Frost as desired the flour mixture
    Press the dough onto the baking sheet, bake for 14-17 minutes until edges are lightly golden.FrostingOnce cookie bars are cool spread the frosting on the cookie bar.Frost as desired

Coconut Cake Recipe for Mother’s Day

Hi Everyone, Mother’s Day is almost here. With high school graduation parties this month I wanted to get a head start for a Mother’s Day dessert. I found the cake when I found this coconut cake recipe for Mother’s Day on Pinterest.

I love coconut and a homemade white cake sounded perfect for Mother’s Day. After the six months of holidays, I need a break from chocolate based desserts. A coconut cake sounds lighter; which means fewer calories, right?

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Peppermint Cookies

The holidays may be over, but now is a great time to review recipes, pin favorites and clear out the pantry from the holiday baking blitz that began in October and finished in January (February if you count the Oscars as a holiday).  These peppermint cookies were a new favorite. 

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My sister-in-law gave me the recipe and they are so yummy and soft. It’s like a pillow cookie with peppermint. Oh, and a box of instant vanilla pudding. I think that what makes these cookies so fluffy! 

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For the peppermint, I found mint M&M’s. I only find them during the holidays, but I noticed the M&M brand has branched out so these peppermint M&M’s might now be a year-round candy. If you can’t find them you can use other mint chocolate candies or bars. 

On a side note, one of my favorite utensils is the Pampered Chef scoop. It gives me similar shaped cookies which means I don’t have a burned cookie and a half baked cookie on opposite ends of the cookie sheet. 

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The red and white peppermint M&M’s work year round with patriotic holidays, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. At least that’s what I tell myself when I pull this recipe up in February, May, July, September and December. 

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These peppermint cookies are perfect for the summer because no one expects peppermint in May or July.

And, the box of dry vanilla pudding mix adds something extra to this recipe. I’m not sure what the vanilla pudding does, but I am willing to bake another batch to find the answer.

Here’s the recipe my sister (in-law) gave me after I devoured at least a 1/2 dozen of these peppermint m&m cookies. In all fairness, she did too! 

Print Recipe

Peppermint Cookies

Ingredients

  • 3/4 CUP BUTTER, SOFTENED
  • 1/4 CUP SUGAR
  • 3/4 CUP BROWN SUGAR
  • 1 BOX INSTANTVANILLA PUDDING (3.4 OZ)
  • 2 EGGS
  • 1 TSP VANILLA
  • 1 TSP BAKING SODA
  • 2 1/4 CUP FLOUR
  • 1 CUP PEPPERMINT CRUNCH PIECES
  • 1/2 CUP WHITE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT M&M'S

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar. 
    Add the vanilla pudding mix and beat until incorporated
    .Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
    In a small bowl combine the flour and baking soda. Slowly add this mixture to the wet ingredients until all ingredients are mixed.Stir in the Peppermint Crunch pieces and M&Ms until they are all mixed into the dough.Roll the dough into rounded teaspoonfuls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown.Makes about 2 dozen cookies

No Bake Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars

jNext to chips and guacamole, peanut butter and chocolate are two of my absolute favorite food pairings.  But nothing compares to the dense peanut butter base as the anchor for a layer of melted milk chocolate. These no-bake peanut butter and chocolate bars are a favorite for my middle child so I pull this out of the archives for his post-finals return home in a few days! #mymiddle

These chocolate and peanut butter bars require no oven so it’s a fun recipe to introduce to your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews or husbands. My sister made these with her niece and nephews years ago and they are a favorite everytime she visits.

The absence of an oven also increases my recipe success too! And, the chilled temperature to set the chocolate make them a great summer treat!

The smaller the pan, the thicker the bar. Just look at that layer of chocolate on top of a big slab of peanut butter infused with powdered sugar, crushed graham crackers and butter.

I actually cut the square bars into smaller sizes than what is shown below. It’s a visual trick that if you cut them in half you can have twice as many. Right?

These no-bake peanut butter and chocolate bars are perfect for holiday treats.  The dense base makes them them travel-friendly if delivering by sidewalk or car.

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NO BAKE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE BARS

Ingredients

  • 1 BOX POWDERED SUGAR
  • 11/2 CUPS GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS
  • 1 CUP PEANUT BUTTER
  • 1 CUP MELTED BUTTER
  • 1 BAG MILK CHOCOLATE CHIPS, MELTED

Instructions

  • MIX & PRESS INTO ALL INGREDIENTS EXCEPT THE MILK CHOCOLATE.
    MELT 1 BAG MILK CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND SPREAD OVER THE GRAHAM CRACKER BASE. 
    CHILL!

One Pot Mexican Spaghetti

This is not the title of the recipe in Siri Daly’s cookbook, Siriously Delicious. When I made her Sneaky One Pot Mexican pasta I made it to the second ingredient in her recipe when I made my first recipe edit.I skipped the package of frozen butternut squash puree. I didn’t even know that was a thing? Once I made one substitute it was much easier to make the second and third edits. I substituted salsa for the taco sauce and I used spaghetti noodles instead of the ziti she used for her cookbook photo.

As the name suggests, everything cooks in a large, shallow pot. It requires no heavy prep work other than cooking the ground turkey. It could easily be a vegan friendly dish with tofu crumbles. I broke the spaghetti pasta into thirds so it would cook evenly and be more bite size friendly.

Jump to Recipe

And, you know what? This One-Pot Mexican Spaghetti recipe tasted amazing! I make this recipe at least once a week and my son takes the leftovers to school the next day. Even my picky husband loved this south of the border take on spaghetti.

This one pot Mexican spaghetti was fail-proof even with my ingredient edits! I cannot say enough about how much I love Siri Daly’s cookbook you can find here. I made her spinach balls for a party and they were a hit!

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Print Recipe

ONE POT MEXICAN SPAGHETTI

Author: adapted from Siriously Delicious

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 ounce taco seasoning packet
  • 8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 jar taco sauce or salsa
  • 1 1/2 cups Mexican cheese blend, shredded
  • 1/4 cup scallions to garnish

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in large saucepan.
    Add ground turkey and cooking until no longer pink. About 5 minutes.
    Sprinkle in taco seasoning, adjust to taste.
    Add pasta, chicken stock and taco sauce or salsa until combined.
    Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stire, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until pasta is al dente (12-15 minutes). 
    Add the cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Add scallions. So Good! 

SIRI DALY’S SPINACH BALLS

Siri Daly is teaching me how to cook. It only took me 25+ years to open a cookbook more than once! And, with an approaching empty nest, it’s ironic that I am just now dipping my spatula into the kitchen with her spinach balls recipe.

With her family-friendly recipes and recognizable ingredients, I am less intimidated to try her recipes. So when I was asked to bring an appetizer to a girls’ night gathering I decided to make Siri’s spinach balls. I have made these before but forgot about this recipe until I found them in her cookbook, Sirilously Delicious.

In just a few short weeks this cookbook had olive oil splatters and tabbed pages; evidence of a popular cookbook in my house. I made these cookies featured in her cookbook. The cookies tasted great even though I forgot one of the main ingredients.

These spinach balls have eight ingredients and I had everything, but the frozen chopped spinach. The most important part of this recipe is to drain, drain, drain the moisture from the spinach. I used a colander and oversized wood spatula to press the moisture from the colander.

These spinach balls are so close to being a vegan option. I think an egg substitute would work too! These make for a great snack or light dinner.

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SPINACH BALLS BY SIRI DALY

GREAT LIGHT DINNER OR EASY APPETIZER
Author: Siri Daly

Ingredients

  • 2 10 oz packages frozen, chopped, spinach, thawed, drained & drained of moisture
  • 2 cups Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1 yellon onion diced
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground pepper
  • 4 eggs

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350. 
    Stir together the spinach, breadcrumbs, onion, butter, Parmesan, salt, pepper and eggs in a large bowl. 
    Using a tablespoon roll the mixture into 48 balls and place on greased baking sheet.
    Bake until edges are golden, about 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through cooking 

Sharing: Two Chicks & a Mom

Cherry Crumble for Valentine’s Day

The best thing about Valentine’s Day is it’s a national holiday for chocolate.  Except, by this time of the year I am in a chocolate 10 step program. Which is why I decided to pull this cherry crumble out of the summer dessert rotation and make a cherry crumble for Valentine’s Day.

After a chocolate-fueled season behind us, this dessert is perfect to celebrate Valentine’s Day. This chilled cherry crumble is usually reserved for the summer bbq’s and holidays, but the whipped topping and cherry filling over a graham cracker and butter crust makes for a lighter dessert for Valentine’s day; if we are measuring a box of chocolates against the cherry crumble.

And, the cherry crumble gets double holiday bonus points because it is red.  And, if you are like me this time of year, you might have most of the ingredients in your pantry from December when you stocked up on graham cracker crumbs and butter. And, the best part of this dessert is you can make it the night before and let it chill overnight.

So make those dinner plans and plans for dessert at home… with two spoons and the cherry crumble!

The best part of this recipe is it only has eight ingredients. And, I have most of the ingredients on hand. I keep a tub of Cool Whip in my freezer most months of the year! With the topping, cream cheese, cherries and sugars I reduce the white sugar by a 1/4 of a cup. I could probably reduce it by 1/2 and not miss out on any of the taste.

Cherry Crumble Recipe

This dessert is a favorite around our house. It’s a family recipe from one of my close friend’s mother. And, now I have a reason to make it in the month of February. Enjoy! Summer will be here before you know it!

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The best cherry crumble recipe

Course: Dessert
Author: adapted from Kristin Diliberti

Ingredients

  • CRUST
  • 2 CUPS FLOUR
  • 1 CUP BUTTER SOFTENED
  • 1/2 CUP BROWN SUGAR
  • 1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS
  • FILLING
  • 16 OZ CREAM CHEESE
  • 1 1/2 CUPS SUGAR I REDUCED BY 1/4 CUP
  • 1/2 TEASPOON VANILLA
  • 8-9 OUNCE COOL WHIP

Instructions

  • MIX CRUST INGREDIENTS AND SPREAD 2/3 INTO 9X13 BAKING PAN.
  • SPREAD REMAINING CRUST INGREDIENTS INTO SMALLER PAN
  • BAKE CRUST AT 350 FOR 20-25 MINUTES. LET COOL
  • WHILE BAKING BLEND FILLING INGREDIENTS.
  • SPREAD 1/2 OF FILLING ONTO 9X13 PAN
  • ADD CHERRY FILLING
  • ADD FINAL LAYER OF FILLING OVER THE CHERRY FILLING
  • CRUMBLE SMALL PAN OF CRUST AND SPRINKLE OVER TOP OF FILLING
  • REFRIGERATE TO LET IT SETTLE

Recipe Substitute for Butter, Oil & Eggs

 I have a confession. I rarely follow a recipe from start to finish.  A close friend suggested I not keep the mixer running while I run to do a load of laundry.

Apparently there is a legitimate reason to keep the wet and dry ingredients separate.  A friend explained this to me the other night and my argument was, “How do the dry and wet ingredients know? Incorporating a recipe substitute was a great way to practice the art of following a recipe.

When I find a recipe substitute that works I want to pay it forward for other want to be bakers who might share similar recipe traits with me.

I never  knew canned pumpkin made a substitute for butter, oil and eggs if I had not purchased Libby’s brand. It must have been on sale.

It is a genius idea. So really, this is the only image to pin for recipe substitutes. This works with sauces, muffins and cookies. 

I might add this substitute to these muffins. 

Raspberry White Chocolate Bars

Are we burned out on chocolate yet? Are the jeans getting a smidge tighter than they were in September? We have to pace ourselves because we have a ways to go from the chocolate holiday Halloween kickoff to Easter. Between peanut butter cups, chocolate hearts and bunny butts there is a lot of milk chocolate on the calendar. These raspberry and white chocolate bars are so amazing they might show up for Valentine’s Day.

These raspberry white chocolate bars are the perfect balance of raspberries and the crumble. The raspberry filling comes from a jar of Raspberry preserves which makes this recipe low effort.

On a side note, one of my favorite places to buy preserves and coffee is HomeGoods. Seriously, HomeGoods (and TJ Maxx and Marshalls) have fun coffees, preserves, sauces and so much more. On a recent trip to HomeGoods, I had gift wrap, preserves, and the comfiest cotton, short sleeve shirts ever that were $5.99 each. 

raspberry-white-chocolate-bars

The crumble for these raspberry white chocolate bars are made from a butter, sugar and flour mixture.

Folded between layers of the crumbly mixture, the raspberry preserves and the white chocolate morsels add the perfect amount of sweet.

raspberry-white-chocolate-bars

And, these bars pack well and stayed moist for the week. They are a yummy alternative to the traditional cookie rotation in kitchens across the country!

Raspberry White Chocolate Bars Recipe  

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 jar raspberry jam
  • 1 12 oz package white chocolate baking chips

Instructions

  • Raspberry White Chocolate Bars
    Recipe Type: Dessert
    Cuisine: Dessert
    Raspberry & White Chocolate Bars
    Ingredients
    3/4 cup sugar
    1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
    1 tsp salt
    2 tsp vanilla
    4 cups flour
    2 eggs
    1 jar raspberry jam
    1 12 oz. package white chocolate baking morsels
    Instructions
    PREHEAT OVEN TO 350.
    USE A 9X13" BAKING PAN (DO NOT GREASE)
    MIX SUGAR, BUTTER, ADD SALT, VANILLA
    SLOWLY ADD FLOUR, UNTIL IT LOOKS CRUMBLY.
    SCOOP 1 CUP OF CRUMB MIXTURE AND SET ASIDE
    ADD THE EGGS TO REMAINING MIXTURE.
    PRESS DOUGH INTO BAKING PAN. BAKE 30 MINUTES UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWN.
    REMOVE BAKING PAN, SPREAD RASPBERRY JAME TO THE EDGES.
    SPRINKLE WHITE CHOCOLATE MORSELS
    SPRINKLE THE CRUMBLE MIXTURE RESERVE ON TOP
    BAKE AN ADDITIONAL 25-30 MINUTES AT 350 UNTIL TOPPING IS LIGHT GOLDEN BROWN.
    COOL BEFORE CUTTING INTO BARS

 

sharing to: 2 chicks & a mom

Last Minute Halloween Donuts

The last week of October is packed with work commitments, social events, and school-related deadlines. With a few Halloween parties on the calendar, I pulled out this fun donut treat. Every year, I plan to find some over the top Halloween dessert. And, every year I decide it is not worth $40 + to attempt to make that will have a lifespan of four minutes.  And, that’s where these fun donut treats remove the cost and pressure to create Halloween treats.

These Halloween donuts are fun and easy AND guaranteed to get a reaction from the crowd… even a crowd of teenage boys.

I made these last minute Halloween donuts for my sons and their friends.

halloween-donut-treats

The best part? All you need are donut holes and a tube of icing or icing gel.

halloween-donut-treats

If you buy the donut holes in the plastic containers in the bakery they are $3.49 or you can head towards the English muffins and buy the Hostess bag of cake donuts for $1.99.  Halloween cupcake liners served as a plate/napkin for the donuts.

halloween-donut-treats

The liners kind of contained the powdered sugar, but the cupcake liners provide one brief layer of protection from sticky hands. I can not stand to have sticky fingers.

So easy. No cleanup. No sticky counters.

Happy Halloween! Hope these Halloween Donuts show up in your kitchen!

 

 

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