Christmas Cookie Countdown: Chocolate Cranberry Lemon Squares

Sorry today is a 2-for-1 but only because yesterday's post failed to actually be posted.

But I'm still on track so I'm happy.

Today I stopped into Sugar Mountain to get my usual mix of chocolate covered everything and I was inspired when I saw the chocolate covered cranberries.

Cranberries are very holiday-esque so I figured I'd bring them home and bake them into some kind of cookie.

Instead I found a lemon square recipe and figured lemon and cranberry go very well together....why not?

Also, my square pan is in the sink and I'm too lazy to wash it so I baked it in a round cake pan.

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Press into a squares pan and bake for 20 minutes.
• Beat 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 2 eggs together for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Mix in 2/3 cup chocolate covered cranberries. Pour into crust.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Deeeeeelicious.

Apple Cheddar Tart

I'm distressed.

I cannot find my camera anywhere!

It's gone....I mean I know it's somewhere in the apartment but I haven't the foggiest idea wher it could be. I looked in all of the usual spots - the desk, by the window, hidden under cushions on the couch - but it's vanished into thin air!

This means I can't take pictures of the things I've been baking/making

AND I've been putting off my Martha October issue review because the pictures in the magazine are different from the ones on the website.

I'm starting to go a little mental....

WHERE ELSE COULD IT BE!?

On a less stressful note, I got my hair done (highlights touched up and some glazing of the roots) this morning! And then walked for 15 minutes to Topcuts and got myself a snazzy $15 haircut. I took off a good 2-3 inches too! I'm happy with it. All I would change is the layering...which the kind woman at Topcuts did none of. So my hair is kind of thick and unruly at the ends where it usually is nicely layered. But $15 compared to like $60 for a haircut makes my bank account happy.

I also decided I would sort of pamper myself a bit today, seeing as I have a LOT of school work to try and do in the next few hours. I did my toenails a bright pink and redid my nails in a softer, more nude pink. I feel much lovelier on this gloomy day.

Last night, I tried out a recipe from Everyday Food (but my own version which takes literally 5 minute to prep and maybe 25 mins in the oven) . It's so fast and easy and it's really good.

Apple Cheddar Tart

(Picture stolen from http://dishdivajaz.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/img_7054.jpg)

To make this delicious tart:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out thawed puff pastry into a rectangle and place it on a lightly greased baking sheet.

2. Core 2 apples and cut them into rings, so that the hole where the core was is in the center. Arrange them on the puff pastry.

*OR if you want to be fancier, using a biscuit cutter or cookie cutter, cut out circles from the puff pastry. Place apple ring on the puff pastry circle and then tuck the edges up over top of the apple (like in the picture above). You may need to seal this with a bit of egg wash.

3. Grate marble or cheddar cheese and sprinkle over top of the apples and puff pastry. Put into the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the puff pastry has started to brown. Remove from oven, let cool slightly and cut into desired sized peices. Eat while still warm.

There's a few peices of this leftover from last night in the fridge and it's still pretty good cold. But definitely much better when it's straight outta the oven.

I'm off to make some black bottom coconut squares and some madeleines.

I'm going to bring them in to placement on Tuesday and impress my co-workers.

:)

Whadda suck up.

Good Morning (Nut-Free) Granola Bars

John and I went shopping last night to pick up cat litter for the poor little bugger and while we were there I took a walk down the breakfast food aisle.

I starred at the peanut butter replacements for a few minutes, debating whether or not I would buy a jar and try out the "peanut butter" granola bar recipe.

After a few back and forth mind changes and a few encouraging words from John, we bought a jar.

This stuff is actually pretty good.

It has the same texture and the same taste as I remember peanut butter having.

You can probably find soy butter products at your grocery store on the same shelf as the regular peanut butter.

It's kind of funny....it took me a full five minutes to remind myself that this was safe and not actual peanut butter and that trying it wouldn't result in swelling, hives, and itchiness.

I literally put some on my finger and then looked back and forth between my finger and the jar for five minutes. I re-read the declarations and promises of being nut free several times.

In the end I bit the bullet and tried it, then later devoured half the pan of granola bars.

Like a shark going into a feeding frenzy from the faintest sniff of blood, such, apprently, is me with "peaNOT butter" as my friend Danielle cleverly called it.

I want to try and make those delicious peanut butter (replacement) cookies now!

Anna Olsen's original recipe, fiddled with to my liking:

Good Morning Nut-Free Granola Bars

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I a bowl, toss together 2 cups rolled oats, 1 cup crispy rice cereal, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup mixed dry peels (like the kind you put in christmas fruit cakes).
2. In a sauce pan over medium-low heat, melt 1 cup soy butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup butter, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Once melted together, pour overtop of the oat mixture.
3. Pour granola batter into a pan lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Let cool, then place pan in the fridge to allow granola to set, at least 2 hours. Cut into bars and enjoy!

I brought some over to my mom this morning and she was very impressed with how peanut-butter-y they really taste.

This product is perfect for anyone who loves peanut butter but can't have it for various reasons - allergies, working in a school, etc. I recommend giving it a try if you're curious about peanut butter replacements.

Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend!

Black Bottom Coconut Squares

My phone is broken....I'm not happy.

This morning actually started out on a really good note but now.....

We'll wait and see what Rogers can do for me.

I ran my second practice 10K this morning and I'm still not quite making my goal of coming in under 50 minutes. I did it in just under 51 so I'm getting closer but with Sunday fast approaching there's a chance this might not be a realistic goal. Oh well. Finishing and giving money to a good cause is all that matters.

I was also inspired to do a little free-time baking this morning.

I made a really delicious desert that I used to make a lot but haven't made in years.

This recipe comes to you courtesy of Martha Stewart

Black Bottom Coconut Squares

To make these squares:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a square pan with tin foil, leaving a bit of an overhang. Butter or grease the tin foil. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, mix 1/2 cup melted butter with 1/2 cup sugar. Beat in 1 egg. Mix in 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Pour into the tin foiled pan and bake for 10-15 minutes.
3. In a clean bowl beat 2 eggs with 3/4 cup sugar. Add in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup flour and 1 pkg shredded coconut (save and set aside 1/2 cup).
4. Drop the coconut batter on top of the slightly cooled baked bottom layer and spread evenly with wet finger tips. The water will keep the batter from sticking to your fingers. Sprinkle the saved 1/2 cup of shredded coconut evenly over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes then let cool, cut, and enjoy!

And there you have it! It's easy to make even though you have to bake it in 2 stages and it tastes so good - provided that you like coconut.

I'm going to see if it's warm enough for me to sit in the sun for a bit before I take my angry self and my craptastic phone over to Rogers....

Tomorrow's Friday!!!

Weekend!

Date Squares

Here it is as promised

maybe for a date night this Sunday....?

DATE SQUARES

1. Cut (as best you can, dates are awfully sticky) up 2 cups of dates and add to a pot with 1 cup of water, a small pinch of salt, and the zest and juice of one lemon. Let the dates simmer on medium heat for about 12 minutes or until soft. Allow them to cool.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats, 1 cup of brown sugar, and 1 tsp of baking soda. Cut in 12 tbsp of butter until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Press 2/3 of the mixture into a baking pan, covering the bottom and up the sides.

3. Pour the cooled date mixture into the pan.

4. Crumble the remaining 1/3 of the flour-oat-brown sugar mixture over top of the date mixture. Place in the oven and let the squares bake for about 35 minutes or until the top starts to turn a golden brown.



Allow the squares to cool then cut and enjoy!