Homemade Granola Bars.

My husband loves granola bars.  I love to spend time cooking and baking in the kitchen.  Homemade Granola Bars - the perfect marriage!  And a homemade treat that is kind of healthy!

Homemade Granola Bars
(Recipe Adapted from Co-Worker)

2 cups oatmeal

3/4 wheat germ

1 cup peanuts (crushed)

3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup honey

2/3 cup brown sugar

4 teaspoon butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

dash of salt

2 cups craisins

Combine dry ingredients (oatmeal, wheat germ, peanuts & sunflower seeds).  Spread out on a large baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.  Once roasted, transfer to a large mixing bowl.  Combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and bring to light boil.   Pour syrup over the dry ingredients until combined.  Fold in craisins.  Transfer the mixture to a parchment covered 9x13 baking dish and press down.  Place in the refrigerator for several hours to allow the bars to firm up.  Remove, cut into desired size bars, and pack into individual bags for an easy treat.  Bars will keep well in the refrigerator.

Ever since I made these I have been dreaming of other variations.  

Here's what I've come up with:

Dried Apple & Mini Cinnamon Chips instead of the Craisins

Chocolate Chips instead of the Craisins

Banana Chips & Peanutbutter Chips

Dried Blueberries

And the list goes on and on!!  Try them!  You might even stop buying store-bought granola bars!!

Caramel Pear Bars.

After my long hiatus I am happy to bring you a delicious autumn recipe that you will want to make sooner than later.  I like to stock up on pears specifically for this recipe.  And its so good that I had this earlier this month as my birthday treat!

Caramel Pear Bars
(adapted from Taste of Home)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 cup butter (melted)
1 package of caramels
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
5-6 medium pears (sliced thin - peeled or unpeeled)

Combine flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Stir in melted butter - mixture will be someone crumbly.  Set aside 1 1/2 cups to use as topping.  Press the remaining mixture into an ungreased 9x12 baking dish.  Melt caramels and milk until smooth.  Place pear slices on top of crust.  Drizzle caramel sauce over the top of pears.  Sprinkle with reserved mixture.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.  Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes.

Most delicious served slightly warm with vanilla ice cream.  If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, store them in the refrigerator.  Mmmm.  I think I need to get some more pears!

Honey Oat Bread.

I have been talking a lot on my facebook page about this amazing bread recipe I found.  Finally I am getting around to posting the recipe so that you too can take part in some delicious bread eating!

I was at the Amish market recently and thought I would buy a different kind of flour.  (Usually I do the 1-cup whole wheat to 2-cups white).  I settled on oat flour.  After I got home and started searching for recipes I found out that maybe oat flour wasn't such a good choice.  Oat flour is heavy and contains little to no natural leavening agent.  I had a difficult time finding something that could take the place of my old stand-by bread recipe.  I needed something that would taste good from the time I took it out of the oven to later in the week when it was being toasted for breakfast...

In the end it was King Arthur Flour that came through for me.

Honey Oat Bread

(Adapted from King Arthur Flour)

1 cup water
1/3 cup milk
1/2 stick butter (softened)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup oat flour (could also ground your own oats)
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 tablespoon wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour

...and now comes the point where I make a confession.  Once I have the ingredients gathered I place in the bread machine - liquid on the bottle and yeast placed into a hole of flour...then I turn the bread machine to the dough setting and walk away for an hour and a half.  When I return I remove the dough from the machine, work it into a log, place in a loaf pan, cover with a towel, and walk away again.  I return in 45-60 minutes to place the bread in a pre-heated 350 degree oven to bake for 35-40 minutes.

I realize it's kind of like cheating, but at the same time it's not cheating at all.  And it beats store-bought bread by a million!!  

This bread is tender, moist, and has a hint of sweetness to it.  It tastes phenomenal straight from the oven slathered with butter (it really does) and it tastes just as a great toasted a few days later.  Best.bread.of.the.moment. 

Go ahead and challenge yourself to make this!  If you don't have a bread machine you can go to King Arthur for totally from scratch directions.  

Oatmeal Cookie Cheesecake Bars Studded with Blueberries.

Earlier this month I was faced with ten pounds of blueberries to either eat fresh, bake with, or freeze. While searching for blueberry recipes I found lots of breads, muffins, and pancakes. And then I saw these. You know I'm interested in a recipe when I have it bookmarked and in my mouth in less than 24 hours!

Think oatmeal cookie meets blueberry studded cheesecake! Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and indulge! And, yes, these will be served in my house again.

Oatmeal Cookie Cheesecake Bars Studded with Blueberries

(Adapted from The Art of Two Tarts)

Oatmeal Cookie Crust & Topping:

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

3 cups oatmeal

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until combined. In a separate bowl, combine dry (remaining) ingredients and slowly add to butter/sugar/egg mixture. Separate cookie dough so that you have 3/4 for the crust and 1/4 for the topping. Press the crust portion evenly into a 9x13 baking dish. Reserve the topping portion for later.

Cheesecake Filling:

12 ounces cream cheese (softened)

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups blueberries

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat until combined. Spread cheesecake mixture evenly over the top of the prepared crust. Drop blueberry over the cheesecake filling. And finally, drop small clumps of reserved cookie dough as the final layer.

Bake for 50 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator. Enjoy cold (and with ice cream).

Banana Oatmeal Graham Muffins

I experimented with banana muffins last night in an effort to use up some overripe bananas and lucky for all of you, came with a recipe good enough to share! :)


Banana Oatmeal Graham Muffins

Wet Ingredients:
3 overripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg

Dry Ingredients:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup flour
3 graham crackers, coarsely crushed

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 T. flour
2 T. butter
dash cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all wet ingredients and add dry ingredients to mixture. Place muffin liners in muffin pan and fill liners atleast 3/4 full. Prepare streusel by cutting butter into the remaining topping mixture. Cover each muffin with streusel topping. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, allow to cool and enjoy! :)

Makes one dozen muffins.

Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Bars.

It's been a while since I posted something sweet. I think these bars will make up for it. I promise that they will not disappoint. I really don't think it gets better than this - chocolate? check! caramel? check! oatmeal? check! They are phenomenal! And they come together quick and easy!

Chocolate Caramel Oatmeal Bars.

(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)

2 cups flour

1 3/4 cups oatmeal

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter (melted)

1 package caramels (unwrapped)

1/3 teaspoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add melted butter and mix until crumbly. Reserve two cups for topping and press remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Melt caramel with milk - on the stove or in the microwave. Melt/stir until mixture is smooth. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir again.

Sprinkle 1 cup of chips over the crust. Cover with melted caramel mixture. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture and top with the rest of the chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool. Lift bars out with parchment paper and cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

ENJOY!!!

JOYful Pancakes.

Baker extraordinaire, Joy the Baker, recently shared a recipe for Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes. These little gems are amazing! She posted them on the 17th; today is the 28th and I've already made them twice.

Below is Joy's recipe with commentary on how I added my personal touch to the pancakes.

Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes
makes loads of pancakes, enough for four people
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
heaping 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar (if you like sweet, go with 2 HEAPING tablespoons)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
healthy pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
2 cups buttermilk (once I used "sour milk" - milk with lemon juice; second time I used buttermilk...I think either will do just fine!)
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (in my sweet madness I used 2 tablespoons)
4 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup golden raisins (I opted for no raisins, but plan to incorporate my homemade chunky applesauce the next time I make these. I am also considering adding blueberries or craisins. I also have an urge to put some butterscotch chips in there, but that might make them too sweet??)
oil or cooking spray (for cooking)

Step 1: In a large bowl beat eggs. Add buttermilk, butter , maple syrup and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Mix well until mostly smooth. Fold in raisins and let batter set for a few minutes.

Step 2: Heat griddle or pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pan or spray with cooking spray. You can test to see if the pan is hot enough by adding a few drops of water, when the drops start to dance its hot enough.

Step 3: Pour 2 Tablespoons of batter onto the griddle. Cook on the first side until bubbles that form start to pop. You can also gently lift up the pancake to make sure the bottom is not overcooking, if it is the pan may be too hot and you will need to adjust the heat. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is gone.

Let cooked pancakes rest on a heat proof plate in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.