Pumpkin Spice Crispy Treats

4 out of 5 children will not eat these treats. In fact, those same 4 out of 5 children will sit about whining loudly that they are absolutely starving to death while these cereal bars sit on festive plates directly in front of them, forcing you to make two big bowls of popcorn so these same 4 out of 5 children won’t keel over from extreme after school hunger.

The fifth child will actually eat these bars and not complain. As for the adults, they'll enjoy the fall themed flavor variety of these classic cereal bars and grab a second one.

Not the 4 out of 5 children however. When asking the 4 out of 5 children why they detest these blameless bars they’ll tell you “because they’re different”, and a couple of them will even be too scared to try a taste.

Change is difficult. I’ll give them a few years.

Pumpkin Spice Crispy Treats
Candy corns are cute, but definitely optional. Print Version.

1/4 cup butter
10 ounce bag Jet-Puffed Pumpkin Spice Mallows
6 cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup caramel or plain candy corn

Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; lightly grease foil.

Microwave butter in large microwaveable bowl on high 45 seconds, or until melted. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes, or until marshmallows are completely melted, stirring after 45 seconds. Add cereal, mix well. Press cereal mixture firmly onto bottom of prepared pan and press candy corns lightly into top of cereal bars.

Remove cereal mixture from pan, using foil handles. Cut into squares.

Recipe from back of Kraft Jet-Puffed package. Pictures by Laura Flowers.

Meyer Lemon Bars & No, I'm Not a Little Jealous

SXSW is going on down here in Austin. That means thousands of artists, writers, film people, musicians and foodies of all types are here learning like crazy.

Except me. I’m here without one of those thousand plus dollar tickets.

Ah, but that’s fine for this year. I’m enjoying it all vicariously for free through the local newspaper and bands playing in bars and on sidewalks. I have to admit, I’m a touch jealous. Alright, I'm insanely jealous. There are some very cool food blogger topics I don’t get to be a part of. Plus, there’s a secret dinner in a secret location with secret chefs I'm dying to go to.

No dice. Not this year. However, as tickets are way cheaper ahead of time I’ll be in the middle of the action next year, absorbing into my brain everything there is to learn.

Instead, I’m on vacation and I love Austin. Fresh amazing food, cool city and lots of art type people who play outside all the time. It feels like I fit right in for a change. At home I’m sort of the foodie-artist-photographer-oddball.

Maybe I was Texan in a past life.

These lemon bars come from the talented multitasker medical student by day, amazing cook by night Joanne from Eats Well With Others. She adapted them from Smitten Kitchen. I didn’t adapt them at all. They were thick and luscious without my help.

Unfortunately they were so thick and lemony and luscious, I had to hide the batch in my refrigerator behind bottles of beer and hot sauce. Refusing to eat the pan by myself, I repeated over and over, “There are no lemon bars in the fridge”.

It didn’t work. However, I did leave town before they were gone. So in a way, I won.

Meyer Lemon Bars
Printer Version
Remember to bake the crust first. I nearly screwed up that part. Of course, I also had a lot of packing on my mind. I'm sure you'll do better than me and read the instructions first. Right?

For the crust:
1/2 lb butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 tsp kosher salt

For the filling:
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp Meyer lemon zest
1 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (or regular lemon juice)
1 cup flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

2. For the crust, cream together the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter and beat just until mixed. Put the dough on a well-floured board and form into a ball. With floured hands, flatten the dough into the baking pan. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.

3. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack.

4. For the lemon layer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into squares or triangles. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Makes 24 bars.

Recipe via Joanne from Eats Well With Others. Adapted from Smitten Kitchen. Picture by Laura Flowers.
Tweet

Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars

Man, this head cold has robbed me of my brain cells. I sit down to do something and can’t remember what it was. By the time I remember, I’m up and running to grab a tissue. When I return to my computer I can’t remember what I’m supposed to be doing again!

Since my brain seems to be taking a (hopefully short) hiatus, today’s recipe is one I’ve been meaning to share for awhile.

Wait, what was I doing? And where are my pants? Excuse me, I need another tissue.

Gingerbread Cheesecake Bars
Printer Version
I can’t resist collecting those little holiday cookie pamphlets at the end caps of grocery stores. This recipe happens to come from one of my favorites, the 2008 issue of "Holiday Cookies".

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar, divided
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3/4 cups molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.

For Cheesecake Layer:
Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg, vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon ginger; beat until well blended and smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For Gingerbread Layer:
Beat butter and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses and 2 eggs; beat until well blended.

Combine flour, baking soda, 1 teaspoon ginger, cinnamon, salt and allspice in a medium bowl.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat until just blended. Spread batter evenly in pan. Top with cream cheese mixture. Swirl in the cream cheese with a knife until the gingerbread mixture starts to show through.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.

Recipe from "Holiday Cookies", published by PIL 2008. Picture by Laura Flowers.

ButterYum’s Vanilla Nut or Honey Nut Bars

Patricia calls these little gems Vanilla Nut Bars because she uses Lyell’s Golden Syrup. I dubbed them Honey Nut, as I need to finish up a five gallon bucket of honey (long story). Either would work well I think, that’s up to you.

I love my friend Patricia from ButterYum, and not just because we both survived our teenage years slaving away at McDonald's. If you don’t know her, she lives up to her blog name and when I want something really sinful, I head over to her site. Patricia’s unapologetic use of butter in this recipe makes my kitchen smell like a mix between a bakery and a caramel popcorn factory. If only I could bottle that scent, I’d be off floating on a yacht in paradise.

ButterYum's Vanilla Nut/Honey Nut Bars

Printer Version

Makes one 9x13 pan

Crust:

2 1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of Fine sea salt



Filling:
1/2 pound (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1/2 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup (or honey)

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 pound chopped nuts (I used almonds and pecans)

Preheat oven to 350F. Make the crust by combining the softened butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle or BeaterBlade attachment (LOVE my BeaterBlade) - mix for 3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the butter/sugar mixture on low speed just until all the ingredients are completely incorporated. Using well floured hands, press dough into ungreased 9x13 metal cake pan or lined 9x13 quarter sheet pan (see notes below). Bake crust for 15 minutes. Cool. Make the filling.



To make the filling - combine the butter, honey, and brown sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils; continue to boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream, vanilla, and chopped nuts. Pour mixture over the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool until set. Cut and serve!



**Lyle's Golden Syrup is an all natural sugar cane syrup imported from England - it has an addictive caramel-like flavor and I absolutely love it. It can be used interchangeably in any recipe that calls for honey. I've been finding it more easily at grocery stores lately, so have a look around and pick some up.



Notes - if baking in a sheet pan, build up the edges a bit with foil to catch any possible spills. A double recipe will fit in one half sheet pan or two 9x13 cake pans.

Recipe by Patricia at ButterYum.

Cran-Raspberry Cookie Sticks with Dark Chocolate Chunks

The name is lame. I need a better one to describe this chewy black raspberry perfumed treat loaded with raspberry flavored cranberries and dark chocolate chips. I’m out of ideas today and sadly out of cookies.

This cookie came to be because I’d left out my Chambord after making watermelon pops. It feels like I make a lot of cookies with this favorite black raspberry liqueur. I can't help it. I love the way it perfumes dough and works as a beautiful extract.

After college I worked in a bar for awhile and began my crash course in the different alcohols and how they worked together in cocktails. Recipes really. At some point I realized if they work in drinks why not in food? In baking? In ice cream? In popsicles? Alcohol and liquors add a dimension to all of these things and it doesn’t take much.

Speaking of recipes, I collected an armful of Redroot Pigweed from the organic farm yesterday. We were hoeing it out of a field to plant the last batch of carrots when Professor Jodi told me pigweed is edible. (That's my shadow on the left taking pictures and Jodi's on the right filling my brain with pigweed facts.)

Jodi said pigweed comes from the Amaranth family so I’m figuring it has to be safe. It has a slightly bitter scent that reminds me of red leaf lettuce, but I have no idea what I’m going to do with it.

Do you have any recipe suggestions for pigweed? I’d like to do something creative and fun with it. I might not get another chance at organic pigweed plants. Although I bet my neighbors and friends would gladly share their heavily sprayed ones!


Cran-Raspberry Cookie Sticks with Dark Chocolate Chunks

Printer Version

The Chambord perfumes the dough but you can skip it if you prefer, they won’t be quite the same but should still be good.

1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup cran-raspberries (found in the bulk section)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tablespoon Chambord liqueur (black raspberry liqueur)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8”x 8” baking pan with foil.

2. Toss together 1 tablespoon flour, chocolate chips and cran-raspberries. Set aside.

3. In a mixer beat together the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, Chambord, vanilla extract and salt until well mixed. Mix in the baking soda then add 1 cup of flour and beat until just combined. Mix in the chocolate chips and cran-raspberries.

4. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool in the pan.

5. For easy cutting: Freeze bars in the pan for 25 to 30 minutes. Lift cookies out by the foil and gently peel off foil. Place cookies on a cutting board. With a large sharp knife cut the square in half, and then cut each half into 8 strips.

Makes 16 cookie sticks.

Recipe & photograph by Laura Flowers.

Banana Split Bars and Nervous Store Clerks

One of these days I’m going to be tossed out of my local grocery store. They think I’m mad in there. Crazy. Insane. The lady who stands staring at ice cream toppings for 30 minutes looking like she's lost her mind.

My muse is the grocery store, much to the dismay of nervous checkers and clerks. Someday I’ll tell them I’m just brainstorming another cookie idea. Someday. For now it’s more fun to make them fidget and look at me nervously.

They’d change their not-so-secret opinions about me if they tasted these banana split bars. Though, after all these years they’d probably be too nervous to eat anything I baked.

Banana Split Bars

(Printer Version)
2/3rds of a (14.4 ounce) box Chocolate Graham Crackers
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1 (5.1 ounce) box Jell-O banana cream instant pudding
2 eggs
2 (8 ounce) boxes full fat cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons strawberry sundae syrup
½ (12 ounce) jar pineapple topping
1/3 cup salted peanuts, chopped

1. Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Crush Graham crackers in a bag with the back of a spoon until crackers are crushed, but not uniform in size. Don’t do this in a food processor. Place cracker crumbs in a bowl and mix with melted butter.

3. Set aside ½ cup for topping and press the rest of the crushed crackers into the pan. Bake for 5 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, beat together Jell-O, eggs, cream cheese, milk, vanilla extract and salt slowly until mixed. Then beat on medium high for 4 minutes. Pour mixture over hot crumb base.

5. Swirl in strawberry sundae topping and pineapple topping. Sprinkle with remaining cracker crumbs then lastly top with peanuts.

6. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. For easier cutting freeze bars in the pan, then pull out by the foil and peel it off, cut off the very ends, and cut into strips and then into squares.

Recipe and photograph by Laura Flowers.

P.S. The weekly post for Clara’s Cold Lunch Corner is over for now. School is coming to a close and I’m repeating lunches. I’ll likely post it periodically as I collect new ideas so don’t give up on it yet please!

Oatmeal Caramel Squares with Salted Cashews and M&M’s

I want to get rid of the excess Halloween candy around here before the next round of holiday treats hits. Who wants to celebrate Hallogivingxmasvtines Day? Ok honestly, it might be fun to throw a crazy party in March with all the accumulated garbage. I could start a new tradition!

Here I topped plain oatmeal blondies with melted caramels, salted cashews and M&M’s and sent them to work with my husband. Salted cashews and oatmeal must have justified them as healthy enough for consumption, because they disappeared in a hurry.

Ingredients
2/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) bag Kraft Caramels, unwrapped
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup salted cashews, divided
3/4 cup M&M’s Milk Chocolate Candies

Ingredients
1. Line a 9x9 inch pan with foil and preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center position.

2. In a bowl or stand mixer mix together the butter and brown sugar. Then add baking soda and salt and stir in. Add the oatmeal and mix to combine. Lastly, add the flour and mix until just combined.

3. Spread the mixture into the pan and even out.

4. Bake for 22 minutes. While the bars are baking, microwave the caramels with 2 Tablespoons water and 1 Tablespoon butter stirring every minute or two until melted.

5. When the bars come out of the oven immediately top with melted caramel, salted cashews, and M&M’s.

6. Bake for 5 more minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan placed on a cooling rack.

Recipe by Laura Flowers

Impatiently Waiting for Summer Cherry Crumble Bars

While cherry season is still three months away I am craving the fresh fruit of summer. These pretty bars help sustain me until the day I can finally eat glorious plump cherries fresh off a tree.

Cookie base and topping
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup almond paste (not marzipan)
1/4th teaspoon almond extract
1 stick (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
½ cup sliced almonds (Reserve for topping)

Filling
2 cups frozen cherries
3/4th cups sugar
3 Tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
Pinch of salt

Icing
1/3 cup powdered sugar or more if needed, whisked or sifted
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1/4th teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch square pan with foil and grease lightly with vegetable or olive oil.

In a food processor add flour, sugar, salt and baking powder and process to fluff and combine. Add almond paste and almond extract and pulse to combine. Add cold butter pieces and pulse until crumbly. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside for topping.

Put the rest of the mixture into the pan, spread out evenly, and press with the bottom of a measuring cup to make a crust. Bake for 15-17 minutes until crust starts to brown slightly around the edges. Remove and leave the oven on.

Meanwhile dump all the filling ingredients into a saucepan and cook on medium high heat until thickened some and translucent. About 8 to 10 minutes. Spread the filling over the crust.

Sprinkle the top with the reserved crumb mixture and top with the sliced almonds. Bake for about 28 to 30 minutes or until the filling bubbles and the top is golden. Let cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack.

Whisk or beat the icing ingredients together, drizzle over bars.

Hint: To easily remove bars from the pan freeze for 30 minutes and lift out by the foil edges. Peel off foil and cut into squares or diamonds.

Recipe by Laura Flowers