Caramel Nut Bars

http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2013/07/05.shtml

Well...early into the kitchen to fire up the oven before the humidity and heat affect the comfort zone of an air conditioned house. It has been wicked hot here, and never having been much of a hot weather kind of person, I figured I had better get these bars done in the cool of the morning.

I have to say, I LOVE salty and sweet. My Mister does as well, but he is off in the Pacific somewhere for 6 weeks, I know not exactly the location, but we have some contact still. He called yesterday and asked if I had made these bars yet, because he loves that combination as much as I. The Supremes are missing out as well, because I will not be going south to the office to share these. But I have two hungry boys next door, off for summer vacation, and I know they will be more than willing to step up to Supreme status and eat these.

My potato masher comes in handy for lots of things, and this is one of them. I did warm the butter a bit, and after blending the flour and brown sugar, this handy kitchen utensil made short work of incorporating the butter.

I did make one substitution, using agave syrup for the corn syrup, because we stay away from corn based sweeteners. The conversion was to halve the amount of corn syrup with agave. It worked just fine, and for two boys next door, 10 and 13, they will never know!

I wondered if there was going to be enough of the topping to cover, (my more-is-better sensibilities kicking in), but there was plenty to cover the crust and peanuts, so I need to stop imposing my thoughts on what is already a great recipe. Mrs. Sundberg said any type of nuts were fine, and I think when the Mr. is back home, I will do this again, using a mix of cashews, almonds and walnuts. Mmm.

They are cooling now, and when I can cut them up, I will deliver them next door and report back on the comments from the Junior Supremes.

Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg.  :-)

Apple Spice Dump Cake

Recipe: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2013/01/24.shtml

I had a serious crave for dessert, and when I made this, I knew I was in T.R.O.U.B.L.E. My Mr. is on work travel, so there is no one in the house but me. This recipe and a container of vanilla bean ice cream would have meant three meals a day of it. Seriously. It is that good. And I agree with Mrs. Sundberg, canned pie filling might not be as good as homemade, but it really didn't seem to matter with this. I used the store brand, because it was the only kind of apple they had, and to my surprise, when I opened the cans, there were big slices of apple, all the way to the top. Not mostly the goo, like I had expected, but thick, whole slices. It was labeled 'spiced apple', but since it was the only choice I got it anyway, and added the full amount of spices in the recipe. It was full of spice flavors, but I liked it that way. The allspice was right there in the flavors, but I like allspice, so it wasn't overwhelming. And the pecans gave it a bit of sweetness, and after baking, they were crisp and flavorful. 

Thank goodness for neighbors! I shared it with Julia and her gang. She said, "delicious!" Going to have to make this again when the Mr. gets home.

Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg.  :-) 

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Recipe: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2013/01/02.shtml

I have made this before. It is a recipe that has been around a while, I first found it in a recipe book that a friend's daughter was selling as a fundraiser for her school, when I  lived in West Virginia. Cook books that are from schools or churches seem to have the best recipes, because everyone seems to want to show their skills in the kitchen. I have found that they always seem to have the best variety of dishes to try. I actually look for handwritten books/journals/bags of recipes when I go to antique shops, or second hand stores. I have a zip bag of hand written recipes and notes from a dear, unknown woman. She added her personal thoughts to dishes, changed some things out, and generally let me know through her writings that she loved being in the kitchen. I like her. Even though I don't know her name, I like her.

Anyway...this was the last piece. I shared it with neighbors, and it is gone. I added some thawed out dark sweet cherries on the plate, just because I like them, but the cherry chocolate goodness comes through. The almond extract helps them along, and chocolate and cherry together is a delicious way to enjoy a cup of coffee. This makes a great breakfast!

Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg.  :-)

Cranberry Macadamia Nut Cookies

Recipe: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/12/12.shtml

Delicious! These are a real treat with ginger tea in the late afternoon. I love cranberries, in cookies, breads, and anything to do with Christmas. When baking, I 'helped' these into a triangle shape, and placed them close together, in a pan with an edge to it, so they would turn out more like a scone. I have to say, the white chocolate, while not a favorite of mine, was a nice surprise in these. It place of the suggested orange extract, I opted for grated orange rind. I do like cranberry and orange together. If this recipe had called for any liquid, I would probably have replaced that with orange juice as well. It's one of those holiday combinations that I love. Next batch will be going to friends with nut allergies, so the macadamia nuts will be absent. But I highly recommend this. It is great at the end of the day...put the water on to boil, you'll want some tea with these.

Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg.  :-)

Apple Pie Cake

Recipe: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/09/26.shtml


This cake was wonderful! Sadly, my Mr. wasn't here to try it. He is away on work travel, having experienced an earthquake, and now a typhoon, which might send all ships out to the ocean to ride out the storm. This trip for him has been trying and he wants to be home. So telling him about this week's recipe didn't help much.

I had three Honey Crisp, and two Fuji, and that is what I used. Any baking apple would do for this, Granny Smith being the usual choice, but I encourage you to experiment with different kinds. Apple flavor comes through with many varieties, so try your favorite.

I did share some with my neighbor Julia and her family. She said I was spoiling her, but keeping it in the house would mean I would be tasting it every day. And I did anyway. It was great with coffee, and mid afternoon also was a good time to have a piece. Her family liked it, and wants the recipe.

I did sprinkle more cinnamon on top, because it's good for us, and we like the taste of it. I also made the trip to the Mr.'s office today to take his laptop for shipping back for a new logic board, and I took the two Supremes each a generous portion of this, because they are staying there, holding the line on missile defense work. They groaned in anticipation, and saying they would have it in the morning with coffee. I didn't get a photo of it after baking, and it's all gone now, so you will have to bake your own to see how wonderful it looks, and how wonderful it tastes.

Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg.  :-)

Seven Layer Bars

Recipe: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/09/18.shtml

Something that strikes me is regional names for things. In Ohio I don't remember too many sweet, cookie-like recipes being called Bars. It's like the question I asked Mrs. Sundberg about the first recipe of hers I made, called Blueberry Raspberry Buckle. I had never heard that before, but it described exactly what the batter mixture did as it baked. I like the regional names that come with things like recipes. Especially recipes from years ago, that seem to reflect the literal about the dish. Seven Layer Bars makes perfect sense with this. It is layers of goodness, that, well, has a combination of things that taste good together. The Salted Caramel Chocolate Bars was one that I knew would be hard to beat, but this one is right up there with it. This one might have been good with some sea salt sprinkled across the chocolate and butterscotch chips before the coconut and sweetened condensed milk were added.

I didn't have the pan that it called for, a 9x13x2, so I made it in a 9x9 pan. A little thicker, but I just cut the bars a little smaller. I got 16 out of that size pan, and it was an ample portion because of how rich they were.

I didn't have my Supremes to taste test for me this time. My Mr. is away on work travel, over the international date line, where right now at 9:30 on my Monday evening, it's already tomorrow where he is. My daughter-in-law commented one other time when he did that kind of travel, that he should be able to send me the winning lottery numbers, and that sounded like a good idea to me!

I know the other two ballistic missile men will be in withdrawal since they won't be tasting anything for a month, but there's work to be done and my man is out there doing what he does best. I promised him that I would remake this when he gets back home.

I did, however, have two neighbor boys, Michael, 12, and Gabe, 11, step in for the Supremes. They were more than happy to take six of these off my hands and they were gone, except for saving one for Gabe's mom. I love giving treats to them. They are great young men, and I'm glad to know them both.

The recipe ingredients called for almonds, the instructions said pecans, and when I went to the store to get the things I needed, I forgot my nuts! :-) So I had walnuts in the freezer, and used them, and they were fine. I asked Mrs. Sundberg about it, and she said any kind would work. I think even chopped peanuts would be good...and then there's always cashews.

You can't go wrong with these. Easy to mix up and bake, and they taste great. 

Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg.  :-)

Three-Berry Refrigerator Cake

Recipe: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/09/11.shtml

Well, well, well. Not even bed time yet, and I have managed to get the last recipe done, and boy oh boy, is it looking good! The Supremes asked the Mr. if I had done anything for them to taste test lately. One won't be there tomorrow, but the other two will have no problem eating his share. I think they are getting used to a weekly treat, so when Mrs. Sundberg's recipe isn't a sweet one, I send one of my own along. Didn't take all that long to spoil them.

I did use a frozen pound cake, but whipped heavy whipping cream to mix in with the pudding and to top it with. I liked the idea of brushing the cake with orange juice. I think when it has had time to set, it will soften the cake a little and just add to the creamy, richness of it. It's sitting in the fridge now, and it won't be tasted until tomorrow, but it already looks good.

The loaf pan that I had was larger than the cake, but that just meant that the pudding/whipped cream/fruit mixture would have to be spread out to fill the gap. And there really was plenty of filling. Just more goodness to eat is my way of thinking. I had strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, but a lot of other fruits would do. Peach comes to mind as a possibility next time.

I will amend this post when I hear from the two taste testers tomorrow. The third one will be told in great detail about what he missed when he comes in on Monday.

They loved this and the salsa, and for a brief moment, discussed salsa on this cake. Men.

Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg.  :-)

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Bars

Recipe: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/08/22.shtml

I'll say right away that chocolate, caramel and a bit o' salt is a great combination of flavors. I have always enjoyed sweet and salty, but putting chocolate in the mix kicked this into delicious for me. I heard a long time ago, that if you want something sweet, find the very best, and enjoy a reasonable amount of it. I have tried eating a substitution for what I really wanted, and was not sated. So now if I want chocolate, I get exactly what I want...usually dark chocolate, about 60% cacao works. The recipe didn't specify dark or milk, so I used dark because I like it. Plus dark chocolate is good for our heart, brain, contains antioxidants, theobromine—which hardens tooth enamel, has vitamins and minerals, and helps control blood sugar. Like I needed a reason to eat dark chocolate.

This called for two delicious teaspoons of vanilla, and it won't be long before I have to make more. 3 vanilla beans, split, scraped, and everything put into some vodka has given me the best vanilla to add to recipes. I don't think I will ever buy commercial vanilla again. I am on the hunt for unusual vanilla beans to make the next batch.

I used crystalline sea salt because that's what I had, but I did a little looking around online, and even though salt is mostly salt, there crystalline, flaked, sea, rock, himalayan....and it goes on. Sea salt mostly comes from Portugal to Maine and California to the Pacific Rim. Having finished the baking of these, I would say that next time, and there WILL be a next time, I will use a little more salt. I like that little burst that comes mixed in with the sweetness of these, and there wasn't quite enough.

The Mr. is home for a dentist app't. so armed with a cup of coffee, he unwrapped the caramels for me. Ended up being 10.4 oz, but I think one or two for the part that stuck to the bowl was about right.

Dividing the dough, more specifically, spreading the second half on top of the melted caramel took a bit of patience. I am more of a drop and plop sort of cook, and I had to work a little with these to get the caramel covered. As you can see, the middle was a little thin. But the dough raised up over it and they turned out fine.

They sank a little in the middle as they cooled, and are a little soft in the center, but I think they will set up fine. Two pieces later, this recipe is going in the file, and will be made again and again. And yes, ice cream would be good with it, but it is fine just as it is, naked straight out of the pan.

The rest of them are going to a meeting tomorrow where the Supremes and 5 other ballistic missile people will be my unknowing taste testers. The missile stuff may be top secret, but any remarks on this deliciousness is coming straight back to the cook! 

Thank you Mrs. Sundberg. :-)

Berry Cobbler

The recipe: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/08/13.shtml

Well, I am two recipes behind and sorry for the slip. It has been an interesting week with my Mr. having some back problems. I became his arms and legs, when something as simple as bending down to pick up his phone proved to be more than he could do for a couple of days.

But he's back at work today...yay! I have made the cobbler, and the salted caramel chocolate chip bars will be done tomorrow. The house smells wonderful and there's warm cobbler on the counter for dessert tonight. With 3 scoops of it reserved for the Supremes tomorrow. They have been so good to volunteer to be my taste testers.

This is a rich batter with the butter and sugar, but how can you have a good dessert without richness. It's all in the portion control. Something that I am pretty good at, but every so often, the spoon slips a little.

I knew when I read the recipe and saw almond extract that this was going to be cherry and not blueberry. The Mr. will eat blueberries when they are cooked in something, but this needed cherries. He was happy with that, and the pie filling that I get has a LOT of cherries in it. Not like some that is mostly the filling...what is that called anyway? Cherry goop, cherry sauce? Well, there is less of that and more of the cherries, and that's okay by me.

Letting the butter soften makes this first step much easier, but that is cooking 101 for most folks. Folding in the flour/baking powder mixture is easy after the addition of 4 eggs to the butter and sugar. (I told you it was rich.)

The directions said to spoon the pie filling on top of the cake mixture in 16 evenly spaced dollops. Well my puddles ran together a little, and there were so many cherries in that can, that I just let them run in to each other, figuring that the end product would be better for it. I was right.

I have no photos to judge the end product by, so what you see is what I got. However, there is a spoonful missing from the lower right corner, and although I wouldn't call it a cobbler so much because of the cake-y texture, I can call it delicious. The Supremes are eager to get their test containers tomorrow in between Ballistic Missile business.

Thank you Mrs. Sundberg.  :-)

Blueberry Raspberry Buckle

Find the recipe here: http://www.publicradio.org/columns/prairiehome/sundberg/2012/07/09.shtml

Well, it took a few stops to find whole wheat pastry flour, but Whole Foods® has never let me down. That store is wicked. So seductive in the way it's laid out, the smells that greet you when you walk in the door. And the array of samples that tempt you to cram your list into your pocket, and shop by the seat of your pants. I got out of there for under $50, and I consider that trip a success!

In the discussion of how this dessert got its name, I asked Mrs. Sundberg why it was called a 'buckle'. Her reply: "I did a bit of research once on Bettys, buckles, crumbles, pandowdies and slumps. Seems 'buckle' describes what the streusel-like topping looks as if its doing: buckling. Seriously." She also added: " 'Grunt' is one of my favorites. It's a dumpling-like pudding made on top of the stove, generally using local fruits. The name came from the east coast states and is the sound that the berries make as they cook."

She does her homework and knows more about food than just cooking it. There's a little history involved, and I like that. I've noticed that recipe names sometimes express the literal, along with quaint, regional names that reflect the maker, or the area from which it originates. Sort of a glimpse back in time. Simpler, less hectic, although it probably felt as frantic then as it does now, to the people who were living it.

Anyway, this recipe calls for fresh raspberries and blueberries, mine came from California, via Whole Foods®. I would like to say that I went into rural Virginia and picked them myself, but the outdoors and I don't always get along, plus being 20 miles from D.C., I would probably have to drive a while. The good news is that raspberries are full of good-for-you things like B vitamins, vitamin K, fiber and minerals, while blueberries are among the highest anti-oxidant fruits, with soluble dietary fiber, and many vitamins and minerals as well. Raspberries have European roots while blueberries are native to North America. I didn't know that.

We experimented with making our own vanilla a few years ago. We got a small bottle of vodka, split 3 vanilla beans, scraped the seeds out, and put them and the pods in the bottle. This one has been perking for almost 4 years, and it is SO good. It's almost time to buy more vodka.

My Mr. wanted vanilla ice cream to go with this, so I made a go-to recipe that is EASY.
2 cups heavy whipping cream
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
Whatever flavors you want, added to the milk
(This batch was 1 TBS vanilla, 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out and added to the milk)
Whip the cream until fairly stiff peaks form, fold in the milk mixture, and place in a lidded container and freeze 4-6 hours. That's it. I have also made Lime ice cream, adding the juice of 4 limes and 2 TBS of zest, and Coffee ice cream, adding 4 shots of espresso and some ground up coffee beans. Even I couldn't mess this one up. This ice cream is the 'one scoop, every once in a while' kind. It's a heavy, creamy kind that will satisfy without overdoing it. The Lime was good sandwiched between two ginger cookies and frozen, and the Coffee was good between two Dutch cocoa cookies.

 I like the fact that this recipe used fresh, seasonal fruit. I had frozen blueberries, but my goal is to follow Mrs. Sundberg's recipe to the letter. I have a bad habit of flinging other things into recipes, and if it isn't as good as I'd like, I have to figure out where I went wrong, so no straying from the original here. If someone's going to mess it up, it won't be me!

So now there is a hole in the middle of the dessert, and a fork laying on the counter. My Mr. decided to take a bite. He pronounced it delicious. We both had a helping with the ice cream, and it was wonderful. The berries held their shape, they were bright and flavorful, and that hint of nutmeg was excellent!

BUCKLE. Oh it buckled alright. Like hot Georgia asphalt. Thank you, Mrs. Sundberg. :-)