Pecan Shortbread Square Bars

Wow, welcome back to my blog. I have been on quite a hiatus on this blog but it does not mean that I have not been baking...okay, kinda. I had gotten to a point where I baked a great deal and I knew what I liked. When it came to baking, I knew what I liked and developed a list of go-to recipes.

As of late, I have been regaining a baking itch of exploring and trying new recipes. My inspiration to try this recipe came from a charge to create a dessert that did not include chocolate. Additionally, I recently visited Rock Springs Cafe in Phoenix, AZ who are notorious from their pies. I am not a huge fan of pie so I questioned how good this pie could actually be. Well, I was taught how great pie should taste. My favorite type of pie has always been pecan pie and Rock Springs made a fine pecan pie.

As I was searching for pecan bar recipes, I was looking for a high pecan ratio. In filtered recipes by the pictures (we know we all do it). I came across the recipe from Once Upon a Chef and I immediately committed to trying this recipe...it was one of the best decisions I have made in my life. I rarely find recipes that do not use Karo syrup and it was just divine...the crust and the filling! If you have never been a believer in pecan bars, this is a MUST!

Healthy Banana Bread

Greetings! I have not posted on this blog for a long time. In the past year, I have gotten away from baking. It is not that I have cut baking out in its entirety, it is just that I have been baking the same few items. In my schedule, I have limited time so I end up baking what I know...or have memorized. During this time away from baking, I have eaten healthier and increased the amount of vegetables and grains in my diet. I limited my baked good intake, although I indulged in chocolate, cheesecake, and ice cream.

The gap of time has made me sad because baking is something that I enjoy and that I am truly passionate about. Today, I was inspired to bake something new and that is what I am sharing today! I made a healthier version of banana bread. I took a spin on my original banana bread recipe found on this blog. I added wheat flour, flaxseeds, and limited the fat and sugar in the recipe. The modifications with keep you fuller longer but also give more nutrients. Flaxseeds can reduce heart diseases. Whole flour provides more fiber in the diet. When it comes to sugar, manufacturers are overloading food products with sugar. Many people are unaware of how many products contain sugar and the high amounts found in food products. Reducing fat and sugar in this recipe will help reduce the overall amount of sugar fat in our already sugar latent diets.

 Let's jump into the recipe, shall we?

Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Cookies

 

My latest sweet obsession has been sea salt caramel. It all started with an unplanned purchase of Ben and Jerry's Salted Caramel Core at Target. Yes, I am a constant victim of unplanned Target purchases. After I finished my Ben and Jerry's ice cream, I had the inspiration to try different sea salt caramel ice creams to see if there was something better. Who was I kidding? Nothing beats Ben and Jerry's Salted Caramel Core. Save yourself the effort of trying different brands and just stick with Ben and Jerry's. If I am not in the mood for ice cream, I am in the mood for cookies. I had a coworker make these cookies for work and I immediately searched for the recipe. If you try to make these cookies, make sure you have someone to make them for, or else, you will end of eating all of them yourself...unless yourself is your intended audience. In that case, no judgement here *wink*.

Eli's Chicago-Style Cheesecake (copycat)

I'm a Midwest girl and one of my favorite Chicago eats is Eli's Cheesecake. I grew up on this cheesecake so it set my standard pretty high in terms of cheesecake expectations.

How do I describe Eli's Chicago-style cheesecake? It the simplest form, it's denser and richer than most types of cheesecakes. The taste is quite unique and I can't think of another type of cheesecake that can compare. Another thing that makes Eli's cheesecakes so unique is the shortbread crust! Cheesecake + shortbread = winning!

In the past couple of years, I have really grown an infatuation for cheesecake but nothing really hits the spot like Eli's. So, I set out on a pursuit for a homemade Eli's cheesecake recipe...and I did! I knew it had to be close to the real thing because one time, I looked on a box of Eli's cheesecake recipe and wrote down the ingredients. I was surprised to find sour cream to be in the recipe. When I came across this recipe from The Zen Kitchen, I saw sour cream listed as an ingredient. I actually found this recipe years ago but as odd as it seems, I was a little terrified that I would just be disappointed. That, and the fact that I had never made a cheesecake before. I decided to face my fears and try, and good thing that I did!

This recipe hit so close to home, no pun intended. While it was a lot of work, it was a complete success and most definitely worth the time. I made my own homemade sea salt caramel (recipe not included) and it was the perfect icing on the (cheese) cake!

Give this a try and you'll never want to eat any other cheesecake! You've been warned! To The Zen Kitchen, thank you for being brilliant!

Apple Cheesecake Cookie Bars

I am a big fan of making classics with a twist. I can't define what classic this recipe resembles because I feel it is a culmination of multiple desserts: oatmeal cookie, apple pie, and cheesecake. Regardless, the dessert is delicious so if you're looking to try something new or with a twist, look no further! This dessert as classified as a bar but requires more than your typical bar dessert. This recipe is essentially an oatmeal cookie with a sweetened cream cheese layer, an apple filling, topped with more oatmeal cookie. Irresistible sounding, I know!

You can choose to make your own oatmeal cookie batter and apple pie filling or to buy packaged or canned version. While I like a shortcut every once in awhile, I like to make as much as I can from scratch. I compromised in this recipe and only used canned apple pie filling, which I was skeptical to use - not as bad as I thought but would prefer to make my own. However, to make a dessert on a zip, I know I can count on this recipe!

Secretly Healthy Chocolate Muffins

Happy 2014! It's time to get back into the blogging swing of things. What better way to start the year than with a recipe that promotes healthy and mindful eating. The greatest thing about this recipe is that while it has the taste of a regular chocolate muffin, it is actually packed with nutrition to make this sweet treat into a nutrition powerhouse. These muffins are also low fat and make for an easy grab-and-go breakfast.

The only hint you get that these muffins are healthy is the texture. It is not as smooth as your typically muffin but that is because this recipe uses wheat bran, which has a rustic but soft texture. This is not a bad thing! In fact, it gives the muffin a textural contrast.

The batter is slightly sweet but can be easily modified by altering the amount of chocolate chips. For me, 1/2 cup of chocolate chips of dark chocolate chips was just enough to give me bursts of sweetness as a I devoured my muffin!

Happy baking!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Flaxseed Cookies

I've decided to end my hiatus from blogging! I apologize to my followers for being MIA but sometimes life just gets atcha and you gotta roll with the punches! However, I am back and I ready to share some great recipes with you! Accept the above plate of cookies as my apology? The title may sound ridiculous and not appealing for a cookie but trust me, titles can be deceiving!

As most of you know, I'm all about a healthy recipe and this recipe is no different. On this Sunday afternoon, I decided I want to make something healthy but still satisfies the sweet tooth. A few weeks back, I went to this cute antique shop that baked fresh oatmeal cookies in the back. I heard good things about these cookies and bought one to try for myself. Needless to say, the cookie was delicious! Everything about the cookie screamed home! The smell reminded me of so many times I would walk around my house and smell fresh baked cookies in the oven. The cookie was soft and just enough sweetness to be considered an indulgence. Every since then, I've been inspired to make my own version of this delicious oatmeal cookie...with a healthy twist. This is the first time I've baked a cookie with whole wheat flour. Typically, I'll mix whole wheat and all-purpose flour because whole wheat flour tends to dry out baked goods but not this recipe. Also, I incorporated flax seed and some nuts to boost the nutritious value in this guilty of a pleasure called a cookie. Hey, at least this is better than a cookie that goes straight to your thighs!

The end product? Delicious and amazing cookies! didn't tell my brother the ingredients of the cookie because he refuses to eat any of my healthy baked goods. He ate the whole cookie...I think he's better off not knowing!