Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars - healthy vs unhealthy {recipe}

Baking was really popular for a while, with shows like the Great British Bake Off fuelling it's popularity. It's still popular, but not like it was because "clean eating" became the fad. It's the stupidest thing to call food "clean" because that is suggesting that other food is "dirty."

That might be okay when we describe going out for a dirty burger after a night out or a long day that calls for a food that literally could be dirty. I mean a burger topped with all the good stuff never all stays in the bun. 

But it's not okay to label every day food as clean/dirty, good/bad, guilt-free/guilty, healthy/unhealthy and so on. You may be surprised that I think it's a bad idea to label food as healthy or unhealthy, but it's all the same in your head if you are one of those people who punishes yourself for eating "bad" food. 

A lot of people, of various sizes, have unhealthy relationships with food. Because we are fed so much crap online across all media sources telling us in one article of a new miracle food that cures all and in the next telling us that same food is the cause of all that is wrong with the world. It's really hard to keep up. 

But the thing is we don't need to keep up. Because everyone is different our diets all vary. When it comes to baked goods like cake, cookies, brownies etc... they aren't unhealthy, they aren't bad, and they are certainly not dirty. 

They are exactly what they say they are and even more basic they are food. Plain and simple. 

I was cleaning out my cupboard and came across of a soon to expire bag of rolled oats and I scoured my cookbook collection for a recipe that I could use them up in and came across this one in Sally's Baking Addiction by Sally McKenney. It was adapted to suit what I had in my cupboards.

The reason I had a long rant about labelling food is because this one is inadvertently labelled as a nutrition bar. It could be compared I suppose, but why can't it just be what it is. Tasty. 

It's full of peanut butter and whatever you want to add: chocolate chips, raisins, dried apple, etc... 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

100g light brown sugar

265g smooth peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla paste

120g whole wheat flour

80g rolled oats

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

120ml milk

120-200g of chocolate chips, raisins or other dried fruit 

drizzle (optional) - 50g chocolate chips and 20g smooth peanut butter

Heat the oven to 170/180C (depending on your oven) or 350F - line an 8x8 square baking tin with grease proof paper so that some of it hangs over (easier to get out.) 

Beat the brown sugar and peanut butter together for about a minute until it's smooth, add the vanilla and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides and add the flour, oats, salt, and bicarb of soda give it a quick mix until it all comes together. Add the milk in a steady stream while beating on low, once it resembles a cookie dough fold in your choice of additions. (I used Whitworth's Mix n' Bake Choc Salted Caramel: dried apple, chocolate coated salted caramel, and sultanas. I bought it on sale for 93p.)

Dump it into the prepared tin and press down until even and then bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes depending again on your oven. When done it should be golden on top. Leave to cool in the tin before using the over hanging baking paper to remove. 

If making the drizzle on a low heat melt the chocolate and peanut butter together and put into a sandwich bag and cut the corner and drizzle across the slab in any way you want. Leave to set before cutting into squares. I cut mine to get 16, but you could cut them bigger to get 9 it's your life you decide! 

*Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction by Sally McKenney - my review of the book can be found here. There is this guy on instagram that I started following @unfattening who is just amazing at debunking all food related crap as I say and bollocks as he says. 

Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Bars {Curse Worker Trilogy: White Cat, Red Glove, and Black Heart by Holly Black}

"You're Only a Finger Tip Away from Another World." ~ The Curse Workers

My friend Missie and I have known each other some time and we've always liked the same things. We've always enjoyed the same TV shows, movies, and of course books. So, I was thrilled when she contacted me and asked me to be a part of her Bookies to Foodies week a couple years ago. I loved this recipe and I have been wanting to share it here with you now! 

I recently finished reading Holly Black’s Curse Worker Trilogy, having read White Cat a few years ago it was about time I read Red Glove and Black Heart. My only disappointment was not reading them sooner!

The Curse Worker Trilogy is about a young man named Cassel Sharpe. By-the-way I love Cassel!! He’s really an anti-hero, which is why I love him so much. He’s not the typical “good guy” even though he does try.

See he comes from a family of curse workers. People who can manipulate people’s emotions, change/steal memories, break people’s bones by just touching them and so on. There is a wide range of talent - some only being able to work little charms so to speak and those who have a talent that only comes along once in a generation like transformation. There are also those who do not have any talent at all. Cassel is one of those people. In a powerful family such as his he really is an odd one out.

With his mom in jail, his dad gone, and his brothers working for a big crime lord it only made sense for him to go away to a private school. It was the school food and more specifically school desserts that inspired these Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Bars!

In the Red Glove Cassel eats Cherry Crumble for dessert while dining in the school cafeteria. When I was at school and the rare occasions that I had a school dinner, I favored a packed lunch, I remember having dessert bars. So, a combination of the book and my experience so here is how I made them:

Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Bars

300g (2 cups) plain flour

100g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar

228g (2 sticks) butter, softened

360g (12-ounces) packages cream cheese

120g (1/2 cup) sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 425g can of black cherries, pitted – 213g/7oz of fresh cherries, chopped

crumble topping (recipe follows) 

Heat the oven to 180C/350F. In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x9in square pan or a 13x 9in baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and the sugar until combined. Then add the eggs 1 at a time and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust. Evenly spread out the chopped cherries before sprinkling the crumble mixture over the top. Bake for 40 minutes or 30 minutes if using a bigger pan. Leave to cool in the fridge and serve it up!

Crumble Topping:

200g (1 cup) brown sugar

150g (1 cup) flour

60g (1/2 cup) rolled or quick cooking oats

114g (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Yield: approximately 3 cups

If you use a can of cherries don’t waste the juice reduce it in a saucepan with a tablespoon of sugar, a tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch, and a tsp of vanilla extract until thick and jelly like. Use it as a dip or drizzle on top!

I cannot recommend these Cherry Crumble Cheesecake Bars enough! The same goes for this series! I loved reading about Cassel and I wish I could read more about him! Thinking a re-read is in store sooner then later!

Blackberry Crumble Custard Tarts

If you have read my previous post you will already know this, but if you have come here from another source then you should know that these tarts were inspired by a fictional King Edward VI from a booked titled Lady Jane: the not entirely true story. If you'd like to know a bit more about the story and my thoughts on the book click on the title above.

This post is to talk about these Blackberry Crumble Custard Tarts...... which were super amazing! In the book the King loves his blackberries especially as pie. The thing is I am not a huge fan of fruit pie because cooked mushy fruit just doesn't appeal to me.

Brainstorming, isn't something you just learn at school, an idea other then pie was fairly simple. It went like this: use fresh blackberries, fresh berries taste great in tarts, tarts are similar to pie, custard goes well in tarts and done.

So, no these aren't exactly blackberry pie, but as the real fictional king loved blackberries in or out of pie I am positive he would have approved of these.

Blackberry Crumble Custard Tarts

Shortcrust Pastry with orange zest

250g plain flour
100g icing sugar
pinch of salt
150g unsalted butter, cold grated or cubed
2 egg yolks
1 egg
zest of 1 orange

Sift the flour and icing sugar together in a large mixing bowl, add the pinch of salt and the cold grated butter. Rub gently between your finger tips until it resembles bread crumbs - try to handle it as little as possible. *I sometimes run my hands under cold water and pat dry before this last step as my hands are generally warm.
Gently whisk the egg yolks and yolk together, make a well in the bread crumbs and add the eggs as well as the orange zest. Using a spatula bring the dough together. It will be a bit crumbly, pour onto a sheet of clingfilm and gently pat down into a square and wrap in the clingfilm. Keep it in the fridge for a minimum of an hour, but is best if kept overnight.

Quick(ish) Custard

30g caster sugar
2 tbsp cornflour
3 egg yolks
260ml double cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Using a glass or metal bowl whisk the sugar, cornflour, and egg yolks until lighter in color and you have incorporated a bit of air into them. Leave aside and heat the cream and vanilla together until it starts to produce little bubbles aka simmering. Gradually pour the now vanilla infused cream over the egg yolk mixture, whisking all the while.
Make a double boiler by placing your heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stir the custard until thick and creamy. Can take about 7-10 minutes. To test it use a spatula or spoon by dipping it into the custard and when you pull it out it shouldn't drip off the spoon, run your finger through the middle and if the trail your finger makes stays it's done.
Take off the heat and continue whisking for a few minutes before leaving in the fridge to cool for a minimum of 4 hours.

To Assemble: 

225g blackberries
Oat Crumble (optional) recipe found here.
Egg wash: 1 small egg, lightly beaten

Pastry: Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface, to about 3mm or .3cm and cut into rounds to fit your muffin tin make sure to leave a little over the top for shrinkage. Press carefully into the muffin cavities, no need to grease. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
Take them out of the fridge and line with grease proof baking paper and line with baking beads or your choice of weight some people use rice. Blind bake for 10-15 minutes or until it starts to brown. Remove the baking beads and brush a very light layer of the egg wash over each pastry case and bake for an extra 2 minutes or so. Leave to cool completely before adding a blackberry or two depending how big they are to each case. Cover with the custard and oat crumble if using. Enjoy!

I shared these with my work colleagues and they had a deep discussion about how one of them didn't like blackberries, but were loving them with the custard and oat topping. Then I was asked what it was that was giving it that extra something and I said it was probably the orange zest in the pastry. With that revaluation it was readily agreed upon that that was what was giving it that something special. They are funny, I do love working with fellow foodies!

*recipe adapted from Sweet Tooth by Lily Vanilli

Oat Crumble

This is a short and sweet post sharing how to make oat crumble for a number of different bakes and treats! I would use this on top of yogurt, ice cream, and custard as well as muffins! Will add a kick to any breakfast cereal and of course it's a different type of crumble for fruit crumbles. My girls were eating it as is!

Oat Crumble

110g salted butter, cold and cubed
110g oats
110g plain flour
110g dark muscovado sugar

Place all ingredients in a bowl and like if you were making a pastry rub between your fingers until it resembles bread crumbs. Spread over a prepared baking sheet (lined) and place in the freezer for at least 10 minutes before baking in a preheated oven at 180C for 10-15 minutes.
Let it cool before breaking up.

Then use as you want! Feel free to add other spices or ingredients like nuts. Also adjust the amounts to how much you want or need! Keeps for at least two weeks if stored in an airtight container.

Stay tuned for the recipe I used this Oat Crumble on!

PB & J Power Bars from Whole Food Energy by Elise Museles {book review}

January has come and gone along with most people’s New Year’s resolutions. Making better choices when it comes to food is not something that should only be thought of in January, but all year long. I am a baking blog and I think sugar has it’s place in our lives. However, I also agree that with sugar and/or added sugar in a lot of processed foods is a bit excessive and it’s wise to start paying attention to what is in our food.

I was sent Whole Food Energy to read and review and to be honest I wasn’t 100% sure what I was getting myself into! It was a pleasant surprise just looking at the content page. Divided into 3 parts the book covers everything from what supplies you should keep on hand to drinks, breakfast, snacks, and energy packed treats like these PB & J Power Bars.

I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and I was curious to how these power bars would turn out. The author states that her son has asked for these over and over again and I have to say they have been a hit with my daughters as well!

Full of oats, dates, peanut butter, dried cherries, and almonds it really does taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. No lie! The best part is knowing they are full of whole natural food that’s great for everyone! I like that they are chewy too, but the almonds give it a bit of crunch!

PB & J Chewy Power Bars

50g rolled oats
200g Medjool dates, pitted
60g unsweetened peanut butter
1 tsp of vanilla
1/2 tsp of salt
100g dried cherries
75g almonds, roughly chopped

Line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper with the sides hanging out. In a food processor pulse the rolled oats until still a bit chunky, but chopped up. It shouldn't be a powder. Add the dates, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt and pulse/process until it starts to come together and clump up. Add the cherries and pulse several times to incorporate them into the mixture. Take out the blade and add the chopped almonds and use your hands, clean please, to mix everything together. 
Place in the prepared loaf tin and using the hang over paper, fold it on and top and press the mixture down to flatten, try to make it as even as possible. Leave in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour before cutting into bars. Easy peasy.

Elise Museles is the author of the popular blog Kale & Chocolate has given us a book packed full of recipes that will keep you energised through out the day! If you haven’t heard of her check out her website/blog and this book! I have learned a lot just from reading through it and I can’t wait to try more of the recipes, especially the smoothie ones!

note: Whole Food Energy: 200 all-natural recipes to prepare, refuel, and recover by Elise Museles (from Kale & Chocolate) was sent to me to review by the UK publishers; Apple Press - Available online, from the publishers, and from all good booksellers now! No other compensation was given. All opinions are my own and it was known that I sometimes adapt recipes to share with my readers to give them a feel for the book.

Fairy Tale Baking by Ramla Khan (book review) & The Three Bears Caramel Porridge Flapjacks

As a self taught baker I have seen so many different baking books. It is how I taught myself to bake by reading book after book after book! I had two thoughts when I first glanced at this book, Fairy Tale Baking: first was “Bakes based on fairy tales, cool!” secondly I thought “I hope it’s not just cake decorating, I am not all that good with fondant.”

My first thought was correct and my second a fear that dissipated as soon as I started to read it. Not that we don’t see fondant in the book, it’s just not all fondant if you know what I mean.

Each fairy tale or classic tale picked by the author, Ramla Khan, has 4 different bakes or treats to accompany the chosen tale. Making it perfect for party planning. As she says in the introduction a few of the recipes could be adapted for other stories. All it takes is a bit of your creative thought!

The introduction gives the basic skills and techniques you will need for the recipes in the book and Ramla Khan gives us basic recipes for cake, cookies, and the different icings or frostings.  Each chapter is a tale and before we get to the tasty treats we get an expert or a shortened version of said fairy tale or classic story.

The Fairy Tales you’ll see in this book are:

Sleeping Beauty
Cinderella
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Jack and the Beanstalk
Hansel and Gretel
Little Red Riding Hood
Snow White
Princess and the Pea
Rapunzel
The Snow Queen
Peter Pan
Thumbelina
Alice in Wonderland
Beauty and the Beast
Aladdin

For example for Sleeping Beauty she gives us recipes for a Sleeping Beauty in a Bed Cake, Spindle Churros, Bramble Tartlets with chocolate thorns, and Meringue Kisses. That’s just a teaser of the creative and gorgeous looking recipes in this book. Each recipe is accompanied by pictures of the finished product and where needed some of the techniques.

I was quite taken with Goldilocks and the Three Bears. There is a Bear Cake, Caramel Porridge Flapjack (recipe below), Chocolate Chair Cupcakes, and a Gingerbread Bed.

The flapjack are technically a no-bake recipe that is super easy and produces a sugary treat that is just right. My only niggle was that the recipe called for a 6inch or 15cm square cake tin. It’s not a size I have ever used. An 8 inch square was way too big and my circle 7 inch was just not the right size, but my 2 lb loaf tin was just right for the job!

Caramel Porridge Flapjack

115g unsalted butter
125g dark brown/muscovado sugar
3 tablespoons golden syrup
300g rolled oats

Line your 15cm/6in square baking tin or like me your 2 lb loaf tin or two 1 lb loaf tins with grease proof paper. 
Melt the butter, sugar, and golden syrup until the sugar has dissolved, it should be smooth and shouldn’t feel grainy. I would watch it closely as sugar can easily burn if it gets too hot, keep it on a low heat. Pour in the oats and stir to coat. Pour into prepared tin and smooth it out with a spatula. Leave to cool in the fridge while you make the Caramel Chocolate topping.

Caramel Topping

400g tin of dulce de leche or ready made caramel
200g white chocolate, broken up
150g icing sugar, sifted


Mix the caramel and chocolate together in a medium sized sauce pan over a low heat and stir until smooth and combined. Add the sifted icing sugar, if it’s not sifted it may cause clumps. Be sure to stir it in well before pouring it on top of the oaty flapjack base. It should smooth out pretty much on it’s own, but use a spatula or icing palette knife to make the top nice and smooth. 
Keep in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2-3 hours or over night before slicing into squares.

As these are so rich you could cut them into three different sizes one that’s bigger for Papa Bears, one that’s just a bit on the smaller side for the Mama Bear who’s sweet tooth isn’t that sweet, and one size that is just right for Baby Bears!

notes: Fairy Tale Baking by Ramla Khan published by Apple Press, Quarto UK was released late October (SRP -£12.99) It was given to me to review, no other compensation was given please see my contact/policy page (tab above) for further information.

What does C stand for in a song sung by a monster? {Cherry & Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies}

It’s tough getting people to be involved in things. Or it’s tough to get people excited about being involved in something.

I’m a part of the PTA and this last Friday we held a Quiz Night for the parents as a fund-raiser for some new out door equipment.

It was a great night out! The entertainment and food were provided, but we could bring our own snacks and drinks. 

I like having wine night with my girls and the occasional cocktail when I’m out, but overall I’m not much of a drinker. So, I brought milk and cookies to the Quiz Night!

As I’m still trying to use what I already have in my over flowing baking cupboard; I used up some dried cherries, left over chocolate chips, and rolled oats to make these cookies.

They were a hit, I passed them around so I could look at other peoples sheets on the celebrity before-they-were-famous picture round… we couldn’t get #10. No one else had it… boo.

We did come in 3^rd place! No real thanks to me I’m rubbish at British general knowledge.

I should just stick to baking cookies. These turned out great! They held up well when dunked in milk. The dried cherries and chocolate chips gave it a great sweet and sour twist! Enjoy!

Cherry & Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies:

170g unsalted butter, softened

320g light brown sugar

1 egg, medium

4 tbsp (60ml) sunflower oil

250g plain flour

½ tsp bicarb of soda

150g rolled oats

75g dried cherries

180g dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas4 and line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and oil, mix until combined before sifting in the flour and bicarb. Add the oats and mix well, then add the cherries and chocolate chips and fold them in until fully combined. Roll the cookies into balls and place unto the prepared baking sheets, gently press each ball with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly.

Bake for about 20 minutes, switching shelves and rotating half way through baking.

notes: P-parent T-teacher A-association; I love Bellini’s and Pina Colada’s yum! Recipe was adapted from Home Baking by Jo Wheatley

Happy Peanut Butter Cookie Day!!

June 12^th is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day. I love peanut butter and I love cookies. It’s also my close friends birthday today and she loves peanut butter cookies too! So, I just had to celebrate this national day this year!

There are so many “national” days that I can’t and I won’t ever try to keep them up with all of them. But as I said just above today was just too good to pass up.

I have made a lot of peanut butter cookies in my short baking career and there is only so much you can do to a peanut butter cookie.

Making them taste like, a childhood favorite, Nutter Butters is an ingenious idea! They are huge so it will probably be a better idea to make them smaller then I did, as I've ended up halving them. No way I can eat one on my own the size I've made them! The filling I could eat by itself. I love peanut butter. I've said that already. My fickle heart talking again…

These come from Hedy Goldsmith and her book Baking Out Loud. I found the recipe in more the one place all over the net. As they are on the cover I am assuming they were like her hit single that was released to the press to give everyone a taster of her book.

Anyway I have given it to here, with my own commentary in the directions! Happy National Peanut Butter Day!! Happy Birthday Lauren!!

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup plain flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 cup rolled oats

¼ cup salted peanuts

114g unsalted butter, at room temp

½ cup (packed) light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tsp salt (kosher)

½ cup creamy peanut butter, at room temp

1 large egg, at room temp

1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract

1. Preheat your oven to 190C/375F and line your tray(s) with parchment paper/nonstick liners.
2. Sift the flour and baking soda in a large bowl, then add the oats and peanuts.
3. Beat the butter for a few minutes, once it’s smooth add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and salt and beat for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides before adding the peanut butter, beat until just combined. Then add the flour and beat until just combined. We don’t want any over mixing!
4. Using a tablespoon shape the dough into balls about the size of a walnut or if you’re like me the size of a golf ball. Place them on your lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart and smoosh them slightly down with the palm of your hand. Apparently you should have 36 cookies to make 18 sandwiches, I had like 24 so only like 12 sandwiches.
5. Bake them 11-13 minutes, if you have more then one baking sheet about half way through switch from top to bottom and turn them around to ensure even baking. Once they are golden brown around the edges they are ready!
6. Let them cool completely on a cooling rack.

Peanut butter filling

3 cups icing sugar

145g unsalted butter, at room temp

¾ cup creamy peanut butter, at room temp

1 ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

½ tsp salt (kosher)

Place everything in the bowl of your mixer and beat for a bout 3 minutes until it’s soft and smooth. Once it’s all come together gather it all together and on your counter shape into an 18 inch log. However I did not have enough cookies to sandwich together 18… see step 4 above. Once it’s a log cut into 1 inch pieces. Place the filling pieces on one side of half the cookies and sandwich with the remaining cookies! Gently press down so that the filling reaches the edge. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days! I doubt they will last that long! 

notes: National Peanut Board; Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies; Peanut Butter Blossoms; my Baking Out Loud review I'm watching MTV Hits Kelly (Clarkson) vs Ke$ha top 10 not really sure why? They really aren't comparable. 

Memory Triggering Cherry Oatmeal Bars

My sister, Janet, and I always have conversations about memory. It seems to be that mine is a bit better then hers and we wonder why? What makes me remember things that she doesn't or things she does that she wouldn't have expected me too?

In my opinion it has a lot to do with triggers. The obvious trigger being someone bringing up a memory "hey remember...." and the second obvious would be photos. But there are a lot of triggers in our senses.

When my husband came to visit me in the early days he brought Davidoff Cool Water, his choice of scent at the time. Every time I catch a whiff of it now I am automatically overwhelmed with the memories of that time we spent together in the early days of our story. Music and even books trigger a similar reaction.

I was looking for a bar to take along on a picnic and for no particular reason I grabbed my Fat Witch Brownie book by Patricia Helding. After opening the book I was transported back to when it was one of five baking books and I had yet to start my blog and I was still just dipping into the whole baking thing. It's hard to put into words how I felt as it was a realization of how far I've come. How much I have learned. How big my book collection has grown ... scary. I bet my husband is glad it's not a shoe obsession,  though it hasn't been cheap, shoes are way more spendy!

Anyhow, Janet and I will probably never know why my memory seems to trigger easier? Maybe I just dwell on the past more then she does? Maybe it's because I spent most of my childhood observing more then participating? Either way now any time I make or even look at these Cherry Oatmeal Bars, I will be transported back to a sunny day spent with my youngest daughter and long for the days when she was still little.

Cherry Oatmeal Bars:
190g/12tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups of rolling oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
75g/about 1/2 cup of dried cherries
handful of chopped cashews (optional)

Grease a 9in baking pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350C/180F. Melt the butter, brown it to have a nuttier taste, or not. Let it cool before adding in the vanilla.
Combine the oats, flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Make sure there are no lumps before pouring in he melted butter and vanilla mixture and mix well. Fold in the cherries and nuts if using.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan, using your hands to flatten.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for an hour before enjoying!

I have a tendency to always over bake oatmeal aka granola bars. I don't know why I'm always worried about under baking them? When ever time I over bake? Anyway even though these were a bit on the brown side they were still tasty! Perfect treats for a picnic and I used the rest for my breakfast the next day, I just poured a little milk over them. Yum!

notes: Now that summer is approaching there will be a lot of picnics to be had so be prepared for a lot of bars and other easy transportable baked goods! - Fat Witch Brownies by Patricia Helding Amazon UK & USA;

Cadbury Dairy Milk Flapjacks!! {best loved recipes series}

Does anyone subscribe to 30 best loved recipes?? It seems like there is always a baking collection to be collected. They always lure you in by having the first issue priced at 99p. Which to be fair is a bargain. I didn't end up subscribing and even though my local supermarket giant seems to be getting them in weekly I haven’t picked any more up past the first 99p issue. Which included Cadbury Dairy Milk and Lyle’s Golden Syrup.

My first thoughts when browsing through the books was that they didn't really offer anything new. But that’s coming from a food blogger who owns over 30 baking books and around 20 cookbooks. It’s a bit out of control really. After a second look through there are actually some different ideas of using the product that it’s so simple I wouldn't have thought of it. Sometimes simple ideas are the best tasting. I was more inspired by the Lyle's Golden Syrup as it has sweet and savory recipes.

However what I do find annoying about the series it’s self is that online they don’t tell you what’s been out and what might be coming out next. I've seen a McVities Digestive, French’s Yellow Mustard, Bonne Maman, Sunmaid Raisins, Cathedral Cheese, Marmite (I may be making this one up, but if it hasn't been out I’m sure there will be).

I choose to try out the Cadbury Dairy Milk Flapjacks. They turned out okay. I didn't have the right sized pan and I think I baked them too long as the edges had to be completely disposed off. The middles were perfectly chewy and yummy though! Enjoy!

Cadbury Dairy Milk Flapjacks:

200g Cadbury Dairy Milk broken into pieces

100g butter

100g demerara sugar

1 tbsp golden syrup

150g rolled oats

50g dried apricots, chopped

50g sultanas

Pre-heat oven to 160C/325F/gasmark3. Line a 20cm square tin with greaseproof paper. Melt butter, sugar, and syrup slowly in a saucepan. Once melted stir in the oats and both dried fruits. Pour into prepared tin and pat down flat with a spatula or something. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. Once cooled spread chocolate on top of bite sized flapjacks. I just dipped mine it was a bit messy, but hey it tasted good. I chilled mine in the fridge for a few.

notes: best loved recipes site; Oh and if anyone has subscribed to the series I would love to know what your favorite book is so far. I might order a few back issues!! 

Rainbow Birthday Cookie Jar!!

It was my friend Louise's birthday yesterday! We don't normally exchange gifts, but as we meet earlier in the week for dinner (sushi!!) I couldn't show up empty handed! So, of course it's my first thought to bake something.

However she is doing so well on her weight loss journey that I didn't want to sabotage it with a big batch of something that would need to be eaten within a few days. In comes the jar idea! I did look around and found the cowboy cookies in a jar on Bakerella's blog so I went with that. I changed the name to Rainbow Birthday Cookies!!

Here's what I did and/or changed to work for people in the UK (sorry I still used cups!!)

layer your jar in this order 
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup & leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms I used Smarties
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 – 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped



I put a cupcake wrapper to cover the lid and I made my label with an iPad app that I printed off and layered on colored paper.

I hand wrote the instructions which are:

add: 114g butter, soft (1/2 cup or 1 stick); 1 slightly beaten egg; 1 teaspoon vanilla
to make: Pre-heat oven to 180C/350F Pour jar contents into a large bowl, stir to combine. Then beat in butter, egg, and vanilla. Roll into 1 inch balls (walnut size) and place 2 in apart on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

I've told her that it's probably best to use within 6 months although I did see some say that her's were good up to a year? Not sure I would push it that long. Baking powder/soda would probably lose their potency.

This was fun and easy to make! A perfect gift!!
Omit the nuts, of course, if the receiver is allergic.

Update: she couldn't wait!
And was kind enough to send me some pictures!!
:0)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!

Perhaps I am a little bit of a Scrooge, but I find Christmas time to be madness. It takes a lot of work not to get sucked into “The Madness”! Every year numerous media outlets tell us what a perfect Christmas should be or look like. So, many people buy into this commercialism and I’m not exempt from it! I put up a tree, shop for presents, and cook/bake like a mad person (hence “the madness”)! The trick, in my opinion, to making this the most wonderful time of year is not getting sucked in too far and having a Christmas within your means.

Now that I am off my pedestal I can share with you what I baked this week! :0)

Banana Espresso Chocolate Chip Muffins

Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Super moist and delicious. The Espresso isn't really noticeable, but it does add a different dimension then other banana muffins/loafs I've made!

Tiger Rolls

Bake! By Nick Malgieri

I've experimented a little bit with bread here and there, but this is the first time I’m really pleased with the outcome. Except for one little niggle the bread was a little pale, but they were perfectly done. Well, and the part that makes it a tiger roll probably could use a little work. So maybe not really pleased, but definitely a better result then some of my past experiences.

Apple Pie

sugar, sugar: every recipe has a story by Kimberly “Momma” Reiner & Jenna Sanz-Agero

Pies are new to me really. Making my first pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and now my first apple!! I think the filling was a bit runny and the pie crust was a bit of a disaster, but both were faults of mine. I thought in all the madness that I would get my apple filling ready ahead of time. So, the apples sat in there sugar mixture and it was very liquidy. Then the crust I didn't want to add too much water and therefore added too little. The crust would not stay together! Wouldn't win a beauty contest, but it was yummy!

Macadamia and White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-mouth cookies by Alice Medrich

I made these for my brother-in-law who happens to have his birthday on Christmas day. While he was here for Thanksgiving he mentioned that he liked the idea of macadamia nuts and white chocolate. There are tons of recipes floating a round, but I referred to my trusty cookie book by Alice Medich!! He was happy with them!

Hope everyone has had a great Christmas and an even better New Year!! 

Bring on 2013!!