Gingerbread Biscotti

I found a great blog for baking that I love. It's the Joy of Baking. They do a wonderful job with the recipes and the photos are beautiful. There are so many recipes that I am going to try. The first one I tried was the Gingerbread Biscotti. Read more

What better cookie for the holiday, right? It just screams Christmas and being that is it a biscotti, it packs well, freezes well and will last for several weeks. Every year I send my brother biscotti for Christmas and this year he got these and Banana Pecan Biscotti.

Gingerbread Biscotti Adapted from Joy of Baking

3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (can also use pecans or hazelnuts)
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 3/4 cups all unbleached purpose flour
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 large eggs
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses (such as Grandma's Molasses)
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil (or canola oil)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure orange extract
3/4 cup raisins

White Chocolate Glaze: (optional)
1/2 cup quality white chocolate chips (such as Ghiardelli)

Preheat oven to 350º F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake walnuts for about 8 minutes or until brown and fragrant.

In a blender or food processor, process 1/2 cup of the rolled oats until finely ground. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), combine the 1/2 cup of finely ground oats, the remaining 1/2 cup of rolled oats, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses, oil, vanilla extract and orange extract. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the chopped nuts and raisins and beat just until incorporated.

With a dough scraper or spatula divide the dough in half. Take each half of dough and divide in half again. form each half into a log, about 10 inches long and 2 inches wide. Transfer the logs to the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 3 inches apart.

Bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until golden brown and dough springs back when touched. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.

Transfer the logs to a cutting board and cut into 3/4 inch slices, on the diagonal. Place the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake for about 4-5 minutes, turn slices over, and bake for another 4-5 minutes or until dry and firm. Remove from oven and let cool.

Can be stored in an airtight container for several weeks.

White Chocolate Glaze (optional): Place white chocolate in a small bowl and microwave on 50% power for about 30 seconds. Stir and heat again for another 30 seconds until melted. Continue to stir until the bowl is no longer hot.

Spoon the melted chocolate into a small plastic zip lock bag and cut a small slit in the corner. Drizzle several thin lines of the chocolate over each biscotti. Let the biscotti sit at room temperature until the chocolate has completely dried.

Almond Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites

A great variation on the chocolate chip cookie. For something a little different and a bit more special, try this cookie made in a mini muffin pan. It is delicious and it will look a little more sophisticated on your holiday cookie tray.

My inspiration for this recipe came from research on using almond flour in baking. I found an awesome website called elanaspantry.com. Elana wrote a cookbook on cooking with almond flour. Elana uses ONLY blanched almond flour in all her recipes and clearly states that her recipes will not work with natural almond meal (ground almonds with skins).

I do want to try some of her recipes because they sound amazing. I just ordered some blanched almond flour online and I can't wait to get it and start baking! But in the meantime, I had recently bought a bag of Trader Joe's almond meal. I figured I would experiment with it and see if I could come up with something tasty. I think I did. The cookies were soft and chewy and had lots of chocolate flavor. And even though there is not a lot of sugar or fat in the recipe, you are not left disappointed after eating these cookies. They are definitely satisfying and best of all, they are low carb. Yay!! We can eat more :) They are also much better for you than regular flour based chocolate chip cookies since almonds contain tons of nutrients, vitamin E and protein. They are also perfect for anyone on a gluten free diet. Just make sure you use gluten free oats!

I plan an experimenting more with almond flour. I want to try making brownies, muffins and maybe even a cake. If anyone has a great recipe using almond flour, I'd love to hear about it.

Almond Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites

adapted from Elana's Pantry

2 ½ cups Trader Joe's almond meal
3/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal, ground fine in blender or food processor
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup grapeseed oil
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (such as Ghiardelli 60% Cocao)

1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, ground oatmeal, salt and baking soda
2. In a medium bowl combine grapeseed oil, maple syrup and vanilla
   
3. Stir wet ingredients into the almond/oatmeal flour mixture until thoroughly combined
4. Fold in chocolate chips
   
5. Spoon 2 tablespoons of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet, press down to flatten
6. Bake at 350º for 7 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden
7. Cool cookies on the baking sheets for 20 minutes, then serve

Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Get Your Chocolate Fix..
and Your Vegetables All In One Bite!

For a final goodbye to Summer, I decided to make my favorite muffin recipe. I made a few revisions to my original recipe and I think they are even better now! I know the combination of chocolate and zucchini sounds a bit suspicious, but trust me, you do not taste the zucchini at all.
The flavor is very chocolatey and the texture is soft and velvety. Very moist as well, due to the zucchini, of course! What more could you ask for in a muffin? Oh, and by the way, they're somewhat low-fat too!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
by Mixed Salad Annie

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup extra light olive oil (or canola oil)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsps. vanilla
6 oz. container "SO Delicious" Cultured Coconut Milk
2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium, unpeeled, do not squeeze)
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375º. Spray non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray or line with paper cups.

Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in cocoa and heat for another 30 seconds. Set aside to cool.
Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Cream together cocoa butter mixture and sugars in mixing bowl until well combined,
using electric mixer at medium speed. Beat in oil; add coconut milk, then blend in eggs and vanilla. Slowly add dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared muffin tins. If you have extra batter

Decrease oven temperature to 350º. Bake 19 - 24 minutes, turning pan halfway through. Muffins are done when toothpick inserted into center of muffins comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes.

Chocolate Apricot Cake

It was Mom's birthday this past weekend and of course I baked her a cake. Not just any 'ol cake, but a cake reminiscent of her birth place. Mom was born in Northern Italy, close to Austria. There is a famous cake called the "Sachertorte" that is a specialty in this region. It is a velvety rich chocolate cake with a thin apricot filling and covered in a chocolate ganache.

The original cake was created in Vienna, Austria and the only other place in the world that offers the original cake besides Vienna and Salzberg, is in Bolzano, Italy which is located in northern Italy. The cake I made is VERY loosely based on this idea. The original sachertorte is much more dense and I used a much thicker apricot filling. I also opted for a creamy chocolate frosting that my mom has been making for years. I found a great chocolate cake recipe on Epicurious.com. It turned out very moist and delicious!

Chocolate Apricot Cake
Cake adapted from Bon Appetit-June 2010 by Cindy Mushet

Ingredients

Cake
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk*
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

* If you do not have buttermilk on hand, substitute 3/4 cup minus 1 tablespoon milk and 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. Mix together and let stand 5-10 minutes. I used lactose-free milk and it turned out great!

Special equipment: 2 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides

Apricot Filling
14 oz. apricot jam
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2-3 fresh apricots, peeled, pitted and sliced (optional)

Creamy Chocolate Frosting
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
1 cup Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

For Cake:

Position rack to middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Coat two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper rounds; spray rounds.

Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into large bowl; add sugar and whisk to blend. Form a well in the center. Whisk 1 cup water, buttermilk, oil, and eggs in medium bowl to blend. Pour wet ingredients into well in dry ingredients; beat with hand mixer just to blend. Divide cake batter between prepared pans (about 3 cups each).

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes, turning pans halfway through baking. A great tip from Cindy Mushet: (If cakes form domes, place kitchen towel atop hot cakes, then press gently with palm of hand to level.) Cool completely in pans on cooling racks. Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover cakes in pans and let stand at room temperature.

For Filling:

Line a 9 inch cake pan with plastic wrap, overlapping on all sides. Add the sliced apricots if using. Set aside.

Add the apricot jam to a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 1 minute or until the jam starts to bubble. Add the gelatin and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Pour jam mixture into prepared pan and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Place 1 layer of cake, flat side down, inside the cake pan containing the filling. Carefully place a plate over the top of the cake pan; gently and quickly flip over so that the cake and the filling is centered on the plate. Remove plastic wrap. With a knife, carefully trim the edges of the filling that overhang the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate as desired.

For Frosting:

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, until creamy and spreadable. Adding small amounts of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

It's been a while since I've posted... I also miss reading all of your posts too! Things have been extremely busy with work and I have been just too exhausted to put anything up. However, I have been trying to keep all my recent recipes in order, so that I can share them with you- better late than never, right?

Some new news is that I have been selling some of my biscotti over the holidays to a local cookie/cake bakery. Some of the flavors - pumpkin, pumpkin chocolate chip, double chocolate almond, triple chocolate, chocolate dipped vanilla, anisette, anise chocolate chip, maple walnut, and cranberry orange walnut (everyone's favorite). I love doing it, but it takes a lot of time, effort, and energy to do. The last being something I haven't had much of lately because my job requires 110% effort during the holiday season.

Another thing I have been lapsing on is taking photos of the food I make :( I am sorry now that I didn't, because you can't see how beautiful these stuffed mushrooms looked... Well, you'll have to take my word for it. And they were delicious too.

The inspiration for my recipe came from Gary's Stuffed Mushrooms- All Recipes.com. I served them for Christmas and everyone LOVED them. I love this recipe because it uses ingredients that most people already have in their pantries. So easy too! (The hardest part is cleaning the mushrooms - I hate it!)

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
by Mixed Salad Annie

3-4 small packages fresh white mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed, chopped and reserved
1 (6 ounce) package chicken flavored dry stuffing mix
1 (8 ounce) package low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 - 6 ounce can crab meat, rinsed and drained of excess water
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
salt and pepper to taste

Arrange mushroom caps (bottoms up) on two baking sheets lined with foil and sprayed with oil. Prepare chicken flavored stuffing mix according to package directions. Preheat oven to 375º.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add shallot and red bell pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, mix together reserved chopped mushroom stems, prepared stuffing, cream cheese, crab meat and shallot mixture. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Liberally stuff mushrooms with the mixture. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven, 15 to 20 minutes, or until stuffing is lightly browned.

The Easiest Tiramisu Ever

Not Traditional, but So What!

If you have ever made tiramisu before than you know it is a little time consuming. It involves making a zabalione which requires a bit of time beating the eggs over low heat in order to ensure that they are safe to eat (no salmonella!). The traditional way to prepare it also requires fresh whipped cream made from scratch- which takes time and not to mention adds more calories. So when I came across this quick, easy and light recipe from Supreme Dairy Farms (located right here in RI!), I knew I had to try it.

The Supreme recipe uses ricotta cheese in place of the mascarpone and no eggs which is not traditional at all for a tiramisu. I would have tried the recipe just as written, but I happened to get a great deal on mascarpone cheese at Whole Foods and it was sitting in the fridge just waiting for a reason to be used! So I obliged.

The other great thing about this recipe is that it can be made ahead and can even be frozen. I actually made this 2 weeks ago and popped it in the freezer. So I am all set to bring it over my brothers house for Thanksgiving, and he is none the wiser. He doesn't need to know that I didn't slave over it like I usually do... (Unless he reads this post, Hi Bro!)
Happy Thanksgiving everyone ;)

The Easiest Tiramisu Ever
adapted from Supreme Ricotta Cheese

24 ladyfingers
3⁄4 cup espresso or strong coffee, cooled
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 -8 3/4 oz container mascarpone cheese
1 cup fat-free or part skim ricotta cheese, well drained
1 -6 oz. container fat-free vanilla yogurt, well drained
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
3 tablespoons amaretto liquor or brandy or coffee liquor
1/2 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup cocoa powder or 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange rind

Preheat oven to 375°, arrange ladyfingers on baking sheet. Bake until toasted, about 5 mins. Mix the teaspoon of sugar with the espresso and dip ladyfingers in it quickly turning to coat each side.

Arrange half of the ladyfingers in a 2 or 2 1⁄2 quart oval or rectangular serving dish.
In a small bowl, mix mascarpone, ricotta, yogurt, sugar and liquor; beat thoroughly until smooth. Spread half of the mixture on the ladyfingers in the serving dish. Sprinkle with half of the chocolate. Repeat layers of ladyfingers, dipped in espresso, mascarpone mixture and chocolate. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Dust with cocoa powder or fresh grated orange rind before serving.

Cinnamon Chip Biscotti

I finally made cookies using cinnamon chips. I know it's not a new concept anymore- I feel like I am so behind on keeping up with all the cooking trends. I held off on buying the cinnamon chips because I am a freak when it comes to reading nutrition labels. When I read the label of the supermarket brand of cinnamon chips, I really didn't want to buy them anymore. It had lots of unhealthy ingredients and quite a bit of saturated fat. And I figured I could do without and just make cinnamon cookies the old fashioned way, with plain ol' cinnamon.

But recently I was in a local coffee shop and I saw the most beautiful cinnamon chip scones. And I got the bug to buy them again. So I figured I would ask the baker what kind of chips they use and if they were a premium quality. Sure enough, they were a better quality chip and he offered to sell me a pound. Yay, I was so excited. I smelled cinnamon in my car all day long and made the cookies the next day. My house smelled so wonderful while they were baking. Just for that reason alone, I think you should make these. You won't be disappointed!

Plus they are so easy to make. Here are the logs on the baking sheet before baking...
And here are the biscotti sliced and ready to go back into the oven...I usually only bake my biscotti between 5-8 minutes per side so that they are crispy but slightly soft, rather than break your teeth hard. I find that most people like them better that way. (Although I like the hard biscotti too, cause they're great for dipping in coffee or tea!)
Cinnamon Chip Biscotti
by Mixed Salad Annie

3 large eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup cinnamon chips
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer or wire whisk. Add sugar and cinnamon; mix well. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into the egg mixture; mix until just combined. Add cinnamon chips, stirring by hand to combine. Dough will be sticky.

Using a rubber spatula, scoop small dollups of the dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet; forming 2- 16" long rolls. Smooth out the sides and tops of the rolls and leave enough space between each roll for spreading. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over dough.

Bake at 325° for 20-30 minutes or until light golden and top springs back when touched. Let sheet cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Carefully remove the rolls from the baking sheet onto a cutting board.

Cut rolls diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Place each slice- cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake an additional 7-10 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your biscotti). Remove from baking sheet; let cool completely on a wire rack. They cookies will crisp up more as they cool.

Peach Frangipane Tart

Remember the pear tart I made a few weeks ago? Well, if you thought that looked good, you will really love this tart. This is actually exactly how I expected the pear tart to turn out. If you remember, I told you that I had searched the internet for hours to find the perfect recipe and to no avail ended up piecing together a few different recipe ideas. Well this recipe kind of fell into my lap, literally. I was looking at the Providence Journal last week and the food section fell out. I glanced through it and saw my perfect fruit almond tart recipe. I never knew it was called frangipane tart. I guess I would have found it online if I had known.

Don't get me wrong, the pear tart was delicious, but this recipe blows the socks off that one! I love the texture of the almond center. It is moist and tastes perfect with the peaches. It is a little more work because this recipe calls for a crust, but if you buy a pre-made crust or pie shell, you will be all set. Actually, I keep wondering if it needs a crust at all. I will have to try making it again without and see if it holds up. Or you could and let me know how it turns out. :)

Peach Frangipane Tart
Adapted from the Providence Journal/ Los Angeles Times-Kirk McKoy

Pie crust for a 11" tart or 9" pie pan (store bought or see recipe below)
2 1/4 cups almond meal
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Lemon zest from one small lemon
2 medium peaches, peeled and sliced about 1/8" thick
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon water

Heat oven to 375º. If using a prepared pie shell, proceed to next paragraph. Otherwise, roll the pastry dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch and fit it into a 9" tart pan with a removable bottom or a pie pan, trimming away any excess. Refrigerate until firm.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, mix the ground almonds, sugar, eggs, almond extract, salt, butter and lemon zest to make a smooth paste. Set aside.

Pre-bake the pie shell: Prick the entire bottom and sides of the pie shell with a fork. Place a sheet of foil or parchment paper in the tart shell and fill it with dried beans or baking beads and bake until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. (Timing will vary depending on the dough. My crust baked for 35 minutes). Remove from the oven and remove the foil and beans.

Spread the almond mixture evenly into the tart shell. Arrange the peach slices concentrically over the top of the almond mixture, pushing them in a bit.

Place the filled shell on a baking sheet and bake until the almond mixture is puffed and golden, 40-45 minutes.

Warm the honey and water in a small saucepan or in the microwave, until fluid. When the tart is done, lightly brush the top with a bit of the honey mixture. Serve at room temperature.
Serves 8.

Cream Cheese Pie Crust
adapted from Cook's Illustrated "No-Fear Pie Crust"
Makes one thin 11' tart shell or 9-inch Pie Shell

The pastry can be pressed into the pie plate and refrigerated for up to 2 days or double-wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month. Once baked and cooled, the shell can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.

1 1/4 Flour
1/4 teaspoon Table Salt
6 Tablespoons Smart Balance Buttery Spread
4 tablespoons low-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel- 1/3 less fat), softened but still cool

Lightly coat tart pan or Pyrex pie plate with cooking spray. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt together in bowl.

With electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat spread and cream cheese in large bowl, stopping once or twice to scrape down beater and sides of bowl, until completely homogeneous, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture and combine on medium-low until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat until dough begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface, gather into ball, and flatten into 6-inch disk. Place in between two large sheets of waxed paper and roll out to about 11-12 inches. Remove top sheet of waxed paper and transfer to greased tart pan or pie plate.

Press dough evenly over bottom of pie plate and up to the top of the sides. Remove any excess dough and patch up any missing pieces with excess. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly prick the entire bottom and sides of the pie shell with a fork. Place a sheet of foil or parchment paper in the tart shell and fill it with dried beans or baking beads and bake until light golden brown, 25-35 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Biscotti

Who doesn't love cookies? I know I for one could live on them. I love all kinds of cookies, cake-like, soft and chewy, and for sure- crisp and crunchy. In other words, biscotti. The word biscotti means twice baked in Italian.I learned that word a long time ago when I was a kid from my Italian mama. My mom loves to bake, but doesn't usually make biscotti. She likes to make bars mostly. But she is a big fan of MY biscotti and can't wait to try any new batch that I dream up.
She really enjoyed this last recipe. I asked her what she thought of them and she said "DELIZIOSO!"

Peanut Butter Biscotti
by Mixed Salad Annie

1 1/4 cup unbleached AP flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
2 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup plus 1/8 cup granulated sugar
1/8 cup molasses
2 teaspoons pure vanilla
1 whole egg, plus 2 egg whites
4 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil sprayed with cooking spray.

In a food processor, grind the oatmeal and wheat germ if using, until fine. In a bowl sift together oatmeal mixture, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, peanut butter, molasses and water. Add flour mixture and mix just until ingredients are combined. If mixture is too dry, add an additional teaspoon or two of water. Stir in chips.

Divide the dough in half; place half the dough on one side of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 3 inches wide. Repeat with second half of dough keeping logs about 3 inches apart; flatten slightly. Bake until light brown, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°. Once cool cut log into 3/4-inch thick bars. Place bars, cut side down, back on the cookie sheet and bake for about 10-20 depending on your preference of crunchiness. minutes longer. (Cookies will crisp once cool.)

Ultimate Peanut Butter Fingers

This recipe is a redesign of my mother's classic Peanut Butter Fingers (Bars). I am always eating way to many of these whenever she makes them. (And she makes them a lot). You just can't resist them. They are everyone's favorite in my family. No matter what party or event they are brought to, they 're always a hit! There is just something about peanut butter and chocolate that just go together. Hmmm, it seems like I've had these flavors before. Two great tastes that taste great together. It would make a great candy. ;)

So you must be wondering why I am redesigning them if they are perfect already. Well, you know me, I'm always trying to lower the fat and reduce the sugar in my baked treats. Mostly because, like I said before, I eat way to many of them. So I try to make them a little less fattening and a little more "healthy" if I can. Plus I just felt like experimenting with the recipe. I also added a cream cheese peanut butter filling. Of course this does add a little more decadence to the recipe but hey I never said I was perfect. ;)

I reduced the butter from 1 stick (8 tablespoons) to 4 tablespoons. I used heart healthy canola oil in place of the other 4 tablespoons of butter. It only has 1 gram of saturated fat per tablespoon as compared with the 7 grams in the butter. For the peanut butter, I only used one tablespoon in the bars themselves but used 1/2 cup in the filling. So that's kind of a wash. I also reduced the sugar by half. And guess what, no one ever noticed. We really don't need all that sugar in our desserts. It is just not necessary. The chocolate topping is a lighter version as well. It has no butter in it compared with my mom's original recipe which has 3 tablespoons. It is very deep in flavor, so if you love dark chocolate, these are for you!

I think they turned out great. But don't take it from me, make them and see for yourself!

Peanut Butter Fingers
by Mixed Salad Annie

4 Tbsp.(1/2 stick) unsalted butter or tub margarine, softened
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup of flour
1 cup of quick oatmeal
1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds (optional)

Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Grease a cookie sheet. (Mine is about 12 x 8).

Mix the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the oil, egg, and peanut butter.
Add baking soda, salt and vanilla; mix well. Add flour and flax seed if using; mix until just combined. Add oatmeal and mix until just combined.

Push dough evenly into cookie sheet with fingers. (Cut a sheet of waxed paper the same size as the cookie sheet and place over the dough. It will be a lot easier to spread the mixture into the pan. Remove waxed paper). Bake around 18 to 20 minutes depending on your oven, until they are light golden brown.

Peanut Butter Filling:
1/2 cup peanut butter, room temperature
8 ounces low-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel Cheese- 1/3 less fat) or fat-free, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, beat together the peanut butter, cream cheese, vanilla and sugar. Mix until the sugar is completely incorporated. Spoon mixture in between 2 sheets of waxed paper (cut the same size as the cookie sheet). Roll out to within 1/2 of the edges. Remove top sheet of waxed paper and place on top of the cooled peanut butter fingers. Carefully remove the top sheet of waxed paper. Refrigerate to chill. Top with chocolate topping.

Bittersweet Chocolate Topping:
adapted from Hershey's
2 bars (2 ounces) unsweetened baking chocolate, broken into pieces
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup of sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Heat water and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar and continuing to stir, bring to a boil. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened. Take off heat and stir in extract.

Pour over chilled bars. Spread evenly to cover. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Big, Chewy, n' Sorta Healthy Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Loving cookies as I do, I'm always on the look out for a "lighter" cookie recipe. I tend to eat so many when I bake them that I feel I should make them a little, dare I say, "healthy". Ok, I know many of you probably just clicked off my blog, but for those of you that stayed to read on. Thanks :) hahaha

When I read this recipe from Cooks Country, I was intrigued. The idea of using pureed dates to replace some of the fat in the recipe is not a new concept, but interesting since I have used pureed prunes in the past in baking to reduce the fat, but never dates. The idea of browning the butter in order to "mask" the flavor of the dates, was brilliant. I know browned butter is not a new concept, but, I surely never thought of using it to disguise another flavor. And it really does mask the flavors of the dates, just as they claim it would.

So ok, you're probably wondering how why I am calling them "sort of healthy". Well, besides the dates, I used some whole wheat pastry flour, ground flax seeds and walnuts. Flax seeds are a very rich source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant source of omega-3 fatty acids. There are many benefits that research has shown flax seeds may provide; including, improve heart health, regulate blood pressure, improve the immune system, help rheumatoid arthritis, reduce hot flashes, and fight breast and colon cancers. Walnuts are also a good source of omega-3. Plus, I reduced the sugar in the recipe! And less refined sugar in our diets is always a good thing. Is that healthy enough for you? Hehe!

And by the way, they passed the cookie snob test. All my tasters were totally clueless that they were low-fat and I didn't bother to tell them that there were dates and flax seeds in them. Hey, what they don 't know, won't hurt them! ;)

Big, Chewy, n' Sorta Healthy Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Cook's Country

1 cup water
1/4 cup finely chopped dates (if using pre-chopped dates, use 1 extra tablespoon)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon finely ground flax seeds
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Bring the water and dates to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until the dates are tender and most of the water has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, work the dates through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Scrape the dates remaining in the strainer into the bowl (you should have about 1/4 cup puree. If you are short a little, you can add an equal amount of canola oil to replace the amount of date puree you are missing). Cook the butter in a small stainless steel saucepan over medium heat until nutty brown, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn. The butter should be a golden nutty brown color with dark brown bits at the bottom of the pan. (If it turns completely dark brown it is burnt; discard and start again.) Let cool.

Whisk the flours, baking soda, ground flax seeds and salt together in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the melted butter, brown sugar, and date puree together with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of the chocolate chips, then mix in the remaining chips and walnuts.

Working with 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, roll the dough into balls, tear the balls in half, and press back together with the torn side up. Lay the cookies jagged side up on the pre­pared baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. Press the remaining 2 tablespoons of chips evenly over the cookies.

Bake the cookies until the edges are set and beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Do not under bake, these cookies will remain chewy when cooked to a light golden brown.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.

Pear Almond Tart

Got Pears??
My mom has a pear tree in her yard and this year they are growing like crazy. Some years she doesn't get many but this year she hit the jackpot. They are fairly small, so working with them is a little difficult, but in the end this tart was definitely worth it.

I see a pear tart at my favorite local bakery all the time and it always looks so tempting. It is made with almond paste. I love almonds and have worked with almond paste in the past but have never made my own. But I decided to try since I had just purchased a bag of Trader Joe's almond meal and wanted to use it for something.

I searched the internet for hours looking for a recipe using almond meal to make almond paste. Nada. Well, I think I found one, but it didn't sound right to me, so I made up my own recipe.
For the rest of the tart, my inspiration came from Epicurious and Love n Bake. I didn't want to go through the trouble of making a crust for the tart so I ended up combining some ideas from both recipes and came up with a great easy to make and beautiful tart.

I think it turned out excellent. Actually, I tricked my co-workers to believe it came straight from the bakery because I put it in an empty bakery box I had from some other pastries I had bought the day before. They all thought it was delicious and when I told them I had made it, they didn't believe me!!
I have to say it did look pretty professional. In the photo of the whole tart, I took the photo before adding the apricot glaze, so it looks a little bland. But once I added the glaze, it took on a glossy glow and it perked right up!

I will definitely will be making this again. I hope you give it a try.

Pear Almond Tart

For the Pears...
4 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 lbs of firm pears, about 8 small home grown or 3 medium-size pears (such as Bosc), peeled

For the Torte...
1/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 cup Almond Paste (recipe below)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon combined with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

For Topping:
2 tablespoons apricot preserves
1 teaspoon water

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously grease a 10-inch cake or tart pan with butter and sprinkle on 1 Tablespoon of the sugar. Set aside.

For Pears:
Over medium-high heat, bring water, sugar, and lemon juice to boil in large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add pears. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes or until the pears are very tender, stirring occasionally. Cool pears in syrup. (This can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate.)

Almond Paste
1 cup almond meal (I used Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 egg white
1 teaspoon almond extract

Pulse almond meal in a food processor or blender. Add in confectioners sugar and process until completely combined. Beat egg white slightly, then slowly add into the almond mixture with the processor running. Add almond extract and pulse several more times.

For the Torte:
Beat the almond paste and 1/3 cup of the sugar in an electric stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and beat on medium high speed until completely incorporated, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Beat in the eggs. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing until just combined.
Pour the batter into the pan, spreading evenly with a spatula.

Stem pears and cut each in half lengthwise; scoop out cores. Cut each half into thin slices. Arrange the pears, in a circular pattern covering the entire surface of the batter, slightly overlapping. Place smaller slices in the center. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake until the batter puffs up, the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 - 35 minutes.

In a small saucepan combine the apricot preserves and water and heat until it becomes translucent and loose. Brush the apricot glaze over the entire top of the pear tart.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. If desired, add whipped cream or ice cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Annie's Peanut Butter Power Bars

Jump-start your day with one of these delicious bars

They are packed with protein from the peanut butter, antioxidants from the berries, B vitamins from whole wheat flour and wheat germ, and heart healthy fats from the walnuts. Although there is a fair amount of butter used in this recipe, I replaced half of the saturated fat in a typical bar with a healthier fat ~ canola oil. So you still get all that buttery flavor with a lot less fat!

The inspriration for these bars came from one of my favorite desserts that my mom makes; her Apricot Bars. They are buttery, crunchy and fruity all in one. In one word they are heavenly.
The only thing is that I end up eating way to many of them whenever she makes a batch. I think I devoured 3/4 of them in one sitting once. NOT GOOD -( 'Er well they were good, but not good for me.) I shutter to think of the calories and saturated fat that I inhaled on that fine day.

So I decided to make a healthy alternative to my Mom's bars. I can't say that they are better than my Mom's recipe, but they certainly were delicious; and healthy too. I could have gone with tub margarine in place of butter, but I think one of the best things about these bars are the buttery taste. As I said above, I did reduce the butter by half and replaced it with canola oil. I am a firm believer in all good things in moderation. (Except of course when Mom puts a plate of those Apricot Bars in front of me!)

Starting with great ingredients is the first step...

Press half of the dough into a parchment or foiled lined bake sheet and then load on the filling!

To make putting on the top layer of dough easier, roll it out in between 2 sheets of waxed paper.

Lift off the top sheet, turn over, place on top of the filling and remove the 2nd sheet of waxed paper.

When the bars are light golden brown, remove from the oven and let cool. Grab the edges of the parchment paper and lift the bars out of the pan. Cut in half and then into equal size bars.

Annie's Peanut Butter Power Bars
by Mixed Salad Annie

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)
1/4 cup natural cane sugar
1/4 cup packed natural brown sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp. either almond or vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3/4 cup of your favorite preserves (I used Apricot, but often use Raspberry as well)
1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter
1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruit (such as Sunsweet Antioxident Blend)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
In an electric mixer or large mixing bowl blend together the butter, sugars and oil until creamy.
Add the egg and extract and blend until well combined. Add the wheat germ. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the butter mixture slowly until just combined. Gently mix in the walnuts. Reserve half of the mixture (about 1 1/2 cups) and set aside.

Press the mixture onto the bottom of a 8 1/2 x 12 inch (or 9 x 11) baking pan lined with parchment paper or foil. Spread 1/2 of the peanut butter over the mixture evenly. Dot the preserves all over, staying within 1/2 inch from edge. Sprinkle the dried fruit evenly over the top. Dot the remaining peanut butter evenly over the top.

Place reserved mixture between two sheet of waxed paper. Roll the mixture to the size of the pan. Remove the top piece of waxed paper, carefully flip it and place on top of the prepared mixture in the pan. Remove the remaining waxed paper.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely. Grab the edges of the parchment paper and lift the bars out of the pan. Cut in half and then into equal size bars.

Grilled Corn and Edamame Salad

A Great Summer Salad!

Grilled Fresh Sweet Corn Is The Star Here...
Straight From Confreda Greenhouses and Farm in Cranston... Picked That Same Day!

Accompanied By Some Other Colorful and Healthy Ingredients
Perfect for a light and satisfying lunch.
Packed with nutrition and most importantly, flavor!

Topped Off With Some Tri-Color Torellini~ Makes A Great Hearty Dinner!

This recipe was inspired by my local Stop & Shop market. I often see an Edamame Salad in the prepared food case in the deli section. It caught my eye because it is so colorful. It was pretty easy to deconstruct and make my own with some special touches.

I love making salads like this in the summer. And this one is refreshing and light, yet really is packed with nutritious ingredients. Plus, who can resist fresh sweet corn in the summer? Well there's no need to resist, since it is a good choice in any healthy diet. According to the World's Healthiest Foods Website, corn is a good source of vitamin B1, vitamin B5, folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese. It is especially good for cardiovascular health due to the great source of folate it supplies. The edamame (soy beans) are also super healthy to eat. They are a great source of protein and contain loads of healthy fats. The red bell pepper contains a huge amount of vitamin C and the black beans add more protein and of course, fiber.
This salad can be served as a light lunch, a side dish with grilled chicken or fish, or served with pasta as a main course entree.

Grilled Corn and Edamame Salad

by Mixed Salad Annie~ Serves 4-6

2 corn ears, silks and outer husks removed (leave a thin layer of husks on)
8 ounces (1/2 of one pound bag) frozen shelled edamame, cooked according to instructions on bag and cooled
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small shallot, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup green olives, pitted and chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
Dash freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint (parsley or basil can be substituted)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Heat a gas grill to medium-high, light a charcoal fire or place indoor stovetop grill over medium high heat.

Place corn directly on grill and cook for around 15 minutes, rolling corn occasionally so all sides get grill marks. Set aside until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.

Pull off charred husks and discard. Stand each ear on its wide end, and using a serrated knife, remove grilled corn kernels from cobs. Add kernels to a large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients to bowl and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld together. Serve at room temperature.

Summer Berry Citrus Shortcake

Lately I've been feeling a little blue with this horrible weather and needed something to remind me that it really is Summer... So what better than a plate full of sweet juicy summer berries over a homemade citrus shortcake.
I went a little "Semi-Homemade" with this one. I had some left over bisquick mix and doctored it up with a tablespoon fresh orange peel, sweetened condensed milk, water and pure vanilla extract.

Instead of maserating the berries in sugar, I opted for a sugar free alternative this time. I just added a 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract to the berries and let them soak it in...

The rest is all assembly. Cut the shortcakes in half, add a layer of berries, a layer of whipped topping, add the top of the shortcake and more topping and berries.

Summer on a plate... I guess it will do for now!

Spinach and Olive Turkey Burgers

Beef Up Your Turkey Burgers...

Sometimes you just feel like eating a nice juicy burger, right? Well, I know I do. Although I very rarely do. I stopped eating beef regularly many years ago, so when I crave a burger, I go TURKEY. The only problem is that it lacks the flavor that beef has, so it needs to be "beefed up" a little. :)

I usually just add some grill seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper and it good to go, but I was feeling a little gourmet the other day and decided to go all out and add some other healthy goodies.
How can you go wrong with fresh baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, garlic, and cheese?
Judging by these burgers... YOU CAN'T!

Spinach and Olive Turkey Burgers
by Mixed Salad Annie

1 1/3 pounds ground turkey
3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped black olives
3 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
1/4 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, cut in small dice
3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
6 multi-grain english muffins, lightly toasted

Cover a baking sheet with non-stick foil or spray foil lined sheet with cooking spray. Heat broiler on low and adjust oven rack to top.

Blend together turkey, spinach, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, cheese and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Do not over mix. Form mixture into 6 equal size patties, free form or with a burger form.

Broil burgers about 5 minutes on first side and about 4 minutes on second. (An instant-read thermometer inserted in the center should register at 170º F.) Transfer burgers to muffins and top with extra spinach leaves if desired. Top with ketchup or mayonnaise.

Chicken, Olives and Artichokes - Hunter Style

When I decided to make this dish, I was thinking of a chicken cacciatore that I used to get from a local supermarket. They would make it with big chunks of white breast meat, all the colors of bell peppers and lots of whole garlic cloves. It was delicious. Since I was making this for my mom, I decided to leave out the peppers because they don't agree with her.

Because we both love artichokes and olives, I decided to sub them for the peppers. As a matter of fact, my mom makes a chicken and artichoke dish very similar to this, only without the sauce. Since I had a jar of sauce that needed to be used, I whipped this up. It is really good over pasta or you could eat it as is, with a big piece of Italian bread for mopping up the sauce.


Chicken, Olives and Artichokes - Hunter Style
by Mixed Salad Annie Serves 4

3 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into about 1 1/2" chunks
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 jar of black olives, drained and rinsed
1 jar of artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and halved
12 cloves of garlic, (very large ones halved)
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 jar marinara sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 sprigs rosemary

Add the flour, garlic powder and paprika to a large ziplock bag. Season the chicken pieces with the salt and pepper and add them to the flour in the bag. Shake the chicken to coat all the pieces. Remove from bag and shake off excess flour and set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of oil and rosemary sprigs on low heat in large dutch oven or large deep skillet for about 5 minutes. Add the olives and artichokes cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the pan with a slotted spoon to a bowl and add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Turn the heat up to medium/high and add chicken pieces.

Brown the chicken on all sides and de-glaze the pan with the wine. When the wine evaporates, add the chicken broth and sauce. Add the artichoke mixture back to the pan and stir to combine. Lower the heat, and simmer slowly for about 20-25 minutes. Remove and disgard the rosemary sprigs. Serve over pasta or with Italian bread.

Drunken Chicken with Olives over Polenta Squares

Things have been kind of crazy lately in my little world. Between working and moving my mom into her new apartment, I haven't had much time to cook lately. I've been eating out more often lately and taking home leftovers (which I love by the way), so I don't have many recipes to post or talk about.

Of course, I'm not complaining about eating out, I love it. My sister and I took my mom out for dinner on Mother's Day and I had a really great dinner. It was a chicken and pasta entree with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini and snipped green onions, in a garlic and wine sauce. Ooh la la. It was delicious.

Speaking of chicken in a wine sauce... I did make this drunken chicken with olives over polenta squares a few months back and never posted it. The recipe was inspired by Mary Ann Esposito of Ciao Italia. It was very tasty and I really have to make this again (someday when I can think straight again!). Happy Cooking to all of you!!

Drunken Chicken with Olives over Polenta Squares

1/2 cup pitted green olives, quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary needles
1 teaspoon salt
Coarse black pepper to taste
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Zest and juice of 2 large lemons
3 bone-in chicken breasts, cut in half
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Coarsely chop together the garlic, thyme and rosemary and place in a large zip lock bag.

Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, zest and lemon juice. Add the chicken pieces, zip up bag and shake the bag making sure the marinade covers all of the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade. Set marinade aside and pat chicken dry with thick layer of paper towels. Add the flour to a medium sized paper or plasic bag. Add the chicken and shake until it is evenly coated. Shake off excess flour.

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or sauté pan large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Brown the pieces well on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Add the wine and raise the heat to high. Cook for a minute or two. Add the olives and reserved marinade. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and cook for about 15 minutes. Check for doneness with an instant read thermometor until it reaches at least 165 degrees. Serve the chicken over polenta, potatoes or pasta and top with the olives and pan juices.

Polenta Squares

2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 cup quick-cooking polenta

Bring the water, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until the polenta thickens, about 5 minutes. Pour the polenta into a greased 9 by 9-inch baking pan, spreading so that it is 1/3-inch thick. Cover and let stand at room temperature until set, about 15 minutes.

Fig & Pecan Stuffed Baked Apples

It's not really the time of year you would think to make baked apples, but that's me, always going against the grain :) Actually the reason I decided to make them is because my mom gave me a bunch of granny smith apples because she knows I eat a lot of fruit.

I tried eating them raw just as a snack, but they were a bit too acidic, which is weird because they usually don't bother me. So I figured I would make a quick snack by stuffing and baking them.

My inspiration for the recipe comes from Mary Ann Esposito of Ciao Italia. Her recipe uses some different ingredients, such as walnuts and apricots, but the technique is basically the same. I watch her every week and she always cooks up something worth trying. And her recipes are usually so simple and quick to prepare.


This recipe is no exception. I whipped these up at 9:00pm one night when I had the hankering for something sweet. The prep is so easy it took just minutes, so I got them ready, popped them in the oven, continued watching a movie and I was already eating them before ten. Plus, the house smelled so delicious before bedtime, perfect for "sweet dreams".

The best part about these apples was the stuffing... All those warm and chewy bits of fig and the delicious cranberries that give a bit of a punch! And my favorite... the toasted pecans! I think I would try anything if there were pecans in it.
Fig & Pecan Stuffed Baked Apples

2 large Granny Smith apples, washed and cored
2 dried figs
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1/4 cup water (you could also use orange juice or apple juice)

Add the figs and cranberries to a small saucepan of boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Drain, cut the stems off the figs and discard. Chop up the figs into small pieces and place them and the cranberries in a bowl with the peacans. Add the honey and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Divide the mixture in half and stuff it in the cored apples.
Place the apples in a baking dish; add the water and orange zest to the bottom of the dish.
Dot the apples with the butter.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the apples are just soft but not collapsed. Serve warm with some of the pan juices.

Note: This recipe can be doubled very easily... go for it!