Shall we take a trip to the dump? Dump Bars Recipe

We had a crazy weekend last week.   (Um, October is a crazy month for high school marching bands.  Every post I make this month might start with a "crazy weekend" sentence!) Katie Blue was performing at a game on Friday night and then had to be up very early, hair and make-up at least started and get on a bus to make it to the competition site before 9:00.  They had to wait all day to find out the results of the daytime performance and know if they would perform in the finals competition of the evening.  It was Wednesday of last week when I started asking myself what on earth I was going to make for Sunday when I wasn't going to have time on Saturday night to get it done.  (And, if I was out to midnight, would I really want to get up on Sunday morning at 4:30 to do something, let it cool, cut it and plate it for an 8:30 departure time?  Um, no.)

I began searching recipes for things I could do on Saturday morning or even on Friday that would wait patiently for Sunday morning delivery.  It had to be moist but not sticky.  Of course it had to be tasty.  What on earth would I make?  I started thinking about some of the things from my childhood and for whatever reason it lead me to a book I own called "The Church Potluck Supper Cookbook" by Elaine Robinson and started to flip through it.  It makes me laugh because I honestly don't know when or where I got this book and I can't tell you what drew me to it this month, but I promise you I will be using it more in the future.  There were some great dessert recipes and lots of interesting recipes for meals that don't have sugar, chocolate and nuts in them.  

I was able to make these bars early on Saturday morning and leave them cooling while we were at the competition.  I cut and plated them when I got back to the house Saturday evening and went to bed grateful to be able to "sleep in" to 6:00 AM!!  Enjoy!

Dump Bars

2 sticks butter

1 pound brown sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups, plus 1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds in one pan, walnuts in another, both worked.)

1 cup chocolate chips

Set oven to 325 F and grease a 9 x 13" pan.

Melt butter, add sugar and stir to combine.  Add eggs, vanilla and salt.  Mix well.  In a smaller bowl combine flour, baking powder and coconut and add it to the liquids.  Pour into prepared pan and sprinkle the top with nuts and chocolate chips.  Bake 35-40 minutes.  

Italian Sour Cream Cookies

I was doing some research for Italian dessert recipes and found this cookie recipe.  To me it read like a sugar cookie except it doesn't take much sugar.  I became curious and decided to make it for my Sunday gig.  Have I mentioned how much I enjoy having a regular job that allows me to make whatever I want to make?  I *love* it because I get to play with new recipes for a large audience that tells me what they think by how much gets eaten in three hours.  I can tell you, I tasted this cookie and loved it so much it will become part of my Christmas platters.  I hope you try it and enjoy it, too.

I will say that this recipe doesn't make nearly as many cookies as I expected based on notes in the original recipe I was using.  A single recipe is supposed to make 2 dozen cookies.  Since you can make this and put 20 on a half sheet pan I am giving you the measurements for a double recipe.

On the other hand, these were 74 of the most delicious cookies I've made (that didn't include chocolate) in a long while.  The sour cream was just enough of a tang and the low sugar was a benefit in my book.  I am providing you with my version of this recipe, which is a double of the original (because who would want to come out with at least 36 delicious cookies?)

The other change I made was about forming the cookies.  The directions said to chill the dough and roll it out and cut it.  Well, seriously, I thought about it.  I thought I would roll it out and use a ruler and my rotary pastry cutter with the ruffled edge to make square cookies.  When I got busy doing these however the Gators football game was on and I didn't want to take the time.  (True confession.) I used a small dough scoop and then pressed them flat with a meat tenderizer.  (This is not the first time I have shown you creative ways to use a meat pounder in baking!)  It made cookies that were the 1/4" depth and with rough edges.  They reminded me of something my not-Italian memere would make and that made me VERY happy.  I can't believe I didn't take a picture of the finished cookies, but I will make this recipe again and add those photos when I can.  Enjoy!

This recipe is super easy to put together and I am expecting to make a bunch of them and freeze them in the months ahead.  Enjoy!

Italian Sour Cream Cookies 

Yield:  4 dozen

2 sticks of butter, best if warmed to room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
crystalized sugar (optional)

Set your oven to 350F

Cream butter, sugar and sour cream until fully combined.

Add yolks and vanilla and repeat.

Add remaining ingredients and mix just until it is combined.  (FYI: I like to combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, just to make the mixing in happen without worrying that the baking powder and soda are equally distributed.)

Using a scoop or a table spoon (I use Pampered Chef small scoop) put 20 balls of dough on a large sheet pan.  Gently press each ball of dough with something hard and flat.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden at the edges.

Sally's Peach Muffins

Sally's Baking Addiction has inspired me more than once.  This recipe grabbed my attention one day when I was researching peach anything because I wanted something, anything that wasn't peach cobbler.  I have loved this one so much I never tried another one.  Now, if you go to her site, you will see I don't quite make the muffins the way she does.  Once again, I have a muffin calling for struesel topping which I apparently am not capable of doing right.  My topping always ends up a coating instead of crumbs.  I keep playing with it.  My muffins are also very flat topped, which would be less appealing if they weren't delicious, but they really are very good tasting.  Having said that, I often don't bother with the creamy piping.  It all depends on whether I want it to look beautiful.  Honestly, I find these sweet and wonderful without an extra whisper of sugar.  

My dear friend Sandy gets credit for getting this into my blog.  She had a huge event to make muffins for and asked me for an idea.  This is the one I sent her, I'm glad it worked!  

Sally's Peach Muffins 

Struesel:

1/3 c. brown sugar

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 c. butter, melted

2/3 c. flour

Combine all and set aside.

Muffins:

1/2 c. unsalted butter, soft

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 c. yogurt... I use plain full fat greek yogurt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 & 3/4 c. flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 T. milk

1 1/2 c. frozen peach slices... I live in Georgia and still I buy frozen peaches for this recipe  

Set oven to 425 F and prepare a 12 muffin pan, either grease it well or use muffin liners.  Beat butter until smooth and add sugars, beat until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, then add yogurt and vanilla.  Beat until fully mixed, scraping the bottom of the bowl as needed.  

In a large bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt.  Pour wet ingredients over the dry and hand mix the two.  When it gets stiff add milk and then just before done add the peaches and mix.  

Divide the batter evenly, make sure the cups are filled completely.  Use streusel crumbs heavily.  

Bake for 5 minutes at 424F and then turn the baking temp to 350F and bake for 15-20 minutes.  They should be beautifully browned and crisp at the edges.

Glaze is optional but if you want to make it here's the way:  

1 c. powdered sugar  

3 T.  heavy cream 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Spoon the muffin batter evenly between all 12 muffin tins. There may be enough to make a 13th muffin in a 2nd batch, depending if there were a few extra peach chunks thrown in. Fill the muffin tins until they are full all the way up to the top. Press a handful of the crumb topping into the top of each; crumble it with your hands to make some big chunks.
2. Bake for 5 minutes at 425F degrees, don't open the oven, just lower the oven temperature to 350F degrees and bake for 15-19 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
3. Make the glaze: whisk all of the ingredients together and drizzle over warm muffins.
4. Make ahead tip: Muffins stay soft, fresh, and moist at room temperature for up to 5 days. Muffins freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat up (if desired) before enjoying.

has inspired me more than once.  This recipe grabbed my attention one day when I was researching peach muffins because I wanted something, anything that wasn't peach cobbler.  I have loved this one so much I never tried another one.  Now, if you go to her site, you will see I don't quite make the muffins the way she does.  Once again, I have a muffin calling for struessel topping which I apparently am not capable of doing right.  My topping always ends up a coating instead of crumbs.  I keep playing with it.  My muffins are also very flat topped, which would be less appealing if they weren't delicious, but they really are very good tasting.  Having said that, I often don't bother with the creamy piping.  It all depends on whether I want it to look beautiful.  Honestly, I find these sweet and wonderful without an extra whisper of sugar.  

Pecan Pineapple Coffee Cake

This is a great recipe.  The woman who submitted it to All Recipes is named Alice which made me smile.  That was my mom's name and she LOVED coffee cake.  Thanks for sharing this, Alice. I made only a few changes on the fly.  First of all because of the number of servings I had to make I tripled the recipe and cooked using half-sheet pans which were perfect to hold the amount of batter I had.  The other change is that I chopped the pecan topping in the food processor.  The recipe calls for chopped pecans, but their picture shows whole ones.  One note, the topping gets scattered by hand, it is not a thick crumbly topping like most coffee cakes call for.  (It would need butter and higher volume, IMO.) In the future I will make another change.  I felt the pineapple made spots in the cake that were almost wet, and that was after fully draining the cans of pineapple.  In the future I will take the added step of cutting the tidbits smaller, perhaps into four pieces each and allowing them to sit, perhaps for an hour or more before using them.  This will allow pineapple to get into more of the cake and keep it from making the squares challenging to cut neatly.  As I'm typing I'm thinking I might try using crushed pineapple... hmmmm. Of course, I am the one who cares about how pretty the pieces look, everyone who commented thought they tasted great.  Enjoy! Pecan Pineapple Coffee Cake

Rated:  Submitted By: alice Photo By: lutzflcat Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 25 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes Servings: 9

"Pineapple bits and pecans give this coffee cake a tropical taste, and it's a delicious accompaniment to a hot cup of coffee or tea."

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup white sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 large egg

1 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup canola oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups pineapple tidbits in juice, drained and juice reserved 1/3 cup reserved pineapple juice 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup brown sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
2.	Combine flour, white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Whisk egg, yogurt, canola oil, and vanilla extract in another bowl until smooth. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture until just blended. Add 1/3 cup reserved pineapple juice and fold in pineapple tidbits until batter is just mixed; pour into prepared baking dish.
3.	Stir pecans and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar in a small bowl; sprinkle over batter.
4.	Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or completely cool.

Rice Krispies Treat Secrets

You surely don't need a recipe for these old favorites, although I will post the one that has been published on the Rice Krispies boxes for as long as I know.  It's easy to make these, easy to add additions for color or flavor and very easy to cut and serve them if you have a few ideas.  Here is some of what I do after years of practice.

First of all, for events I make my in a half sheet pan, not the thicker 9x13 pan that is suggested.  This is certainly the depth to do if I have to cut particular shapes like hearts.  Also, I find it is easier to get more neat pieces out of the more shallow pan.  Anything that actually cuts into the krispies would be making cleaner cuts if it's been sprayed with PAM.

Second, when the krispies are mixed and laid out in the pan I cover it with plastic wrap and then use something flat to press them as even as possible.  I found that if I only use my hands I never get them as smooth as I would like.  The plastic wrap keeps them smooth and my meat pounder clean.

Third, when they have sat for a while and cooled I cut them using a ruler to measure my pieces.  Whether you want 3" blocks or 1x2" pieces a ruler can help you make beautiful cuts.  I use a ruler that used to be for quilting but has had lines wear off.  I can put on a line of masking tape (or in this case a few sticky notes) to mark my desired size.  While the krispies are covered with plastic wrap I use a bread board scraper as my knife and mark the rows by pressing against the plastic wrap into the bars.  Amazing enough, the plastic does not tear or get caught in the bars.  I then turn the pan and do the same thing again.  Now I can remove the plastic wrap and cut fully along the lines I marked.  I usually take out the first four because after that getting them out is much easier.  The pretty bars are easy to fully cut and remove from the pan onto a plate.  Enjoy!

Rice Krispies Recipe

3 tablespoons butter 
1 package (10 oz., about 40) JET-PUFFED Marshmallows 
6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.


MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 and 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.

Should have been Blueberry Coffee Cake

In what could only be called a comical error, I made this coffee cake successfully, but forgot to add the blueberries.  Seriously, I just forgot to take them out of the freezer when I was getting things ready, because as usual I mixed the dry ingredients together, all the topping ingredients (which got chilled) and pulled the eggs and buttermilk so they would come to room temp hours before I actually made the cake.  I was tired when I was putting it all together and didn't even think of grabbing the blueberries out of the freezer.  It was a delicious cake, but NOT a blueberry cake!  Enjoy!

SHOULD HAVE BEEN BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE

Ingredients:

Topping

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup almonds, sliced, slivered, blanched, or roasted.  The only thing I wouldn't use is smoked and that MIGHT have some possibilities, but not tonight.  LOL

If using whole almonds, go ahead and run them through the food processor for a few pulses to get them going toward breaking up.  Otherwise, add all ingredients to the bowl and give them a whirl until it’s combined.  Set aside.  If you use sliced almonds you might want to wait until close to the end of combining but I promise you, I used them tonight and didn’t find them disappearing.

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 stick melted butter

3 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk 

grated zest of one lemon

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Set oven to 350F  

Prepare 9x9 pan with butter or PAM.

In one medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and 

salt.  In mixer bowl combine melted butter, sugar, vanilla,

buttermilk and lemon zest.  Turn on the mixer and let it get well

blended.  Add eggs one at a time, making sure they get completely

combined.  Take bowl from mixer and use a rubber scraper to add

flour mixture.  Gently stir in the blueberries and spread batter in

pan.  Sprinkle with topping mixture and bake for 40-50 minutes.  

Let cool before slicing.

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

I was invited to make some cookies that would represent Georgia in a few baskets for quilt judges coming to town for the greatest show in the state.  (Yes, that is my humble opinion.)  Our quilts (more than 325 of them!) were the star of that week, but I'm glad my cookies gave a little of the local sparkle to the important ladies who chose the winning the quilts.

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

3 sticks of butter, brought to room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract

3 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/4 t. salt 

1 1/2 c. chopped pecans (I use my food processor on toasted whole pecans)

In mixer blend butter and sugar, do not over beat.  Add vanilla, almond extract and salt.  Mix just to combine.  Add flour and again, mix to combine.  Take bowl from mixer and add the pecans by hand.  I use a rubber scraper to get the best possibility of getting pecans throughout the dough.  

Lay a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper on the counter.  Turn the dough out and form a log 2" wide and wrap in plastic or waxed paper.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or overnight.  

Set oven to 350 F

Slice the log in 1/4" slices and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  These will not rise or spread much so you can place them closer than you would for chocolate chip cookies.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.