It’s getting to be Independence Day Soon. OK, still a bit over a week, but here is a quick and easy idea for the holiday, if you’re going to a BBQ or potluck. And yes, I make fron-scratch brownies, but I won’t tell if you make the “from the box” type either. The M&Ms (and the peanut variety) are everywhere right now, so pick yourself up a bag for baking. Or sharing. Or just plain eating. This from scratch recipe uses melted butter and lots of chocolate in multiple forms. Positively festive!
How to make a long week (despite a Monday bank-holiday) slightly more tolerable? Yes, you’ve got it: sticky sweet, very bananananana-y and gloriously delicious Bananas Foster Shortbread Bars. If you’ve ever been to New Orleans and ha Bananas Foster prepared table side, you’ll know that it can be a sugar-rush like no other. These Shortbread bars are no different. Find yourself a cold glass of milk or some whipped cream and enjoy. I didn’t, however, flambe the shortbread bars like the “real” Bananas Foster.
The local strawberry season will soon be here in Eastern Massachusetts — Some of the PYO places are already opening this weekend, though I suspect that it will be at least another 10 days (hopefully even 2 weeks) for my planning purposes, before they are at peak.In the meantime, I found two types of “unique” baking chips — strawberry chips and cream cheese chips, so I invented these Strawberry Cheesecake Chip Oatmeal Cookies. Almost even healthy! Definitely have some strawberry flavor and are small enough for a quick two bite snack.
Cookies that could be as good as Christmas Cookies as they are here in the summer-time: Chocolate-dipped Salted Caramel-candied Hazelnut Shortbread Cookies! Yes, that’s a mouthful to say (and to eat, har har). Hazelnut shortbread, dipped in decadent dark chocolate and then partially coated in a salted caramel hazelnut crunch — sort of like a topping that you put on ice cream or an ice cream cone. Not too sweet, just the right size for two bites. Would be a great “after dinner” dessert cookie.
Haven’t been baking as much since Easter, and had company so what I was baking was more old-standbys. It’s remarkably hard to do recipe testing, writing and photography with a houseful of guests. That said, I’m back. With so many crab apple and cherry trees in blossom, I got to thinking … well, about crab apples and cherries, so I made these Cherry Almond Oatmeal Crumble Bars. A little tart, a little sweet, a little nutty and overall delicious.