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Sweet Snacks

Sweet Snacks

Irish Apple Crumble Cake

I found this recipe in a number of places listed as “Irish Apple Crumble Cake” though I don’t see anything tremendously Irish about it (just seems like a normal apple coffee cake like cake), but it looked yummy so I decided to make it on the spur of the moment, really.

I should know better by now than to bake something when I am not in a baking mood (and in an overall very cranky mood) and just to make something “for the sake of a holiday”, especially one that I have no real connection to. This was actually the third thing that I attempted to make this morning. The first two were utter failures. They might have been somewhat more “Irish-y” (in that they involved green and shamrocks and the like — ok, more Plastic Paddy maybe [grin] ), but one didn’t even make it to the baking stage and the other fell apart … well, let’s not go into the details. At any rate, I was frustrated and so even this isn’t a success in my mind. Baking is definitely a frame of mind. And tomorrow is another day.
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17. March 2015
Desserts, Sweet Snacks

Apple Blossom Tart, with Honey Almond Custard

Today is Pie Day. Or rather, Pi Day (3.14.15), at least in the US date format. Some years, I have made a whole slew of pies, but this year, this is my solo one. It’s lovely. It’s harder to put together than one would think, as a lot of the “flowers” want to unroll again. But it’s well worth it.
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13. March 2015
Breakfast/Brunch, Savory Snacks, Sweet Snacks

Caramelized Cranberry and Camembert Crazy Bread, with Toasted Walnuts

Looks kind of crazy, doesn’t it? I’d seen crazy breads (aka pull-apart breads) before, but this was a first attempt. I think that the yeast went crazier than expected though, because the loaf bloomed like mad and quite overflowed the pan. Oh well, nice effect, I guess. The cranberries and walnuts are a nice contrast to the funkiness of the camembert. Not sure if I should consider this a “sweet” or “savory” bread, but I do think that the presentation will wow.
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10. March 2015
Sweet Snacks

Chocolatey Fruit and Nut Energy Bars

A few weeks ago, a friend asked me if I could make “Energy/Protein Bars that don’t break the bank”. A box of 12 of the kind that he likes costs $25, which is $2.08 per bar. To be honest, I didn’t think that it was possible, and this experiment pretty much proved it: cost per bar ended up at $1.88, not including my time. Nuts, dried fruit, coconut butter, cocoa powder and nibs … all very pricey. I could probably bring the price down for 10 or 15 cents if I bought in huge volumes / bulk, but seeing this was an experiment, I went with normal sized purchases. Also, never having made energy bars before (and to be honest, I never really even thought about making them before now), I didn’t know how they would turn out, or if he would like them. If you like energy bars, these are pretty good. If you are “eh” on the topic of energy bars, you might not like them. I think that they are “good not great”.

Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, no bake… all that.
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3. March 2015