Cranberries And Cream Cookie Bars #Recipe

I found a recipe online that combined a cream filling with an oatmeal crust and I fiddled with the recipe a bit. I added extra cranberries and vanilla to the cream filling. I decreased the salt and swapped out the white sugar for brown sugar in the crust. The result is a cookie bar that is wonderful served warm (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream???) or cold (with a cup of hot tea!). I hope you enjoy!

Cranberries and Cream Bars

Ingredients:

CREAM FILLING:

• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup dried cranberries

CRUST:

• 1 cup butter, very soft
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly spray a 13-inch x 9-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Set pan aside.

2. Prepare cream filling. In the top of a double boiler, whisk together the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt until well combined; stir in the cranberries. Cook and stir over simmering water until mixture is thickened, 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Prepare the crust. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and coconut. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated. Press HALF of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Bake the bottom crust until set, about 10 minutes. (The remaining dough will become the topping.)

4. Remove the bottom crust from the oven. Spread cranberry cream mixture over crust and crumble reserved dough evenly over the top of the cream. Bake until filling is set and top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool and cut into bars.

Starlight Cupcakes to the Rescue! #Recipe for #Foodies

It's cold. Freezing cold. And I need a reason to smile. What’s a woman to do?

Bake cupcakes! Yes! One of my favorite recipes for cupcakes comes from my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook. I have the one I was given as a gift when I married my husband. I also have my grandmother’s Betty Crocker Cookbook which has her notes and hand-written recipes tucked inside. It’s a treasure!

Starlight Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

3 eggs

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups milk (substitute almond milk, if you wish)

2 teaspoons vanilla (original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon)

1.     Cream together the sugar and shortening. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition until ingredients are well incorporated.

2.     Add flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and vanilla. Stir just until batter comes together and no flour is visible. (Too much mixing at this stage will develop the gluten in the flour and make the cupcakes tough.)

3.     Line 36 medium, greased muffin cups with cupcake liners. Fill each liner half full with batter. Bake in a pre-heated 350º F oven until golden and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 18 min. Allow cupcakes to cool to room temperature.

I like my cupcakes sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar, but you can use a tub of any flavored frosting you like. Enjoy!

~   ~   ~

As you can imagine, I’ve been antsy lately. So I took on the task of creating a new cover for my book TAKING LOVE IN STRIDE. Here’s what I came up with. What do you think? The story is about a stiletto-loving school teacher who gets into a battle of wills with a do-it-my-way businessman. It’s a fun, sweet contemporary romance.

Kindle Worldwide

Nook Book

iBooks Store

Kobo

Google

If you'd like to see the old cover, click here:

Paperback

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It's Time for Mulled Cider!

I love mulled cider. In trying to decide which recipe to use for this post, I was torn between recipes offered by 2 Food Network chefs that I love—Bobby Flay and Ina Garten. I went with Garten’s recipe because I love the flavor and scent of star anise. If you’ve never used this spice, you have got to try it! It smells like a holiday all by itself. I often put a few star anise and few whole cloves into a saucepan of simmering water and let the steam scent the air. It makes my house smell wonderful. Be careful not to let the water evaporate completely or you’ll end up with scorched spices. Now, on to the recipe.

Mulled Cider by Ina Garten of Food Network

Ingredients:

·       1 gallon fresh apple cider

·       4 cinnamon sticks

·       8 whole cloves

·       6 star anise

Directions:

1.         Combine all ingredients into a pot and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, or until all flavors are combined.
2.          Pour into mugs and serve hot.
3.          Makes 12 servings.

 

I’m celebrating fall with MOUNTAIN LAUREL, the very first book I wrote. This sweet romance won a finalist spot on what was then called The Unpublished RITA Contest (now known as The Golden Heart). Although the manuscript didn't win the contest, editor Tara Gavin of Harlequin bought and published the book. I was so happy and so proud!

 

Links to buy:

Kindle US 

Nook

Kobo

Apple iBooks

Paperback

If your store isn’t listed above, simply search for “Mountain Laurel Donna Fasano.”  Thank you!

I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you use the Amazon links in this blog, I might earn a few extra pennies. 

 

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

Now that the weather has grown chilly, I love to turn on my oven and BAKE! Here's a favorite in my household - White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies. Now, some bakers say white chocolate isn't chocolate; however, I disagree. Sort of. White chocolate contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk, so I say it IS a form of chocolate. It doesn't contain cocoa solids which is the ingredient that darkens the chocolate. Try these cookies. You won't be sorry. 

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 11 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces white chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cup macadamia nuts (see note)

(Note: coarsely chop 1 cup of the nuts and leave 1/2 cup whole)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Cream the sugars, butter, and shortening together. Once they’re fully incorporated, mix in the eggs and the vanilla.
2. Add flour, soda, salt. Stir to combine.
3. Add white chocolate chips and nuts.
4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I use non-stick baking mats). Bake until light brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.
5. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

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Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread #Recipe

This chocolate zucchini bread is dense, moist, and has a decadently rich chocolate flavor. I started out with this recipe and did a little fiddling. I scrapped the honey and increased the brown sugar. I used butter where they called for oil. And I doubled the amount of vanilla and espresso powder. If you don’t have espresso powder or instant coffee, leave it out, but the coffee really enhances the chocolate flavor. The loaf doesn’t taste a bit like coffee, I promise. 

 

Dark Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (also called black cocoa)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee granules
• 2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 medium zucchinis)
• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees and grease a 9” x 5” loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Mix together the melted butter and the brown sugar until smooth and glossy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Stir until fully incorporated.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and espresso powder. Add to the butter mixture and stir well. Batter will be very thick.
4. Using a sturdy spoon, mix the zucchini and chocolate chunks. Batter will be thick and stiff (think of the muscles you're developing!) 
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread batter into all corners of the pan. Use a silicone (or rubber) spatula to get every bit of batter from the bowl. Smooth the top, evenly. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool for 15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. 

Enjoy! And Happy Autumn! 

1.

Healthy Greek Yogurt Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

 I’ve been dieting for just over a month. You could say I’m preparing for the upcoming holidays. :::grin::: I’ve taken off over 10 pounds using 2 methods – intermittent fasting and eating in a calorie deficit. This seems to be the formula that works for me, but, of course, everyone is different. However, the point of this blog is to let you know that I’ve come up with a salad dressing that is tasty, fat-free, and low in calories. I hope you’ll try it. Let me know in the comments if you like it.

 

Greek Yogurt Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Makes about 3/4 cup of dressing (6 servings)    

Serving size: 2 tablespoons

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Greek Fat-Free Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon Buttermilk Powder
• 1 teaspoon Granulated Garlic Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Granulated Onion Powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Fresh Lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest

• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Dill Weed
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• Pinch of White Pepper
• 1 tablespoon Water (to thin)
• 1/2 teaspoon Honey (optional)

Directions:

1.    Add all ingredients to a glass jar and shake to combine. Store in the refrigerator. For best flavor, allow to sit for at least 4 hours. Shake before serving. Keeps for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

 

At just 20 calories for a generous 2 tablespoon serving, this dressing is good on green salads or grain salads. It’s also good drizzled on fresh vegetables (carrots, celery, zucchini, etc.). I also use this to make egg salad.

 

Nova Scotia Oatcakes #Recipe

After a recent trip to Nova Scotia, I couldn’t wait to get home and try my hand at making Oatcakes. These delicious, toasty-oat cookies are offered everywhere, in grocery stores and bakeries, restaurants and even chocolate shops. My husband and I loved them. As you can see in the picture below, I cut my Oatcakes into circles. But you could go the easy route and cut them into squares. I melted 1/2 a cup of dark chocolate baking chips and coated the bottoms of about half the cookies I made. This recipe makes about 10 to 12 nice size cookies, depending on how thin you roll out the dough.

Nova Scotia Oatcakes 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup oat flour (or all-purpose)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, add oats, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine thoroughly.
3. Add butter and brown sugar and stir just until a stiff dough forms.
4. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use a biscuit or cookie cutter to cut out the circles of dough and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Re-roll any leftover dough and cut more cookies. (Or roll the dough into a rectangle and cut into squares.)
5. Bake for 12-18 minutes, or until set and edges are slightly golden. Allow to cool. Coat with chocolate, if desired. 

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