Elle's Kitchen: Homemade Granola Bars

Mr. Wonderful and I are heading out for 

a road trip/camping trip.  I thought these 

tasty treats would be perfect to snack on.

Is that tin so me or what?

Years ago when I was a stay at home Mommy

I used to make these granola bars every Sunday

for my kids.  I would listen to NPR and bake.  I 

loved those days, making things from scratch was

such a joy.  I liked the idea of my kids having things

that tasted good.  We tried the packaged granola

bars and they tasted like cardboard and they were

also quite expensive, even when we bought them on

sale.  My baby turned 21 today and I was reminiscing

about all the fun we had while they were growing up.

Even the weekly chores like making these bars was

fun.  They were made with love.

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 9'' x 13'' pan.

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup flour

1 teas. baking soda

1 teas. vanilla

2/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup Craisins or raisins

1/4 cup chopped dried pineapple

3/4 cup butterscotch chips

3/4 cup peanut butter chips

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, baking

soda, vanilla, butter, honey and brown sugar.

Take a look at the spoon, I bought it on a recent

trip to Grand Haven, MI.  I was shopping with my

sister-in-law Pat and we were having such a nice 

time.  I think of it every time I use it.

Stir in Craisins, pineapple and chips.

Press mixture into pan.  Bake for 18 to 22

minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 10 minutes

and cut into bars.  Cool completely before removing 

from pan.

I like to wrap each bar in a little square

of decorated waxed paper (available in

a restaurant supply store, they are basket

liners that I cut into quarters).  I store them

in the fridge.

When Kate was in her first year of foods in

4-H, the young kids made cookies as their

entry.  She told me she planned to make this

recipe for her project, that's when I knew she

really must have liked them.  On the day of 

judging there were dozens of entries and 90%

of them were chocolate chip cookies.  There 

were no other bar cookies.  I stressed through 

the entire judging thinking, oh no, I should have

read over the instructions, maybe bar cookies

are not allowed.  I thought she is going to be so

upset if she gets disqualified for an improper 

entry.  She went up for the tasting with the 

judge and I could see her talking and smiling

and by her hand motions I could tell she was 

telling the judge how she made the cookies.

When the winners were announced, she won

reserve champion!  

Enjoy!

Cookie Press

 

For as long as I can remember we have

made Swedish Spritz cookies for Christmas.

You need a cookie press to make them.

I think I was always so fascinated by them

because you could make so many shapes.

 

I assumed everyone had a cookie press and

made these wonderful cookies.  I remember

when I was in high school, I would bring them

to parties at Christmas.  People thought they

were the Italian cookies from the bakery and

when I told them I made them, they would

look at me in wonder.

 

I can still remember when I was in grammar

school and went to my friend Terry's house

and her Mom made these cookies by using the

star tip and making them into long straws.

I couldn't wait to get home and try that

myself.  I'm still making them this way...

 

 

Whenever I see an old cookie press at

an antique store or yard sale I buy it.

I have tried the new types but they just

aren't as good.

Today I made a batch of Spritz for this year.

Just remember you can't eat them the first

day or they taste like flour, the flavor has

to develop, give it 24 hours.  I look forward

to tomorrow!

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day

For My Valentine

I believe in homemade Valentines.

In my early years that meant glue

and lace and construction paper.

When I met Mr. Wonderful, I realized

it meant baked goods.  Years ago, before

we were married I would often meet him

after work on a Friday in early summer

with a full picnic basket, including a

homemade pie.  We would go to a beautiful

spot we both loved and feast while watching

the sun set.  While still at work he would tell

his co-workers about the plans for the evening

and about the pie.  And the men always got

a wistful look in their eyes and would say,

"Pie! ~ I've been married for years and my wife

has never made me a pie..."  When I would

meet these co-workers they always spoke

to me about the pies!  It was then that I figured

there was something to this baking thing.

And that is when Mr. Wonderful started

getting these homemade decorated sugar

cookies every Valentine's Day.  I made them

for years and then as our lives got busier and

time was tight, I stopped.  So, now that this is

the first year of our life in the Honeymoon Cottage

(others may call that the empty nest), I thought

it was a great time to start up the tradition again.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I Carry Your Heart With Me by E.E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)



Elle's Kitchen: Polish Thumbprint Cookies

I Love to Bake!

The Holiday baking begins with Polish

Thumbprint Cookies,  an easy

cookie that looks impressive.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teas. baking powder

1/4 teas. salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 large egg

1/2 teas. almond extract

1 cup finely chopped blanched almonds

apricot and raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Lightly butter baking pans.

In a medium bowl, stir together

flour, baking powder & salt.

Set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer

set at medium-high, beat together butter,

sugar and honey until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg and the the almond

extract.  In 3 additions, beat in the  flour

mixture, mixing well after each addition.

Shape the dough into balls that are

about 1" in diameter.  Roll each ball

in the chopped almonds until coated

and place 1 1/2" apart on baking sheet.

Use your knuckle or your thumb to make

a deep indentation in the center of each

cookie.  Fill each indentation with 1/2 teas.

of the preserves.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies

turn golden.  Cool for 2 to 4 minutes and

transfer to a wire rack with a metal spatula

and cool completely.

When cool, store cookies in an airtight

container with waxed paper between the

layers.  They freeze well.

I serve them with a light

dusting of confectioners sugar.