OMG Desserts

A collection of some of my favorite desserts, bars, cookies and just plain delicious treats.






Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies dipped in Chocolate



Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies Dipped in Chocolate

1 Cup softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups rolled oat
1 ½ cups flour
1 cup fresh/frozen cranberries
16 ounces of chopped chocolate ( I use dark) or about 2 cups choc chips – melted for dipping

Preheat oven 350. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugars together, then add eggs, vanilla, salt, soda, cinnamon.  Mix in oats flour and cranberries.

Drop golf ball sized rolled balls from the dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake 10-14 min.till edges are golden brown.   I rotate my cookies half way through. Once cooled,  melt chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, about 30 seconds and rotate and microwave another 10 seconds if needed.  Or melt the chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of boiling water. Either works well -  after the cookies have cooled on a wire rack, dip the bottoms in the melted chocolate and  then place on another wire rack with the chocolate side up to cool and harden.  I will try these with my next batch of chocolate chip cookies too as a special treat.  Yummmm!

 






Crock-pot Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls ( recipe from Country Living) (Crockpot directions from Sally’s Baking Addition) Print recipe

 For the dough:
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbl active yeast
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ tsp ginger
½ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp cloves
3 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
2 Tbl butter
1 egg
2 Tbl molasses

For Filling & assembly
½ cup light brown sugar
2 Tbl butter (melted)
1 Tbl cinnamon
1 ½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cloves

Directions:
Whisk together sugar, yeast, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves and 1 ¾ cup of flour.  In a small saucepan combine milk and butter until butter has melted and tempurative3 read between 105-110 degrees. ( I microwaved the butter and milk)

Add milk mixture, egg and molasses to the flour mixture. Beat dough with a dough hook attached to the stand mixer on low speed until moistened.  Add 1 ¾ cup of remaining flour until smooth, about 4-5 minutes. ** If you wish to use conventional rise and bake - omit the crockpot directions.

On a floured surface roll out dough and paint the dough with melted butter, then spread the brown sugar mixture evenly over the dough. Roll up long side and slice into 9 sections.

Next in a large crockpot, spray with cooking spray and cover bottom and up the sides with parchment paper. Arrange the rolls around the crockpot. Then put a paper towel (not a cloth towel) under  the top of the crockpot lid and then securely set the lid on.  Do not omit this step, as It is important to do this as the paper towel will absorb the moisture.  Bake on high for 2 hours , then  Immediately lift the rolls out of the crockpot. (The edges of the rolls were crispier than if baked  in an over – but still really good)  This was really easy to do and very convenient.


Topping:
4 oz  cream cheese, room temp
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cup confectioners sugar, divided
2 tsp molasses
1 tsp warm water
Combine cream cheese, vanilla and 1 cup confectioners sugar  in a bowl. Whisk together molasses water and 1/3 cup remaining confectioners sugar in separate bowl.  Spread cream cheese mixture on warm rolls, then drizzle with molasses glaze.

Or

Gingerbread Molasses Glaze
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 Tbl molasses
1 Tbl half & half
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
Mix together in a bowl and drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.



Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread - one bite and it will make you wished you would have planted more zucchini plants!

Glazed LemonZucchini Bread 





In a large bowl, mix:

2 cups white flour
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
½ cup canola oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 TB Lemon juice
½ cup Buttermilk  or half n half
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup grated  zucchini

Grease a 9x5 loaf pan & also layer a strip of wax paper/parchment paper or foil on the bottom and up the sides of the end of the  pan, as I’ve found the bread is sticky & it’s hard to get it out of the pan.  Mix all ingredients well and bake at 350 for 55-60 min or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  While still warm, mix glaze and pour over the bread. Let the glaze set up before cutting and serving.  I usually let it sit overnight before cutting.


Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TB lemon juice
1 TB milk



Farmhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies
Farmhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipes from The FarmChick’s  Kitchen   (Gayle Anderson)       

Chocolate Chip Cookies     
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup of butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Mix sugars, butter and shortening till creamy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Add remaining dry ingredients. Mix well then add in chocolate chips.  Drop by teaspoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 

I use a small ice cream scoop for uniform cookies and bake mine with my oven set for convection.  Bake them for 6 min, then rotate the pan and bake an additional 5 min.  For regular oven, bake 10-12 min.

Note: if you want chocolate chocolate chip cookies, decrease flour by ½ cup and add ½ cup unsweetened baking cocoa powder.




Chunks of banana & Strawberries make this a stand out kind of bread



Kid Tested Sugar Cookies
Perfect and yummy sugar cookies


JAM LOGS

JAM LOGS


Cranberry Chocolate Cake





Cranberry Turtle Bars click here to print recipe.  Note: I didn't have a candy thermometer, so I used a digital meat thermometer & it worked wonderfully.  I also omitted the chocolate drizzle over the top as they are yummy without it.



Zucchini Cobbler Bars Click here to print/save recipe

Zucchini Cobbler Bars
•In a pan, add  4 cups chopped seeded, peeled zucchini &  1/3 cup lemon juice, cook about 10 minutes over med-high heat till zucchini is tender

then add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the cooked mixture.


And while the mixture is cooking, in a food processor, add 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and I added an extra 1/4 tsp of nutmeg (which is optional) and 3/4 cup of cold butter, mixture till crumbly

 Then take 1/2 cup of the flour mixture and add it to the cooked zucchini mixture in the pan.

Then the with rest of the flour mixture, pour a little over half of the flour mixture into a greased pan (I used a 9x13 pan) and pat it down to form a firm base, then

Pour the zucchini mixture over the base as shown below

 Then sprinkle the remaining flour mixture over the top and bake 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees.

Then prepare to enjoy all the compliments you will get from this tasty treat! ~


Lemon Coconut Bars

Lemon Coconut Bars- print/save

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup cold butter or margarine
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice (I used the bottled lemon juice)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup flaked coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine flour and confectioners' sugar; cut in the butter until crumbly (I used my food processor and pulsed the ingredients until thoroughly combined).
3. Press into the bottom of a lightly greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and baking powder until well mixed. Pour over crust; sprinkle coconut evenly over the top.
5. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. This recipe was taken from the Pintrest site on www.mybakingaddiciton.com and adapted from allrecipes

Chocolate Coconut Cupcakes (made with lentils for a guilt free protein & fiber packed treat!) This was a "Yum Factor of 10+")  Note: Coconut can be omitted if you aren't a fan of it.  All I did was take my favorite chocolate cake recipe (not the Wacky cake kind, but the kind that uses eggs, milk, etc and simply added 1/2 cooked lentils to the recipe.) Very easy way to add fiber and protein. Yup, I'll have a second piece of cake!

Recipe coming soon:





Lentil Brownies  - a healthy alternative to regular brownies and they  are packed with protein and fiber. (4g protein, 2g fiber per serving) per Pea & Lentil Council   Also a "Yum Factor of 10+"

First, in a medium size pan, add water  (3-4cups) and add 1/2 cup dry lentils. (1/2 cup dry lentils = 1 cup cooked lentils).   Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 40 minutes.  They should be very tender and mushy. Drain the lentils and smash with a fork till smooth or use a food processor to get a fine puree. (note: the puree freezes well if you want to cook up extra.   Set puree aside and in a large bowl add:

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil ( I use canola oil)
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup choc chips
lentil puree (slightly over 1 cup & I use all what cooks up see picture)
1 cup small marshmallows (optional- I don't use them, but they can be added)



Peheat the oven to 350, grease a 9x13 cake pan. Mix the eggs, sugar, oil & vanilla. Then stir in the remainder of the ingredients and pour into the prepared pan. Bake 35 minutes. Cool and cut into serving sizes. No frosting is needed and they are dense and moist. Enjoy! ~






A stamp of approval by 6 yoa Miss B, that the lentil brownies are good
& so easy to make!

Pumpkin Truffles

Pumpkin Truffles - a little bit of work, but so worth the effort
Pumpkin Truffles


• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground gloves
• 2 cups cream (I used Half & Half)
• 1 pound dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 ounce butter, room temperature
• 2 cups finely ground graham crackers or vanilla wafers
Then to coat the truffles:
• 6 ounces melted dark chocolate (or I used about 2 1/2 cups choc chips melted over a double boiler)
• 3 ounces cocoa powder or more as needed

Directions

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine pumpkin, brown sugar and spices. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes and  set aside. In a medium saucepan over high heat, add cream. When cream boils, take off heat. In a heatproof medium bowl, add chocolate and hot cream. Let the mixture sit for a minute, then slowly begin to stir, starting in the center of the bowl and working outwards. Once the chocolate and cream are evenly mixed, add pumpkin mixture and whisk to combine. Add the butter and graham crackers. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.

On a parchment lined cookie sheet, scoop mixture into small balls using a melon baller. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour, or until chilled. Remove truffles from refrigerator and dip each in melted chocolate. Roll in cocoa powder and serve. (tip: the easiest method to get a good cocoa powder dusting was to place a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet, sift the cocoa powder over the wax paper so it is covered evenly and has a good coating. Then after dipping the balls into the melted chocolate, drop them on the cocoa covered wax paper. While the chocolate is still wet and before it hardens, dust the top of the balls with the cocoa powder). Refrigerate the truffles until the chocolate coating is set, then serve.  Enjoy!


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Apple Butterscotch Bars - easy to make & oh so yummy

Apple Butterscotch Bars printable recipe

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 cake pan.

In a large bowl, mix:

2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
¾ vegetable oil ( I use canola oil)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix well, then add:

1 tsp cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
3 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Then fold in ( by hand):

3 cups or about 4 -5 apples that are peeled, cored and cut into thin slices
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Then sprinkle over the top:

1 cup butterscotch chips

Fold in apples ( & walnuts). Dough will be thick. Spread into greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle 1 cup butterscotch chips over mixture. My recipe says to bake 40 min or until done ( I usually have to bake my bars for 50-55 min). Cool and cut into squares. These are quickly becoming a favorite and hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

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Lemon Tart

Lemon Tart printable recipe

Almond Crust

1 cup flour
½ cup chopped almonds
¼ cup sugar
6 Tbls cold butter
½ tsp almond extract
¼ tsp salt
2 to 3 Tbl water

Filling

1 cup sugar
¾ cup lemon juice
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tsp lemon rind
Dash of salt
6 Tbls butter, cubed

In a food processor, add flour, almonds, sugar, salt till blended – about 3-5 seconds. Add butter & extract and pulse till blended, gradually add water 1 Tbl at a time pulsing until mixture forms soft dough. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 in tart pan or a rectangular tart pan. Bake at 400 for 15 min.

Next in small heavy saucepan, whisk first 6 filling ingredients until blended, add butter and cook & stir over med heat until mixture thickens. Strain; pour into crust and bake at reduced heat of 325 for 10 min. Refrigerate leftovers.



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Walnut Tart printable recipe

Crust

1/3 cup butter
¼ cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 cup flour

Filling

2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup butter
¼ cup dark corn syrup
2 Tbl heavy cream or Half & Half

In a food processor, mix all the ingredients for the crust (m ixture will be crumbly) and press into the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9” tart pan. Bake at 375 for 12-14 min. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle the nuts over the crust. In a small heavy pan, add all ingredients for the filling and boil for 1 min. Then pour over the nuts and bake at 375 for 10 min. Serve tart at room temp and enjoy!

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Peanut butter chocolate bars are easy to make and yield lots
Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars printable recipe

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar
1 cup chunky peanut butter
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup oats
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 cups choc chips

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a bun pan ( 13”x18” rimmed baking sheet/also known as a jelly roll pan). In a mixing bowl add butter, sugars and peanut butter & beat until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add in flour, oats, soda, salt and mix until just combined, then add choc chips. Spread dough evenly in the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 min or until lightly browned.  See how easy  that was? And sooo good, especially just out of the oven.
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Pumpkin Muffins - Tasty and Healthy? Yup, you need to try them.

Pumpkin Muffin

Pumpkin Muffins  printable recipe
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice ( 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp each of ginger & nutmeg)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup plain, low fat yogurt or sour cream
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey (Gayle uses honey)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup grated carrots *
1/2 cup mini semi sweet choc chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Melt butter, and mix all ingrediants in a large bowl until throughly mixed. Really, it is that easy.  In a muffin tin, line the tin with cupcake liners and fill 2/3 full.  This makes around 15 muffins.  Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are done (when a toothpick is inserted into center and it comes out clean).
*Gayle uses a food processor to grate the carrots)

Salted Nut Bars



The butterscotch chips are the key to the yum factor in these bars

Salted Nut Bars printable recipe

Crust

1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
¼ tsp salt
Topping
1/2  cup light corn syrup
2 cups butterscotch flavored chips
2 Tbl water
1/2  tsp salt
3 cups mixed nuts

Preheat oven 350, spray 9x13 baking pan with a no stick cooking spray.

Next combine all crust ingredients in a bowl ( or I use a food processor) and mix well, the mixture will be crumbly. Press crumbs mixture into prepared pan and bake 10 min.

Meanwhile, place all toppings ingredients except nuts in medium size saucepan and cook over low heat stirring constantly until chips are melted and mixture is smooth (3 to 5 min), then stir in nuts until well coated. Then spread the mixture over the partially baked hot crust and continue baking for 17-20 min or until golden brown. The bars are easier to cut if  they have cooled about 10 min, then cut into bars.  It will take about 1 hour for the bars to completely set up and harden, but so worth the wait. 

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Pecan Squares printable recipe
If you like pecan pie, this will quickly become a favorite

Crust:
3 cups flour
½ cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
½ tsp salt

Filling:
4 eggs
1 ½ cup light or dark corn syrup
1 ½ cup sugar
3 Tbl butter, melted
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ chopped pecans

If you have a food processor, mix all ingredients and pulse until all mixed well and resembles course crumbs. If you do not have a food processor, blend together with a mixer. Press firmly and evenly into a greased 15 in x 10 in x 1 in baking pan (note: make sure your cookie sheet is the exact measurements especially the 1” sides or else it will boil all over your oven – this is from past experience on my part =) and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients & mix well then stir in pecans. Spread evenly over the hot crust and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

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Berry Shortbread Squares (Double yum on this one)


3/4 cup butter, room temp
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup whole almonds
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
4 cups fresh/frozen berries

Preheat oven to 350 and put down buttered parchment paper on a 9x13 pan. In a food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground. Add the remaining ingredients except the berries and mix till crumbly. Remove 1 cup of this mixture, set aside. Press the remaining mixture in the parchment lined pan, then sprinkle the berries over it and sprinkle the remaining topping over the berries. Bake 20 min, then rotate the pan and bake another 20-25 min or until the crust is golden. Let cool and be prepared to gain 10 pounds because you will not be able to stay out of these.=)

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Oatmeal Berry Breakfast Bars


Fresh berries make this one of my favorite breakfast foods
Oatmeal Breakfast Berry Bars    Printable recipe
Crust & Topping
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brn sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into cubes
2 1/2 cups quick-cook oats
2 Tbls orange or apple juice

Filling
1/4 cup brn sugar
2 Tbls Flour
pinch of salt
3 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries ( I like blueberries the best, but anything will work)

Heat oven to 375 & grease 9x13 pan.

In a food processor, add all the ingredients except the juice & pulse till crumbly, then remove 1 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside. Then add juice into the rest of the mixture in the processor and pulse till moistened. Press this mixture into the bottom of the 9x13 pan.

For the filling mix all the ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over the crust, then add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of topping over the fruit. Bake 35-40. Let cool for 2 hrs. Cut into bars store in refrig or airtight container. This is soooo yummy

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Layered Lemon Pie Printable recipe

This makes 2 pies

Pastry for 2 single crust pies (9in)

1 1/2 cups sugar
6 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups cold water
3 egg yolks, beaten (in a separate small bowl)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp lemon extract

Second layer
1 pkg 8oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cups cold 2% milk
2 pkgs 3.4oz inst lemon pudding mix

Topping
1 pkg 8oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 carton 16oz frozen wipped topping, thawed

Bake 2 pie crusts as directed and cool.

In large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt, stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat cook and stir 2 min longer. Remove from heat.

Stir in a small amt of hot filling in egg yolks, return all to the pan stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil and stir 2 min longer. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice, lemon peel, extract and butter. Cool to room temp without stirring. Spread lemon filling evenly into both crusts. Refrigerate 30 min or till firm.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar till smooth, beat in milk and add pudding mixes till mixed well and let stand till soft set. Gently spread into pies and refrigerate for 30 min.

For topping, in another large bowl beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar till smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over top of pies, Refrigerate until set.

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