COCONUT COOKIE BARS

As I have said many times, I love versatile recipe because I can make them using almost any of my ingredients in my pantry that go into desserts. Friend Sandi texted me the other day with this recipe. She had made them using M & M's alone with a zero sugar yellow cake mix and took them to her mother who lives in an assisted living apartment. Sandi does this probably does this every week because she knows that her mother and her friends enjoy sweets so much. I thanked her and told her I would definitely be making them Saturday for the Cafe Treats. Our treats are nut-free so I couldn't use the M & M's but I did have lots of other things I could use. Since I also had a Zero Sugar yellow cake mix, I wanted to keep the recipe sugar-free and chocolate chips, or dried fruit would add sugar, I decided to just add unsweetened coconut.

I was not disappointed with the results. They were so buttery and soft and chewy and perfect with the coconut since I love coconut. I might try a zero sugar devil's food cake mix the next time. I think that would be divine.

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COCONUT COOKIE BARS

1     stick (8 tablespoons) + 3 tablespoons butter

1     egg

1     cake mix - your favorite (I used a Zero Sugar yellow cake mix)

1     cup coconut (I used unsweetened coconut)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 - inch baking pan. Set aside.

Cut the butter into pieces and melt in the microwave in a microwaverable safe bowl. Allow to cool a few minutes.

(I poured the melted butter into another bowl to cool faster.)

Pour the cake mix into a larger bowl and stir in the coconut to blend well. Set aside.

When the butter is not hot to touch, beat the egg in a small bowl and then pour it into the butter stirring to blend.

Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and then pour the butter/egg mixture into the bowl.

Stir with a spoon or spatula until all of the dry mixture is wet.

Drop some globs of dough into the baking pan

leaving some to be added where needed to cover the pan.

Press with your fingers the dough to evenly cover the bottom of the pan

adding small amounts to fill in holes.

Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. I did bake mine the full 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan.

Cut into squares to serve. 

For storing, place a piece of wax paper between layers.

Note: I decided to add coconut to my recipe because I wanted my cookies to be sugar-free and I had unsweetened coconut, but you could add any additive that you liked such as M & M's, or raisins, or other dried fruit, or your favorite baking chip. Your choice to make them your own.

CHARMIN' CHERRY BARS

What a beautiful day it was yesterday! My husband played golf with a friend and I played canasta with some of my friends. Friend Fran hosted and where I sat at the table I could enjoy an ocassional visit by a gorgeous male goldfinch and a dove to get a drink of water at her water bowl on her deck.  It was just so good to be with friends and laugh n gab together.

When Fran hosts canasta, I always make the dessert for her. She would buy something, but since I enjoy baking so much, I offered years ago to bake the dessert for her. I always try to find something that I think will be enjoyed by everyone keeping in mind the number of calories and any dietery considerations I need to remember.

I found this recipe in my Pillsbury The Complete Book of Baking cookbook. It was the 1951 Junior Winner from the 3rd Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest. Everyone really thought it was perfect and yummy. I did use a square pan that was 9-1/2 inches instead of 9 inches, so it was a tiny bit thinner that it would have been in a smaller pan.

I'm glad I found it and then decided to give it a try.

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CHARMIN' CHERRY BARS

CRUST...

1     cup flour

1/4  cup powdered sugar

1/2  cup (1 stick) butter, softened and cut into slices

FILLING...

1/4  cup flour

3/4  cup sugar

1/2  teaspoon baking powder

1/4  teaspoon salt

2     eggs

1/2  cup maraschino cherries, well drained and then cut in half

1/2  cup coconut

1/2  cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Prepare the crust...

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flour and powdered sugar with a whisk.

Using a fork, or pastry blender, or your fingers (which I did), work in the slices of butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

(Mine looked like pie crust dough.)

Press into a 9 - inch square ungreased pan.

(My pan measured 9-1/2 inches square.) 

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Make the filling...

Meanwhile, in the same bowl (I did wash mine.)  combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a whisk.

Add the eggs and "beat" the mixture well

(with a spatula or spoon).

Add the cherries,

coconut, and walnuts stirring well.

Spread filling over the partially baked crust and bake 25 to 30 more minutes or

until golden brown.

Cool completely and cut into bars to serve.

Makes 9 generous servings.

TIP FOR THE DAY...

Some baking powder that you buy comes in a container that has a piece in it to aid in leveling the spoon when measuring the baking powder. Some have a removable paper "lid" that you remove. I needed to open a new container of baking powder when I made these cherry bars and the brand I bought didn't have that piece to level off the measuring spoon. So I decided I would make my own aid. 

I took a sharp knife and inserted it on the edge of the center and just cut across the paper lid on the "diameter". Then I removed one of the halves and

now I can level off the measuring spoon when I am measuring the baking powder.

NEW ENGLAND BANANA MUFFINS

 

I was gifted ten bananas that were left after a recent mission project the church participated in with Rise Against Hunger to use for Cafe Treats. The Cafe did not serve our Cafe Treats that Sunday but instead offered donuts and bananas. Wayne and I volunteered the first hour shift and by the time we finished the donuts were all gone and we enjoyed a banana. 

I ended up freezing the bananas until I had time to make something with them. I checked, I think, four different cookbooks, but ended up choosing four recipes from Mad about Muffins, a Cookbook for Muffin Lovers by Dot Vartan. (There are lots of other muffin recipes I want to try that do not use bananas, but right now that is what I will be focusing on.) These New England Banana Muffins is the first one I made. Of course, I made mini-muffins because they are easier to serve for Cafe Treats and even though they will make 12 regular sized muffins, I made 48 mini-muffins. They weren't strong with banana flavor because of the maple syrup I used. I can't wait to make the other recipes.

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NEW ENGLAND BANANA MUFFINS

1-3/4     cups flour

1           teaspoon baking soda

1/2        teaspoon baking powder

1/2        cup sugar

1/4        cup melted butter

1           egg, slightly beaten

1           teaspoon vanilla extract

2           medium bananas, mashed

4           tablespoons milk

4           tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin tins or line with paper cups and spray gently. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

Mix in the sugar. Set aside.

In another bowl combine the melted butter, vanilla extract, bananas, milk, maple syrup and beaten egg.

Beat with a fork or whisk until well blended.

Stir the banana mixutre into the flour mixture,

just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups.

( I used a tablespoon cookie scoop and leveled off the batter to fill the cups for my mini-muffins.)

Bake 20 minutes for regular sized muffins (12) or 12 minutes for mini-muffins (24) or until the muffins are lightly browned. 

Transfer from the tins to wire racks.

 

Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 48 mini-muffins.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA NUT BREAD

 I made this bread twice. The first time was for Friend Jamie. Last year her husband Martin started bartering fresh eggs for chocolate chip cookies with me. He wanted plain chocolate chip cookies with no additives. So whenever I needed a dozen or two eggs, I would make him some chocolate chip cookies. Eventually I started feeling badly because I felt like he wasn't sharing them with Jamie so I asked her what she liked. Her response was banana bread. Now I try to make both especially if they are giving me two dozen eggs.

I made three mini-loaves so she could freeze two of them and take them out when she wanted some to eat. Since I didn't get to taste it, I decided to make the recipe again yesterday morning. I made the three mini-loaves again so I would have one for us to eat now, one to freeze, and one to give to Friend Fran. I have been neglecting Fran lately. Not on purpose, I just haven't been baking as much the last few months.

The recipe came from my Pillsbury The Complete Book of Baking cookbook. The only substitution I made was substituting the Greek yogurt for the sour cream. Since it worked out so well, I added it to the recipe. I'm sure it changes the taste somewhat, but not enough for me to go buy sour cream when I had the non-fat plain Greek yogurt.

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CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA NUT BREAD

3/4     cup sugar

1/2     cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

1        cup (at least 2 bananas probably) mashed ripe bananas

1/2     cup dairy sour cream or non-fat plain Greek yogurt

2        large eggs

2        cups flour

1        teaspoon baking soda

1/2     teaspoon salt

3/4     cup mini-chocolate chips

1/2     cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour bottom only of one 9 x 5 - inch or two 8 x 4 - inch or three mini loaf pans. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and butter beating until light and fluffy.

(I start with the slowest speed and gradually continue to increase the speed until light and fluffy, scraping the sides as needed while I mash the banana and measure out the rest of the ingredients. I don't think you could do this too long.) Scrape the sides of the bowl.

Add the bananas, sour cream or yogurt, and eggs.

Stir on low and then increase until mixture is well mixed.

Mix the flour. baking soda, and salt with a whisk and

then add the mixture to the creamed mixture.

Stirring until blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl.

Add the mini chips and nuts, if you are using the latter.

Scrape the sides of the bowl one last time.

Divide the batter evenly between the pans (whatever you are using).

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes for the one loaf or two loaves. I baked the three mini loaves about 40 minutes. Press the center with your fingertips to test doneness or use a toothpick inserted in the center. I failed to take a picture of the loaves in the pans. They were pretty domed over the top of the pan.

Cool in pans on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the bread from the sides of the pans, to remove to finish cooling.

Wrap in foil to freeze or to store to eat.