Nut Bars II

I made another attempt at Nut Bars. This time I left out the oats and added dried fruit and raisins. Dac wanted to me to attempt to replicate the KIND Bars we like. I did and he said they were better than the KIND Bars! Yeah! I have to say they were pretty scrumptious! and super easy to make. I made a very small batch though since I was experimenting. I used a bread pan and this made about 7 bars.

Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 Cups mixed whole nutes (I had brazil, pecans, almonds, cashews and hazelnuts)
2 T Brown Rice Syrup
1/4 Cup raisins
1/4 Cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup dark Chocolate chips
1 T. Wheat Germ
1 T. Flax Seed

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a bread pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the sides of the pan.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients together well, making sure to coat everything in the brown rice syrup. Pour into the prepared pan and press down. Take another piece of parchment paper and place on top of the nuts. Using a heavy object (I used the brown rice syrup bottle) bang on the nuts to really press them down.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Turn over and tap out of the pan. Cut into desired sized bars. Store in an airtight container. I left mine on the parchment paper so they didn't stick to the container.

Gianna's 5th Bday Rainbow Cake

Dac's niece turned 5 this year and she wanted a rainbow cake for her birthday. I made this for the family party her parents had for her...I think there was only be like 15 people there and I made this ENOURMOUS rainbow cake that could have fed about 50. 4 (12x17inch) sheet cakes and 2 8inch round Devils Chocolate Cake....soo yeah...might have gone a little overboard, but I had fun doing it. I am fully admitting that I cheated just a bit with the some of the frosting. When I was at the store I saw the Betty Crocker icing with the rainbowed chips in it and I thought "why not?". It was a good thing to use in between the layers of cake. I only used enough to hold the layers together. And the chocolate icing I did the same just because I had this bag of icing (the powder - you add butter and water to it) in my cupboards that Dac bought a while ago and I wanted to try it out. The cakes and the decorating icing was completely homemade though.

After I made all of the sheet cakes and chocolate cake I carved the cakes to create a giant rainbow with 2 clouds on either end. Then I put a thin layer of frosting on the rainbow portion, let dry and separated small amounts of icing, tinted to the colors of the rainbow (ROYGBIV) and hand "painted" the cake. Then I iced the sides of the rainbow white. For the clouds I iced the sides an organized messy to resemble clouds and I used a pastry tip for the tops to make it neater.

Here are the recipes:

Sheet Cakes

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

2 2/3 Cup sifted Cake flour (I used Presto brand cake flour so I didn't have to add the baking powder or salt - If you use a cake flour without these in it - add 2 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt)

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Cup milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 large eggs separated

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 Cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 12X17 sheet pan and line with parchment paper and then grease again. Set aside.

Combine the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup and set aside.

Using a paddle attachment (if you have one - if not just use regular beaters). Beat the butter for about 2 minutes until creamy. Gradually add 1 1/2 Cup sugar to the butter beating on high for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks one a time mixing until well blended on low speed.

Add the flour in 3 parts alternating with the milk in 2 parts beating on low speed until smooth. On the 2nd addition of the milk add food coloring (I have food color paste that really makes it a deeper shade).

In a separate bowl using the whisk attachment - beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar until stiff but not dry peaks form (about 1-2 minutes on high speed). Fold 1/3 of this mixture to the flour/egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.

Spread evenly in the pan and bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Repeat 4 times (I told you I went overboard) using diffferent food coloring each time. I did red, yellow, green and blue.

This takes about 25-30 minutes to prepare. I started baking these at 10:30 and finished around 2:30.

Devils Food Cake - (This was one of the clouds)

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease and line with parchment paper - 2 - 8 inch round cake pans.

Place the following into a double boiler and melt until smooth:

4 ounces unsweetend chocolate - chopped

1/2 Cup milk

1 Cup packed dark brown sugar

1 Large egg yolk

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Get ready and set aside:

2 Cups sifted cake flour (same instructions for cake flour as with the sheet cake but with 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt)

In a measuring cup combine:

1/2 Cup milk

1/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

Using a paddle attachment, beat 1 stick of butter until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar.

Divide 2 eggs - reserving the whites. Beat in yolks one at a time until well combined.

Add the flour in 3 parts to the butter mixture alternating with the milk mixture in 2 parts beating until smooth. Stir in the chocolate mixture.

Using a whisk attachment and clean bowl - beat on high speed the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold lightly into the batter.

Divide into the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely.

Frosting for the Clouds - (this actually only made enough to ice one cloud and I didn't have enough time to make more so I made some whipped cream (1 cup heavy cream and 4 T agave) and used it to ice the other cloud)

4 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla (I ran out and actually didn't add this but I would have)

1-3 drops light blue color paste (just enough to tint it a pale blue)

In a saucepan bring a few inches of water to a boil. Almost like a double boiler, but you want the bowl you mix the ingredients in to be able to actually fit in the water.

Whisk all the ingredients (except the food coloring) in a bowl by hand. Set the bowl above/in the boiling water and continue to whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves about 1-2 minutes. Be sure not to cook the eggs. Transfer the mixture to a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at high speed until eggs beat up to a stiff meringue adding the food paste about halfway though.

Frosting for the rainbow part

2 1/2 Sticks butter - room temp

5 Cups confectioners sugar

2 Tbsp Milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix all together until smooth.

Peanut Butter Cups

Was in the mood for a little sweet snack and wanted to do something with homemade pecan butter, but that didn't work. Have to do a little more research on making that. So I made this with regular peanut butter - of course me only having natural no salted organic peanut butter that is what I used but I'm sure Jiffy or any other PB would work. Very similar to a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. This can be a little time consuming (I only made 4), but it was really yummy and well worth it!

Recipe

Ingredients

3/4-1 Cup Dark Chocolate

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter for each Cup

mini cupcake liners

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Using a pastry brush coat the inside of the cupcake liners with the melted chocolate. Put in the freezer for a few minutes until chocolate has hardened. Put another layer of chocolate in the liners. Freeze until hard. Scoop the peanut butter in the cups leaving enough room on top to top with more chocolate.

Freeze until chocolate is hard. I stored mine in the freezer and they were a perfect little snack when I was ready for them :)

I also put a small slice of banana in the bottom of a couple of the liners (after the 2 layers of chocolate).

Tandy Cake

This recipe my Nana used to make. It is exactly like TastyCakes Tandy Cakes. Firm white cake on the bottom followed by a layer of peanut butter, then chocolate. Cut into squares and yummy goodness! I was at my Mom's when I made this. I made this with white flour, white sugar, but will definitely attempt making it a healthier way. (I did use dark chocolate though). Really good - and went well with my glass of wine!

Recipe
Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp Butter
2 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 jar peanut butter
16 oz dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350. Grease jelly roll pan (bigger and thinner than a 13X9 inch pan).

Mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and baking soda until combined. Put the butter and milk in a microwaveable bowl and heat until butter is melted. Add the flour and milk/butter mixture alternating until just combined. Pour into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan - not completely cool.

Heat peanut butter in microwave for 30-45 seconds until warm enough to spread easily. Spread onto warm cake and let cool in fridge for about an hour (or until peanut butter is firm).

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and spread on top of peanut butter. Let cool in fridge for about 20-30 minutes until firm but not hard. If you leave in for too long it will completely harden before you get a chance to cut it and then it will crack when you do.