Applesauce Energy Bars

I couldn't resist making another recipe using applesauce this week.  K-man loves oatmeal stuff and I am on a "healthy' bender with my 7th grade classes.
I kept getting compliments all day when I baked these in school twice today.  So the 'smells' I was putting out in the halls was driving kids and teachers insane.
It was driving me insane.
Look to my notes after the recipe for my slight tweak that I did after making this two times in a row.  You know, I had to make a batch before class to ensure that "TV magic" of pulling out the ready bars after I slipped the ones I demonstrated into the oven!!! LOL
  
Applesauce Energy Bars
Allrecipes.com sponsored by Mott's®

1 cup Mott's Natural Applesauce

3 cups quick oats

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. sweetened coconut flakes

1 c. dried fruit bits

2/3 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c (1 stick) melted butter, cooled

1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine oats, flour, coconut, fruit bits, cinnamon and baking soda in large mixing bowl.

 

2. In separate bowl, mix together, melted butter, brown sugar, applesauce, and egg. Stir applesauce mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Spread mixture into lightly greased 9X13 pan.

 

3. Bake 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and cool before cutting into squares or bars.

#AllstarsMotts

Baker's Notes:
1.  When I did the first batch, the cookie baker in me did not like how the brown sugar was NOT incorporated with the butter.  I mashed and mashed and stirred the flour mixture and those brown sugar lumps were impossible to break up.  I think those unincorporated sugar blobs encouraged the bars to break apart easier because they were not able to melt and 'glue' itself to the grains in the bar.
2.  I happened to have some pumpkin spice caramel dip left over and did a little drizzle on them to 'jazz' them up.  The kids love any additional sugar!  HA!  I didn't do it for that!  lol
3.  Compared to the tasty Apple Squares I did last time, these were not overly moist or "wet" as the squares were. The whole grain oats really helped absorb the 1 c. applesauce. 
4.  Next time I would add some nuts (almonds are my fave).  The coconut was not overwhelming however I wanted some crunchy bit like from a whole almond.

Golden Apple Raisin Squares

Halloween is over. Sniff sniff. We are now enduring the "otherwise known as sugar high or sugar crash time." It's a roller coaster ride for the next week. 

As a teacher, the day after Halloween is the WORST, luckily we had the weekend to buffer  all the candy intake however they were still 'hummin' on today.  So the kids are buzzing on sugar and crashing....up and down, up and down- all week.  I am finding candy wrappers everywhere. 

Here is some 'eye candy for you' of our All Hallow's Eve.... Above, is one picture from our yard, we are leaning to a skeleton/graveyard theme more and more it seems.
We love Halloween here not for the candy....but the added bonus it brings....

We are cool cuz we pass out the regular sized candy, I hot glued some roaches on each one.  All 60 of them. We like to think that somewhere in our town, teens are screaming thinking they have a roach in their bag.  Mwhahahahahahha. We give less terror inducing fruit snacks to the little ones....in case you think we are absolutely horrible.  Hey, we notice the kids who pass on by our house, no biggie. 

Witchy-poo, was what they saw first when I opened the door.  So I don't jump and scream at the kids.  I let the visuals do the work.  We also can't understand what she says other than "beware"....

Breakfast anyone? It was time for some spider eggs (doughnut holes) when I served my TA on Halloween morning.  I can't believe those 8th graders really asked if they were spider eggs.  REALLY? Is gullible still NOT in the dictionary?

Mr Skelton and his hot Skelly wife.  Yes, we are crazy like this....

Next up, is a little video Mr Skelly took of our new bay window dressing....

Ok, now that you are up to date on things....

Let's get down to business...I had an assignment to make something from Mott's the month of November. The Allrecipes Allstar Ambassadors teamed up with Mott's to use their applesauce in some of their suggested recipes.

 

I had K-man choose the recipe since he would be eating it (JennyMac being on Nutri System can only have a bite). Look to the bottom of the recipe for my little tweaks! 

 

Golden Apple Raisin Squares

from Allrecipes.com, sponsored by Mott's

Ingredients:
1 (3.9 ounce) container Mott's® Healthy Harvest Blueberry Delight Applesauce
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup golden raisins
 
Directions:

1.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil or coat an 8x8-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cloves in a large bowl.

2.

Combine the eggs, applesauce, sugar, oil, and apple in a separate bowl, and whisk until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Stir in the raisins. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Smooth with a rubber scraper.

3.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

#AllstarsMotts

Baker's Notes :

1. The store I went to didn't have the Harvest Blueberry, I used a kid's Mott's Mixed Berry instead.
2.  I don't understand the use of oil, when I have other recipes that use no oil and only applesauce as an oil replacement.  Is that why this recipe is overly wet?
3.  I double the recipe and cooked it in a 9X13 pan with no problem.  I checked it at 25 minutes and the toothpick test came out clean.
4.  I used Honeycrisp apple (my fave), I think Golden apples can get mushy.  Would a tart Granny Smith do well here, I think it could!
5. These were extremely moist, maybe too moist, almost wet and they tasted heavenly.  An apple spice cake thing but they put raisins in the title and it uses golden raisins hence why you can't see them.  These squares will serve well for K-man for dessert and breakfast this week because I doubled the batch!

 Bring on the Fall Harvest!

Paleo Brownies

Whether you are on a diet or experiencing a new lifestyle of eating....sweets are always recommended to be in moderation.  I am a confessed 'chocoholic' and when I choose to go "Paleo" and found it was not on the 'forbidden' list like grains, sugar, legumes, etc; I was a happy camper.

I've trolled around the web a bit to find a good recipe as well as used a recommended one from a fellow Paleo co-worker who turned me onto this new way eating (forever in your gratitude Ginny!).  Alas, my first attempt was not a good one.  I blame it on the second type of coconut oil I was using; it was a highly scented and flavored of coconut.  I did not want my brownies to taste like Almond Joy (yet).

Since I think I've got a pretty good starting grasp on my use of Almond flour and baking in general....I made my own.  It's thin, yet fudgy.  I am happy with it....perhaps you will enjoy it too.  Let me know.

Yummo-Paleo Brownies
-created by Jenny Mac's Lipsmack

1/2 cup honey
3 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate (or 1/2 cup cocoa powder and increase oil to 5 T)
2 T coconut oil, organic butter or favorite oil of choice
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup almond flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt oil and chocolate in the microwave for 1 minute intervals, until melted.  Thoroughly stir in honey.  Blend in eggs one at a time.  Mix well.  Add vanilla.  Stir in flour.

Spread in a 8X8 baking pan (a disposable aluminum one works awesome without greasing).  Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.  Cool and cut into 16 squares.


Enjoy!

Irish Limey Bars

Well, they aren't Irish but they are green from the lime....just in time for St. Patty's Day!

So you know you classic lemon bar recipe? Ever change it up and use lime instead? If you bring a GREEN dessert to work, no one will pinch you for not wearing green...but HUG you because they are soooooooooooo delicious.

Limey Bars

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup lime juice
zest from 3 limes


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Mix 2 cups of flour and confectioner's sugar together. Cut in the butter or margarine. Mix well until the dough resembles pie dough consistency. Press the dough into a 9x13 inch baking pan.
3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Beat together eggs, sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, lime juice and lime rind for at least 1 minute. Pour the mixture over the baked crust.
5. Bake the bars another 20 minutes, or until the lime topping has set. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar when cooled.

Cook's Notes:
1. Awesome, nicely tart. Thick buttery, shortbread-like crunchy crust. Perfect.
2. Next to the title of the recipe, you can SEE the lime bits....it's wonderful. BUT, you may NOT get 1/2 lime juice from those 3 limes. You may have to supplement with the bottled lime juice. You know how limes are, big on flavor, little on juice. I rolled them, microwaved them for 30 sec. and still got only 1/4 cup of lime juice with all THREE, cheap bastids!
3. Go ahead use those limes you are saving for your cocktails....you got everything else in your fridge/pantry!

Happy St Patty's Day!

There is always time for brownies!

Especially before the BIG Game!

Aren't these little footballs just adorable?

I too, am busy making my little treats for the Super Bowl. Sorry I am not one of those bloggers who can be timely and post all my recipes BEFORE the big game for you to shop and make beforehand. Unfortunately, I don't cook like that or perhaps I am not the best blogger in the world. However, I want my goodies FOR the game, not one/two weeks before the game just for a blogging post. I am not a millionaire, you know.....LOL. I look at it this way, if you just LOVE what I post in the next few days for Super Bowl treats....then print it out for next year. This way you will be WAY ahead for next year's game!

After all the prep, and chopping for the food for the main event....you kinda want sometime easy for the sweet. I know you already have a box of brownies in the cabinet for emergencies....go ahead take it out.

Orange Brownie Football Bites
by JennyMac's Lipsmack
Makes 12-14 Footballs

1 box of your favorite brownie mix (and whatever else it calls for: water, oil and eggs)
1 small can mandarin oranges, drained
zest of one orange
6oz of chocolate chips
1 tsp. oil
prepared white frosting in a tube or powdered sugar

Preheat the oven according to your brownie mix directions.

Place brownie mix in bowl. Drain oranges and chop into pieces.

Place oil in measuring cup and add oranges into the oil in the cup. Add water to the oil and oranges to make up to the total amount of liquid. For example: My box called for 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup oil. I put 1/4 cup oil and added oranges and filled water until it reached 3/4 cup. Wasn't much water to add for there is plenty of orange juice in those oranges.

Pour orange/oil/water mixture onto brownie mix, add orange zest and mix.

Pour into 9X13 baking pan. I always line mine with foil for easy "lift-out". Bake according to box.

Cool brownies and cut into ovals. If you have a football shaped cookie cutter GREAT. But I didn't so I used a biscuit cutter. Cut one side of circle into brownie and lifted it out and cut the other side into the other half circle making a 'somewhat oval'. You will have alot of scraps but if you have kids...I am sure they won't mind eating THESE!

Melt chocolate chips and tsp of oil in microwave until smooth. Dip ovals into chocolate and put on parchment paper either a tray or cookie sheet will do. Place in

Draw lines on your footballs when chocolate has set.

This can be done with just a plain brownie mix if you like. K-man loves the chocolate and orange combo....so I created this for him. It's all about the football tomorrow right? Not what flavor it is. LOL

Cook's Notes:
1. If you do not have prepared white frosting on hand. Place powdered sugar in a ziploc bag and add just mere DROPS of milk until you get the right consistency. Cut the corner of the bag and draw your white lines. I used the convenience Betty Crocker stuff in a bag with a tip on it....and I was NOT happy the way the lines turned out....those little tails wouldn't stop. My white lines look a hot mess. I really am not THAT sloppy, HONEST!

Good Luck to whatever team you are rooting for. If it ain't the Skins playin'...I am there for the commercials! LOL

Snack Well!

Cowboy Cookies and New use for a Pan

I am always a sucker for good homemade cookie. If it's chocolate or got chocolate in it...done deal!
Of course, during the summer who wants to heat up the kitchen. Save these for one of those rainy days when it isn't so hot and want something to do with the kids!!!


Cowboy Cookies
3 dozen large cookies; 6 dozen small cookies

3 C Flour
1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
1 Tbsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
1½ c. Butter (3 sticks), at room temperature
1½ c. Sugar
1½ c. Light Brown Sugar, packed
3 Eggs
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
3 c. Semisweet Chocolate Chips
3 c. Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats
2 c. Sweeten Coconut Flakes
2 c. Chopped Pecans (8 oz)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar and brown sugar to butter and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add one egg at a time and beat after each egg.
Add vanilla and beat.

4. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Do not over mix.

5. Hand mix the chocolate chips, oats, coconuts and pecans and combine.

Place ¼C (use either a measuring cup or an ice cream scoop) of dough on ungreased baking sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake for 15- 17 minutes or until edges start to brown.

Remove cookies and let sit on tray for about 1-2 minutes before placing on a cooling rack. OR

For smaller size cookies use a regular size cookie scoop. My cookie scoop measures about 1 Tbsp. Bake for about 10-12 mins.

NOW FOR THE UNIQUE USE OF A PAN!!!!

I purchased one of those "Perfect Brownie" Pan sets. Ironically, I have not used them for brownies yet. LOL

I put one scoop of each cookie in each space. ( I put the remaining cookie dough formed in balls in a ziploc bag in the freezer for future cookie cravings) Baked @ 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Lower pan on stand, lift dividers out come your squares. I loved how each square had it's own crusty edge. YUM.

Delish!

Food Product Review

I've received a few Tastemaker products from Foodbuzz and on occasion some free samples. Soyjoy was offering free samples through Foodbuzz. Or Foodbuzz was offering free samples from Soyjoy. LOL.

I've seen these advertised on TV. I am picky about my soy choices. Not a huge fan....especially of the Tofu. But I do eat the veggie burgers on occasion, dried soybeans or edamame.

But they were Free and thought perhaps I'd throw them in K-man "energy bars for biking stash"

When I got them I dunno....perhaps this brightly purple flyer with my two free bars made me smell blueberries? The flyer says that it tastes like a blueberry muffin. Perhaps it was my morning coffee brewing and my lack of breakfast.

The package called to me...."try me," it whined softly.....mmmmm blueberry muffin with my hot coffee.....oh what the heck!

OH MY!.....The blueberry aroma filled my nostrils as I opened the package that I barely looked over the bar and bit off a chunk. I started to chew more slowly....thinking something is going to give. It will have an aftertaste....the texture will be weird....come on disappoint me.....

NO, IT DID NOT! Shocker. I was pleasantly surprised. This was really good. See don't knock the stuff until you try it. Now I am curious how the other flavors are!

As I sat licking my fingers and washing down my last bite with my steaming hot coffee....I sadly eyed the second or LAST Soyjoy....am I going to give K-man this for his next bike trek afterall?

Thanks Foodbuzz, Thanks Soyjoy....You have a new fan! Well two....K-man loves it too. Yeah, I caved and shared....

Try something new today- it may surprise you!

Brownies on Steroids?

The Incredible Hulk of Brownies needs to be put in a glass jail for your safety?

Um, that is a definite YES....for the safety of your waistline....keep under lock and key. I found this recipe on the Cutting Edge of Ordinary. I saw them and said "these look a lot like those Magic 7 layer bars made with sweetened condensed milk".... Sure enough...they are. OH MAN a chocolate version of an already decadent bar cookie? My waistline is in TROUBLE.

I was in trouble alright when I was in the middle of making it and realized what I thought was sweetened condensed milk in the pantry was evaporated milk. OH SNAP! Quick run to the computer to look up how to make your own sweetened condensed milk (I'd seen it before yet never tried it).

These babies are rich. See the size of these squares?....Half of that will suffice a sweet tooth.... unless you are having a super stressful day, then eat TWO big ones.

Death by Black Magic Bars
adapted from Lisa's The Cutting Edge of Ordinary recipe

1 & 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa (I used the Hershey's Dark)
3/4 cup cold butter (1 & 1/2 sticks), cut into 1-inch squares
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk *(see recipe for emergency below)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup Coconut Cream Hershey's Kisses, chopped
1 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1/3 cup English toffee bits or Heath Bar bits (toffee with chocolate)

Oven to 350. In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and cocoa. Add the butter and pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into the bottom of a well-greased 13×9″ baking dish. Bake on center rack at 350 for 10 minutes.

While crust is baking, combine condensed milk, vanilla extract and 1 cup of chopped Coconut Cream kisses in heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. When crust has cooked for 10 minutes, remove from oven and pour chocolate mixture directly over crust, spreading gently with a spatula if necessary.

Sprinkle top with coconut, nuts, heath bar bits and 1 cup chocolate chips. Press down to set, and return brownies to oven to continue baking at 350 for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and cut into squares of desired size.

*For the rare emergency that you don't have Sweetened Condensed Milk when you need it....

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

Ingredients:
3/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. water
1 C. plus 2 T. powdered milk

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients. Heat to boiling. Cook until thick, this will take 15 to 20 minutes.
This equals one can.

Notes:
This is a great way to make this milk, especially if your recipe calls for it and you don't have any in the house. It is lot cheaper to make it this way, and it does work nicely for baked goods.

Thanks Lisa.....awesome recipe! I made sure I brought some to work and gave some to my neighbor for no way I was letting all that BLACK MAGIC hit my hips! Besides....it's good to share. Thanks for sharing Lisa, you DA BEST!

Enjoy!

I would have never THUNK it.

Both K-man and my dad ADORE those orange slice candies. It's not a birthday or Christmas without each of them getting a bag of them for the holidays. I can eat probably like three and then I am over it. I usually just suck off the sugar and let the jell melt in my mouth for a bit until I chew it up. That is probably why only 3 do it for me. In my travels I found a cookie recipe using orange slices and I found it very hard to believe for I would think they would just melt into oblivion all over the cookie sheet....Heading off that mess....I decided to tweak the recipe...


Notice the gram weights on the side. I used my digital scale and weighed those things that said grams instead of cups only for I am beginning to be a believer is weighing is better that using measuring cups when it comes to baking....

Orange Slice Cookies

1 cup butter flavored shortening (192 grams)

1/2 cup Splenda brown sugar blend (105 grams)

1 cup white sugar (192 grams)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour – (260 grams)

1 teaspoon baking powder – 5ml

1 teaspoon baking soda – 5ml

2 large eggs

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup orange slices, chopped

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.

1. Cream shortening and both sugars with an electric mixer. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs and beat just until mixed (about 30 seconds).

2. Thoroughly stir flour, baking powder and baking soda together and add to sugar mixture. Stir until incorporated, then stir in chips, orange slices, oats and nuts.

3. Line a 10X17 cookie sheet (the smaller one) with non stick foil. Press down mixture onto sheet. Making sure you don't see 'pockets' of too much orange slices clustered.

4. Bake for 20 minutes or until they appear set. Cool in pan until warm and cut into desired bar sizes.

We loved the fact that these were like oatmeal bars, very hearty with the rolled oats and toasted nuts but not overly sweet from the candy and mini chips. And guess what? The orange slice chunks stayed intact and did not melt as I thought!

You could definitely drizzle more chocolate on these or a powdered sugar with orange juice glaze if you like. But we thought they were great the way just they way the came out of the oven!

For a fun alternative to your standard oatmeal bar...give these a try!

Enjoy!

Hermits are not always all alone....

These apple hermits are going to be in our tummies very soon!

I remembered my mom loving hermit bar cookies when I was young. I always turned up a nose to them. Gimme a chocolate chip cookie instead....ugh.

Now that I am older and wiser, my taste palate is more mature (cough, cough....er...developed). I am an equal opportunity cookie eater now! Well, only homemade ones.

I had a bunch of apples I needed to get rid of and wanted a new way to use them. Although, the hermit bars my mom always ate were strictly made with raisins, I liked the fact that the apples would not only keep these naturally moist longer but bump up the nutrition too. With the concern with the use of trans fat these days....kinda bothers me how man-made food can stay so moist so long from their additives when a homemade cookie will only stay moist a few days if you are lucky. Nowadays, I am sticking to the baked things I make rather the store bought just because of my concern for 'mystery additives.'

I am a huge fan of allrecipes.com where I found this recipe. I love the fact that all their recipes are tried and true and the creators think they are good enough to share. After you prepare the recipe it's just a matter of taste. Did this recipe tickle your fancy or not? Was it perfect as is or did it need a tweak from you to suit your tastes?

Instead of me typing the recipe up I will provide you the link and then some tips that I have used in making this recipe.

Apple Hermits
from allrecipes.com

Since I have made these a few times, here are some suggestions:

1. The picture/directions in the allrecipes.com version is done as a drop cookie. Been there, done that. I wanted some thing easy to drop ONCE and cook all together. BESIDES, a traditional hermit is a BAR cookie not a dropped one.

2. If you want the ease of doing a bar cookie, increase the cooking temperature to 20 minutes. I used parchment paper on a 10X15 cookie sheet (the smaller one). If you use the next larger cookie sheet your cookies will be thinner and you will need to reduce the cooking time. I have not tried making these any thinner for I enjoy them exactly how they are.

3. I have made these with regular apples and with dried apples in a pinch. They were wonderfully moist with regular apples but using dried apples means drier cookies. UNLESS you soak them in hot water. When I tried this....I thought...what the heck, soak the raisins in the hot water TOO! Of course, you will need to squeeze out the moisture before you put them into your batter. I starting soaking these at the start of the recipe and they were perfect and ready by it's time to add them into the mixture.

4. Shhhhhhhhhhh, I substituted the brown sugar blend Splenda in this recipe and K-man has no idea! Worked like a charm. They called for 1-1/2 cups of brown sugar and you use 3/4 cup Splenda brown sugar. Hee-heee.

5. I toasted the walnuts before I put them into the mixture. Toasted nuts taste sooooooo much better when put in the oven for a bit to bring out their flavors. It's easy to do. While you are preheating the oven. Place your nut of choice on the cookie sheet and place in the oven. When you are preparing the recipe and you start to smell the nutty goodness. Check on them. Rearrange them a bit if you need to and toast them about 2 minutes more. Let cool before you add them to your batter/mixture.

6. I've made these with and without the glaze. Depends on my mood really. Both are good. These pictured, I put the powdered sugar in a ziploc (about a cup) and added a Tbsp of milk and used spiced rum* to even out the consistency. I closed the bag and massaged out all the lumps. I kept adding a few drops of the rum until it was thin/thick enough to be drizzled. Just snip the corner and drizzle away. Let the drizzles dry before storing bars in a air tight container.

*Don't be concerned about the rum. Whether you use real rum or rum extract.....it's all the same, alcohol will evaporate. You can use vanilla extract and....I have homemade vanilla extract being brewed as we speak with 10 vanilla beans soaking in a liter of vodka. So it's all the same, no difference.

Please give the hermits a try. We love them. Although K-man can't seem to get used to the name "hermits" since it is foreign to him. He refers to them as those "spice cake cookies". I have reminded him many times of it's name and he still continues with the spice cake name. I think now he's just trying to be funny. Funny or not....he loves them. So will you.

Enjoy!

Get them while they're warm!

YAY! I wasted no time too.

I came home from work, saw my Naturally Nora giveaway package delivery at the door. Came inside, put my purse and totebag down, went to the kitchen to open my box and turned on the oven!

I am fan of Naturally Nora on Facebook and I entered the giveaway for her new product, brownie mix. I was so happy to have won. I absolutely love her cake mixes and frosting.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Naturally Nora her products are all natural ingredients. You know, flour, sugar , baking soda....no long scientific words that you can't pronounce or know what they are!

So I baked the Fudgy Brownies today. All you need to prepare them is:

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs

She has guidelines for the 13X9 pan, 9X9 pan and 8X8 pan. Otherwise known as thick, thicker and thickest. LOL She has different heating times for the different pans as well as different temperature and times for using a metal versus glass or foil pan.

I used the 13X9 pan and they turned out pretty thick!

I like to put 'stuff' on top of my brownies.....

You are seeing half pecans and half mini peanut butter cups (found at Trader's Joes)

Here are the pecan brownies....


And the peanut butter cup ones...


K-man was very happy when he saw I was baking brownies....I asked him to describe the brownie for me. He said that they looked 'cakey' yet when he bite into one...it was like butter. They melted in his mouth. I asked which one he liked better the pecans or peanut butter and he said "BOTH!" I rolled my eyes for that didn't help me.

My favorite was the pecan. For the toastiness of the nuts and the crunch definitely added something more.

Naturally Nora can be found at Whole Foods and online on Amazon (right now, the brownies aren't available but they will email you when they arrive).

Enjoy!

Little Debbie isn't going to like this...

Can you name one of those Little Debbie Snacks that you get once in a blue moon when your sweet tooth goes bonkers? I know that I am certainly capable of making a sweet treat with real ingredients anytime...but sometimes they call to you...

"JennyMac needs Nutty Bars!"

Peanut Butter and Chocolate rocks. I was thinking about snacking on some chocolate wafers today and all of a sudden it hit me. I just made K-man some copycat Chunky bars...I can copycat Nutty Bars too!

Here's the deal:

Copycat Nutty Bars
from JennyMac's Lipsmack

Package of Chocolate Wafers
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 stick of butter
1 pound of chocolate
2 Tbsp butter.
1/4 cup chopped nuts

1. Count out your wafers so you have sets of two. Eat any broken or if an odd number is in package.

2. Chop your nuts.

3. Melt your peanut butter and butter in the microwave about 40-60 sec. Mix pb and butter well. Add your powdered sugar and mix until it's smooth soft ball.

4. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

5. Line up your halves of wafers and just glop away your peanut butter. This was just my start, I had added much more. Top them and press lightly so the sides ooze out peanut butter. When you reach about 1/4 inch thickness take you fingers and just rub the peanut butter off, pressing inside a bit if needed to make side solid.








6. Line up all your sandwiches to be ready while you melt your chocolate with 2 Tbsp butter in the microwave. Remember to check after one minute....chocolate does not melt into a puddle as some think it may.

(sorry I don't have pix of the next steps for melted chocolate and cameras don't mix. I was fearful of dropping it into the bowl. LOL)

7. When chocolate is ready place bar into chocolate and move it around with a fork to coat. Lift bar out with fork and tap fork on bowl edge for the excess chocolate to run off the bar. You want to see a bit of the 'lattice' design on the bars.

8. Place bars on parchment and top with chopped nuts. Place in fridge to set. Approx 30 minutes.

Cook's Note: My package of wafers (from an Amish store) had only 18 per package so I had alot of peanut butter filling and chocolate left. Depending on how many wafers you have, you should have ample PB and Choc. I stored mine in the freezer for another day. Look:

Line a short glass with a ziploc












Scrape in your extra melted chocolate.












Pull off bag from glass.












Lay on counter and press out air. Lay on flat surface in freezer. Will break/cut easier when a thin slab, rather a huge hunk of chocolate.












Call the kids to lick the bowl. YOU get the scraper to lick.












You've been patiently waiting for them to chill....Drum Roll please....

Gawd, I am drooling over my own picture. Excuse me while I go eat one of these treasures! Make these...so easy. Your kids will love you forever and they are so totally better than Little Debbie. Sorry Debbie....I won't be caving in to you anymore. I CAN MAKE MY OWN!

Enjoy!