Sally McKenney's Blog, page 174

Soft Pretzel Bites.

Chewy & soft pretzel bites served with a kickin’ cheese dip are the ultimate comfort food and party snack. You won’t be able to stop reaching for bite after bite!

Your self control doesn’t stand a chance!

If it’s not the buttery soft pretzel bites killing every ounce of self control you have, it is most certainly my spicy cheese sauce. That stuff is like liquid gold. I apologize for doing this to you in the beginning of the week, but I really can’t help myself.

I don’t think you realize how easy it is to make soft pretzels at home. Have your own Auntie Anne’s right inside your kitchen with my easy 30 minute soft pretzel recipe. Easy to make? Yes. Carb overload? Worth it.

This simple soft pretzel recipe comes from Kevin’s family. A Quinn family specialty. Kevin said he and his family made these easy soft pretzels almost every weekend when he was growing up. The soft pretzel recipe is so legendary that I coated them in cinnamon sugar and put the recipe in my cookbook. Cinnamon sugar pretzels are all I crave on the weekends, so yeah. They’re certainly a staple in my kitchen.

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© Sally’s Baking Addiction 2012

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Saturday Seven, 3.

Hi! Welcome back to my Saturday Seven series. A little sweet-tooth weekend tribute to a few favorite recipes.

I’ve made so many goodies this week in the new kitchen! I wanted to end that sentence with at least 7 exclamation points because I’m so excited about actually having counter space to put all the goodies. My old kitchen was smaller than a closet.

The first recipe to break in my new oven were these raspberry lemon cupcakes. Like a cool, sweet raspberry lemonade in a cupcake wrapper. The thought of baking cookies in a new oven freaks me out because cookies are so damn temperamental, but these white chocolate chewy macadamia nut oatmeal cookies (say that 3 times fast) baked up beautifully. I made them for a family reunion we’re going to today.

Speaking of my new kitchen, I have this poster framed in it. I bought the peachy/orange color. Instead of a cupcake, you can get a cute little picture of a pie. Definitely a must for your baking addiction!

Continue reading:Saturday Seven, 3.

© Sally’s Baking Addiction 2012

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Raspberry Lemon Cupcakes.

A deliciously moist and flavorful lemon cupcake topped with rich and creamy raspberry frosting. Absolutely *almost* too pretty to eat! 

If I could eat only frosting for the rest of my life and still fit into my clothes, I would choose this creamy raspberry frosting. It’s like a pink cloud of deliciousness. My fingers were stuck in the bowl tasting it. I’m glad I work alone so no one could see (or stop) me.

And the perfect accompaniment to my pretty pink frosting? My favorite homemade lemon cupcakes, of course. These are completely bursting with fresh, summertime flavors. If you love fruity desserts as much as I do, this luscious cupcake is for you.

Don’t you just want to reach through the screen?

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Raspberry and lemons go together like ketchup and chicken fingers. Bad example?

I haven’t played around in the kitchen with a raspberry and lemon dessert in awhile, so I decided these would be the first recipe to bake in my new kitchen. Things were going smoothly until I forgot about the cupcakes in the oven as I was upstairs organizing my things to start writing these. No other way to break in the new oven than with burnt lemon cupcakes. Let’s try this again.

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© Sally’s Baking Addiction 2012

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Classic Margherita Pizza.

Sometimes you just can’t beat fresh, simple, and classic Margherita Pizza. This homemade pizza recipe hits the spot and is so easy to make!

We’re back to the basics today.

Last Tuesday, we moved into our new house. After 12 hours on my feet and nothing but a few grapes and a handful of peanut M&Ms in my stomach (so many leftover), anything sounded good. We dashed to the nearest restaurant and found ourselves ordering appetizers and a five cheese + tomato pizza at California Pizza Kitchen.

I strayed from my favorite CPK pizza… very shocking.

I usually like pizza with a ton of fixings like salty gorgonzola cheese, honey, and apple. Seriously… try it. When I’m not making that particular pie, it’s usually this spinach artichoke number or my roasted veggie pizza.

And now all I want for breakfast today is pizza.

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© Sally’s Baking Addiction 2012

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Healthy Berry Streusel Bars.

These healthy mixed berry streusel bars are made with wholesome, healthy ingredients like oats, almond butter, and pure maple syrup. And they actually taste good, too!

Goodbye weekend, goodbye tasty food, cheesecake (!!!), cocktails, swims in the lake, and road trips. Back to work, back to reality, back to b-o-r-i-n-g.

I want to do none of that right now, so I’m breaking the rules and having a bright and cheery breakfast this morning. On the menu is a sunshine smoothie and one of these delightful little bars. A healthy meal to start off the week as I countdown the days to my second wedding dress fitting. Ohhhh snap. (Did I really just type that?)

September 20th wedding will be here before we know it!

You are going to go nuts over these tasty mixed berry streusel bars. First of all, they actually taste good. Nothing is more disappointing than eating something healthy that tastes like cardboard. It’s like putting salt in the wound. You’re starving and have to eat something dry and bland. No thank you, none of that here.

Not only that, the bars are naturally gluten free, have only 1 Tablespoon of refined sugar, no butter, and are so simple to make. Plus plus plus (and this is the best part!), there is so much streusel. If you don’t like streusel, you might be lost visiting my blog.

This recipe is quite similar to my Healthy Strawberry Oat Squares and my Blueberry Almond Oat Squares found in my cookbook. Have you made either of those recipes yet?

What makes these healthy berry streusel bars so easy is that the crust layer and the streusel layer are made from the same dough. And they’re prepared with simple, wholesome, convenient ingredients like oats, maple syrup, almond butter, and cinnamon. You’ll simply press 3/4 of the mix into the pan as the crust, then crumble the rest – along with some slivered almonds – on top to make the tasty cinnamon/oat streusel.

The thick mixed berry filling is so good, you’ll want to spread it on everything. I was trying to eat up our pantry before moving, so I spread a bit onto a rice cake and it hit the spot. If it can make a rice cake taste good, it HAS to be delicious.

It’s a mix of your favorite berries, maple syrup, cornstarch, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. I used a mix of chopped dark cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Frozen berries work well too! Use whatever is easiest for you.

I did not care for the filling without that little Tablespoon of white sugar – I don’t suggest leaving it out. Don’t worry, the filling isn’t overly sweet. But I do suggest you taste it before spreading on top of the bottom layer. If it’s not sweet enough, simply add more maple syrup or a touch more sugar.

There’s lots of texture going on here to keep your tastebuds satisfied! A hearty, dense oat base paired with a juicy homemade jam filling, and a cinnamon almond streusel of sorts on top. I compare them to a Mixed Berry Nutrigrain Bar – ever have one of those? Clearly, these healthy bars are free of all the preservatives and the sugar crash. And actually leave you full!

I’ve made them twice in two weeks – the first time as a little test. They lasted 2 days. Kevin likes them, which means I have to write my name on half of them or he will eat them all. And another batch again last night after we got home from Cleveland.

What? You mean to tell me you don’t bake after coming from from vacation?

Make these. You’ll love ‘em.

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Healthy Berry Streusel Bars

These healthy berry streusel bars are made with wholesome, healthy ingredients like oats, almond butter, and pure maple syrup. And they actually taste good, too!

Yield: 9-12 squares

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes, plus cooling

Ingredients:
Filling

2 Tablespoons (15g) cornstarch
2 Tablespoons (30ml) warm water
2 cups (330g) mixed berries*
1/4 cup (80g) pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar

Oatmeal Base + Topping

2 and 1/4 cup (180g) quick oats (certified GF if gluten intolerant)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (250g) unsalted almond butter (or peanut butter or sunflower seed butter)
1/3 cup (110g) pure maple syrup
1/4 cup (60ml) melted coconut oil*
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup (50g) sliced almonds*





Directions:

Make the mixed berry filling first by mixing the cornstarch with the warm water until it all of the cornstarch has dissolved and there are no more clumps. It should resemble milk. Set aside. Combine the berries, maple syrup, and sugar together in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and stir well. Remove from heat and stir in the pre-mixed cornstarch. Whisk until all clumps are gone and set aside to thicken and cool.

Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Line an 8x8 baking pan with aluminum foil with enough overhang on the sides for easy removal. Set aside.

Make the oat crust/topping: In a large bowl, combine the quick oats, cinnamon, almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil, and beaten egg. Mix until all of the oats are moistened and the mixture is thoroughly combined. The mixture will be quite wet. Reserve 1/2 cup of the oat mixture. Press the remaining oat mixture into prepared baking pan as best you can. Make sure it is firmly pressed down and even. Spread the mixed berry filling on top. To the reserved 1/2 cup oat mixture, add the sliced almonds. Crumble this over the berry filling and, using the back of a spatula, press the topping down firmly into the filling. You want to make sure it sticks well.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. The topping will be lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. Makes 9-12 squares, depending how large you cut them. Squares stay fresh covered tightly at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  Bars freeze well, up to 2 months.

*For the berries, I used a mix of chopped dark sweet cherries & strawberries, whole raspberries and blueberries. Use whatever is easiest. You may use fresh or frozen.

*If needed, another oil like vegetable or canola will work in place of the melted coconut oil. For this recipe, I find coconut oil to be best for both taste and nutritional purposes. 

*I used honey roasted slivered almonds from Trader Joes. They tasted wonderful in the streusel!

© Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe.

 

Try my Healthy Strawberry Oat Squares next!

 

And these tasty 130 calorie Skinny Banana Blueberry Muffins.

 

And pair with my slim-down Superfood Power Smoothie.

 

See more gluten free recipes.

 

 

 

© Sally’s Baking Addiction 2012

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Peanut Butter Butterfinger Cheesecake.

My friends went wild over this cheesecake recipe. Creamy, rich peanut butter cheesecake filled with crushed Butterfinger candy bars and topped with peanut butter drizzle. This is one incredibly indulgent dessert!

TGI-freaking-F.

It’s the weekend and I want nothing but an indulgent, peanut butter, chocolate, stick-to-your-ribs, Oreo crusted slice of cheesecake. I actually want that everyday of the week, but fitting into my wedding dress is more important right now.

After quite the hectic week moving and trying to get settled, I am ready for a vacation. To add to our chaotic lives, we are taking a quick weekend road trip to visit my best friend Marie in Cleveland. I love taking summer road trips. Any Cleveland readers out there?

I made today’s seriously sweet cheesecake the day after I made my blueberry swirl cheesecake. I wanted to space the cheesecake recipes out on my blog so I don’t bombard you with cheesecake. Though I’m not really sure any of you would mind an overload of cheesecake. How many times did I just type cheesecake?

I really need a vacation.

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© Sally’s Baking Addiction 2012

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Orange Creamsicle Smoothie.

This creamy, healthy 5 ingredient smoothie tastes like an orange julius and a creamsicle pop combined. Vitamin C has never tasted so good!

Hi! Today we’re busy settling into our new home in Philly and my spot for the next few days is organizing this mess. You can’t see it in the photo but there are about 12 boxes to unpack on the left. Send help.

I have a hate/love relationship with organizing kitchens.

In the meantime, I have the peeeeerfect recipe for you to beat the heat this toasty summer week. Have you ever had an Orange Julius drink before at the mall? Or an orange creamsicle popsicle in the summertime? Today’s shockingly simple smoothie recipe was inspired by both favorites. The tastes of vanilla and orange in one.

(on my nails: Essie “Strut Your Stuff”)

Creamy, cool, citrusy, lip-smackin’ protein-packed sweetness.

This shockingly simple smoothie is my current post-workout obsession. Couch + feet up + this smoothie + a spoonful of peanut butter (which turns into three spoonfuls of peanut butter) is how I unwind from a run these days. I’m already at 32 miles for July… 68 to go for my 100 mile challenge. Wooohooo.

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© Sally’s Baking Addiction 2012

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My Bridal Shower.

Today is moving day! The big move up to our new home in Philadelphia. I’m currently swimming in boxes and regretting all the shoes and dishes I own.

Instead of a new recipe, I’m sharing some special photos with you while we’re busy moving. These photos are taken by my dear friend Megan of Megan Brodie Photography. Megan’s the friend who taste tested this popular recipe. She’s a CPA by day and an amazingly talented photographer by night (and weekend).

If you’re in the Baltimore/DC area, you have to look into Megan Brodie for wedding photography, engagement photos, portraits, anything!

She brought her camera to the bridal shower and worked her magic. Thank you for capturing this special day, Megan! The bridal shower was at my future sister-in-law’s (Kerry’s) house. I can’t thank you enough, Kerry!

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Peach Streusel Muffins.

This is my favorite peach muffin recipe! Buttery, tender, and moist, these peachy muffins are heavy on the crumb topping and sweet vanilla glaze.

How was your 4th of July weekend? Tell me about it.

We went to a few parties on Friday and packed the rest of the weekend. Soooo 33% of the weekend was fun. Festive outfits, tons of cookies, buffalo chicken dip, brews, friends, and fireworks. Friday came and went way too fast.

Before the weekend got started, I made a big batch of these peach streusel muffins. And the weekend was immediately off to a delicious start.

If you’re crazy about peaches, I have lots of good news for you.

(1) Don’t you just hate biting into a “fruity” muffin and there’s, like, two blueberries? What the heck is that? Well, there is no shortage of peaches in these muffins. Every single bite of full of them. Hallelujah, peach lovers.

(2) You can use fresh or frozen peaches. So, you know what that means! You can easily make these peach streusel muffins year-round. Any time you crave juicy summer peaches, you can make these muffins. I just bought about a dozen peaches and plan to peel, chop, and freeze them for the fall. Just so I can make these.

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© Sally’s Baking Addiction 2012

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Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars.

Apple pie is my favorite dessert, but baking this classic dessert as bars is so much easier! Load these apple pie bars with cinnamon brown sugar streusel and lots of salted caramel on top for a crowd-pleasing treat.

Happy 4th of July weekend!

It has officially been one year since I posted my most favorite dessert on the planet. If I had every single dessert on my blog on the table in front of me (can you imagine?!) and could only choose one… this dessert would win. By a landslide.

Apple pie is my favorite dessert; it’s also an American classic. And to celebrate our country’s independence, I vow to make an apple pie recipe on the 4th of July every year. A new tradition to celebrate this patriotic holiday. And my excuse to eat apple pie things.

I have a confession. I made and shot these salted caramel apple pie bars 2 weeks ago and have made them 3 more times since. They are THAT good. Imagine a slice of apple pie, but better. A buttery shortbread crust. A brown sugary oat streusel. Gooey cinnamon apples. And silky smooth salted caramel.

…all in one.

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© Sally’s Baking Addiction 2012

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