Melting Moments (non-Lauren style)

Ok, no pic, but I thought I'd put this down for the record. They tasted good but were a crumbly mess and very dry. I liked the addition of the oats. I wouldn't let them cool on the pan for more than a second because it seemed to cook them longer than necessary, and I like them as less-dry as I can get them. I like that she used the verb "to dredge" with the powdered sugar portion, but I'll tell you this -- dredging makes a mean mess of your kitchen. All in all, kind of a lame recipe.

Blueberry Crumble Bars

I'm not a big one for fruit desserts, but since I'm married to Jon, and as I went to pick fresh blueberries Thursday morning, I figured I should try these out. They are amazing. Highly recommended even for us chocolate folk.

Crust:

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/14 tsp salt

11 T cold butter, cut into cubes

1 egg

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture is a course meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, lemon zest and vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture and stir until blended but still crumbly. Press into the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan.

Filling:

3/4 cup sugar

1 T cornstarch

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger

2 cups blueberries

In a medium bowl, compine everything but the blueberries. Add the berries and toss to coat well. Spread them evenly over the crust.

Topping:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

6 T butter, melted

In a medium bowl, stir the flour, sugars, cinnamon and salt until blended. Stir in the melted butter until the mixture comes together. Sprinkle evenly over the blueberry filling.

Bake bars for 48-50 mins. at 350 degrees or until the topping is lightly browned and the filling is bubbly. Cool completely. (Still good while warm, though.) Enjoy!

~L

First round: It isn't pretty.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I hate to post if this isn't good, but here's the recipe. Let me know how it works out. It sounds yummy.

1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
14 oz. bittersweet chocolate, divided
2 T butter
2 eggs, at room temp (the baker swears this matters)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (ick)

Whisk flour and BP in a small bowl. Chop 6 oz of the chocolate into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.

Coursely chop remaining chocolate and place in double broiler with butter. Melt over barely simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan, and let it cool for 10 minutes.

In bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar and vanilla on high speed until doubled in volume (about 3 mins.) At low speed blend in chocolate. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. With a wooden spoon, mix in chocolate chunks and walnuts (blech), dough will be thin. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate 1 hour.

She says to bake them 2 sheets at a time near the center of the oven. (I don't know whether this matters, but other recipes she bakes one sheet at a time.) Drop chilled dough 2 inches apart onto baking sheets with parchment or sprayed with cooking spray. Moisten your palm and flatten slightly. Bake 9-11 minutes at 350 degrees until they appear set, switching sheet positions halfway through baking. Don't overbake, or they will be dry. Cool for 10 mins on sheet, then switch to wire rack to cool.

Have fun!

Lion House Strawberry Shortcake

4 eggs
1 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 C flour
1/4 C cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

1 quart strawberries, mashed
1 C sugar
1 pint whipping cream, whipped and sweetened

Oven 350. Grease and flour 8-inch springform pan. Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating until thick. Add vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and fold gently into egg mixture. Pour into pan and bake 30 minutes. Cool and remove from pan. Split into three layers (I only got 2 out of it, which was plenty).

Mix mashed strawberries with sugar. Whip the cream and sweeten. Place the first layer of cake on a serving plate. Spread 1/3 of the strawberries on layer. Spread about 1/4 of the whipped cream on top of the berries. Repeat with second layer. Put cream on top, decorate with berries.

I mashed the berries, but it made it really watery, so I suggest chopping them kind of coarsely, and draining the juice so the cake doesn't get so soggy. This is one of those cakes you have to put together right before you serve it or at least have in the fridge until right before. It really tasted amazing -- worth the work.