Chocolate Apricot Crinkles

I have spent the last three days decorating my house for the holidays.   I love when my house is all decorated.  I love my Christmas trees, well one more than other.  Yes, I have two.   One is 9 ft tall, only red, white and silver.   My other one is about 6 ft and is gold, green and red.  The later was basically my husbands tree before me, that I have expanded and improved.   My red and white tree is my baby.  I could stare at it forever.  Last year we used it as distraction when the little one was crying.   For some reason though I feel like it has more holes than normal.  The only good solution, buy more decorations, of course.



I went to the Season's Christmas Show on Friday and this is the first year I didn't buy anything.  Nothing seemed to jump out at me like normal.  I saw a few decorations that were maybes but I decided to wait.   This weekend we are going to Ottawa and another blogger I know from Ottawa was kind enough to tell me about Tinsel Town.  This store might be solution to fill the tree, it looks like a Christmas wonderland.  I am very picky about my ornaments though.  It must go with my themes and well I obviously just have to like it.  Nothing overly flashy.

Any online stores you could recommend for Ornaments or other fun Christmas decor?  Please tell me!

So for the last two years I have done 12 days of Christmas cookies.   It is never 12 days straight in a row but I aim to get 12 cookies done from the beginning of December to now.  Last year I didn't even finish.  My little one was only weeks old and I totally dropped the ball.   Since I feel I am slacking with giving my readers some recipes I am going to try again.   Here is day 1.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!!!

Apricot, Cranberry and Almond Spelt Oat Bars.

I spent the few days last week working on a cake for a friends 3rd birthday.  I hadn't made a cake in a few months so it was fun to get back in the groove. I have a few more cakes to work on in the next several weeks, one more thing to add to the busy list.

This past weekend we had our first trip of the season up to the cottage.   I don't know why we go this weekend every year, the bugs are terrible.  We basically go from car to boat to cottage and stay indoors for 3 days and then go from cottage to boat to car.  It is too annoying to be outside, especially for me.  I find the bugs love me and my dark hair, no matter how many light coloured clothes I wear.   I think after long cold winters, we are just so happy summer is here and we're dying to get to the cottage.   Even if we are stuck in doors it is relaxing and fun.

This was our first cottage trip with the little one.  As if we didn't bring enough baggage before, PAH!  Add baby stuff and add three more bags plus baby.   I can't imagine how that will change with a second child in the mix one day.  Maybe I need to improve my packing skills.

Since I was away the last few days with no Internet I was unable to tell you this fun news.
I’m participating in a Good Old Fashioned Recipe Blog Swap! Julie {White Lights on Wednesday}, Kelley {Miss Information} and Rachel {i love my disorganized life} have paired up 30 incredible bloggers to trade blogs for the day.

Brianna from Flippin Delicious and I will be sharing a fabulous recipe on each other’s blogs {but we can’t tell you what they are, because they’re a secret!}. Be sure to visit both of us on May 27th, we wouldn’t want you to miss out on any deliciousness!

These bars are a perfect cottage snack or anytime snack.  

Apricot, Cranberry and Almond Spelt Oat Bars.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup spelt oats
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped apricots
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 pear, grated
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray a 10 inch square pan wit non stick spray. 

2) In a large bowl combine oats, almond, dried fruit and cinnamon. 

3) In a large measuring cup , whisk together honey, almond milk, apple and vanilla

4) Pour the wet mixture over the dry mixture and mix until well combined. 

5) Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown.   Let cool and refrigerate until firm.  Slice into squares. 

Now I know why people make their own granola bars.  So much better!

Apricot Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

So I have finally booked my trip to Barbados and we are leaving in less than two weeks.   Talk about last minute.   The price didn't change for the last few weeks so we decided to sit on it for a while.  I have also just been on the fence about booking since the weather has been so nice.  In the end it is not just the weather , it is the getaway, no distractions, no work,  just relaxing.   So I am now looking forward to the pool, reading, the turtles, and maybe the shopping.    The nice thing about booking late is that you also don't have a long countdown to get there, my countdown is only 10 days.   Sweet.

Unfortunately this cuts into my Easter baking plans as I will lose a full week of potential creations.  Hopefully I can squeeze in some baking this weekend.  I already have one idea in my head.  I do also want to bake some treats or granola bars to bring with me on the trip.   These cookies might be one of them.

Oatmeal Cookies with Apricots and Pistachios
(adapted from Cooks Illustrated)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl or your mixer bowl beat butter and sugar until creamy and fluffy. 

2) Add in eggs one at a time beating on low. 

3) Combine flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a small bowl, then stir into wet mixture.

4) Stir in oats, apricots and pistachios.  

5) Using a small ice cream scoop, add the rounds to a parchment/silpat line baking sheet.   Bake until cookies are turning golden on the edges, 10-12 minutes.   Let cool on a wire rack, store in a airtight container.

I think these are the best oatmeal cookies I have ever made. I don't know what else to say.  I am going to make them again this weekend.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEEE-LICIOUS

12 Days of Cookies - Day 8 - Rugelach Bars

Okay, so I organize a lot of baking days with people.   For the last several years my friend Heather and I also got together for a Holiday baking day.   We pick 3-4 recipe and see what we can accomplish,  almost always never completing what we want to. Fun and ambitious  nonetheless.  This year we picked some awesome recipes - one of them being this one.  We have had rugelach on your recipe list every year and we always somehow push it off.   Not this year. I have been a little obsessed with one of my latest holiday magazines from Cuisine at Home.  If you haven't noticed  I think half of my 12 days of cookie recipes are adapted or taken from this magazine. It just has so many fun, cool recipes in it this year.  Lots of creative work going on at Cuisine at Home.  In the magazine this year there are these rugelach bars.  Same great cream cheese based dough but instead of rolling it into individual rolls, you turn it into a bar with dough on the top and bottom and the filling inside. A lot more time efficient, something Heather and I always need on baking day. 

Enjoy Day 8!

(Adapted from Cuisine Holiday Cookies)
INGREDIENTS:
Dough

• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (1/2 lb) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 - 8 oz - package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Filling

• 1 cup strawberry jam
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Egg wash

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• granulated sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) In a medium bowl whisk together flour and salt. 

2) In a large bowl or mixer bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese and vanilla on medium speed until combined and creamy

3) Mix in flour/salt until just combined.  Divide the dough into two equal parts, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten into rectangles.  Chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours or over night.

4) Remove the dough the from the fridge and make the filling.  In a food processor combine jam, apricots, almonds and cinnamon.   Mix until all minced together and combined.

5) Roll out each portion of dough into 9x13 rectangles, place in between waxed paper or place on small baking sheets and cover with saran.  Freeze for 15 minutes. 

6) Preheat oven to 375F.  Spary a 9x13 pan with non stick spray.  Place one layer of dough on the bottom of the pan, trim off any excess. 

7) Spread the filling over the bottom layer.  Remove the other rectangle dough form the saran or waxed paper. Press on top of the filling and trim off any excess.

8) Combine the water and egg in a small bowl and whisk together.  Brush on top of the dough and sprinkle with sugar.   Bake until golden - 40-45 minutes. 

9) Remove from oven, let cool and cut into any desired shape. 

The dough is buttery, flaky and a little tangy and the filling was not too sweet with a little bit of crunch.  It was also a super easy dough to put together.  The great thing about rugelach is you can change the filling in so many ways depending on what fruit, jam or nut you like.  Dried cherries or figs I have decided will be my next rugelach experiment.  I think next time I will also add an additional half or double of the filling.

MEG's RATING : D-EEEE-LICIOUS

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Day 7 - Oatmeal Turtle Jumbles

12 Days of Cookies - Day 5 - Florentines & The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap

Today's cookies are not just day 5 cookies, they are my cookie swap cookies.  When I saw the Great Food Blogger Cookie swap through Love and Olive Oil.   I signed right up.  How cool was this idea,  a cookie swap across two countries.  It is crazy.   It is a great to meet new bloggers and find new amazing blogs.   The best part 3 dozen different cookies showed up at my door.   I got so excited every time a box arrived I ripped it open immediately 

These are the cookies I  received : 

1) Haystack Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies from K&K Test Kitchen

2) Nutella Coconut Haystack Cookies from Cravings of a Lunatic

3) Pistachio Cranberry Biscotti from The Bold Baker

They were all absolutely delicious!!

The tricky thing with sending cookies across the country is you have to make sure they will hold up and not fall apart.  I also wanted to choose something that wouldn't go stale, knowing the mail could take longer than I wanted. I have never made florentines before but always have wanted to try them.   They have so many amazing attributes - fruit, nuts and caramel.   

(Adapted from Cuisine Holiday Cookies)

INGREDIENTS:

Crust

• 3/4 cup (6 oz0 unsalted butter
• 3 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup gluten free all purpose
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp orange zest

Filling

• 3 oz unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries 
• 1/2 cup dried apricots or dried cherries
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 cup bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a 10 inch square pan with parchment and spray with non stick spray. 

2) In a large bowl or mixer bowl beat together butter and egg yolks until combined, a few minutes.   Add brown sugar and 1 tsp zest until light and creamy.   

3) Add flour and salt and blend until just combined.  Spread the dough in to the pan with an offset spatula.   Bake crust until golden, about 15 minutes.   Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

4) Make the filling: Heat butter, sugar, cream and honey over medium heat. Continue to cook until a candy thermometer reaches 240F, about 5 minutes. 

5)  Remove from heat and stir in almonds, zest and dried fruit.  Pour over cooled crust. Bake 15 minutes @ 350F.

6)  Allow bars to cool on a wire rack.  Ensure bars are completely cool before cutting.  Sliced in your desired size and shape.

7)  Heat the chocolate over a double boiler until completely melted and smooth.    Drizzle over bars through a piping bag or loosely with a fork.

I hope all my recipients liked the Florentines.   I sure did.  Chewy, crunchy and sweet, these cookies are the entire package.  I made two batches of these.  One with dried cherries and dried cranberries and one with dried apricots and dried cranberries.   I mailed a mix of both to each person.   If you are not a huge fan of orange zest, leave it out.  This can be a strong taste.

A huge THANK YOU  to Julie and Lindsay  for organizing the cookie swap and to the three ladies who sent me awesome cookies.  I can't wait to see all of the cookies people made and  I look forward to next years,

MEG's RATING: D-EEEEE-LICIOUS

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Day 4 - M&M Rice Krispie Cookies

Fruit & Oatmeal Breakfast Bites

I admit I drink protein shakes for breakfast, pretty much 5 days a week.   There are a few reasons for this.  1) I fear I don't get enough protein in my day and I think it is important to start your day with some.   2) I go into work for 7:30 and I really don't give myself enough time to stop and eat.   3) I have learned to like them, even though they may look thick and chalky.

Some days I wish I had more time to make breakfast and by breakfast I don't mean cereal.   I mean pancakes, waffles and stratas.   I am never worried about my egg intake I eat a lot of those, mostly hard boiled.  Most days there just isn't time or the timing is off.   On the weekend when I would want to make them, my husband is usually up and eating before me because I am working out and I would feel bad making waffles just for me.  I did however decide to make myself a little breakfast bar, which I turned into muffin bites.   These bites also use one of my favorite ingredients - quinoa.   Not the whole grain however, quinoa flour.  If you have never used this before quinoa flour has a very distinct taste and smell so I recommend you never use it as the only flour in the recipe.  If you need to remain gluten free, use a brown rice or gluten free all purpose.  I once made a cake with quinoa flour and threw it out because I thought it was bad.   Lesson learned. 

Fruit & Oatmeal Breakfast Bites

(Adapted from Quinoa 365)

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1/3 cup silvered almonds
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp orange juice
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 unsweetened applesauce - used homemade from my sister in law
• 1/2 quinoa flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups large flake oats
• 1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cherries

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Preheat the oven to 350F.   Toast the almonds on a baking sheet/stoneware for about 10-15 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned.    Line two muffin tins with silicon muffin cups.
2) In your mixer bowl or a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add orange juice, vanilla and eggs and mix until fully combined.

3) Stir in the applesauce

4) In a medium bowl, mix together both flours, flax, baking powder, soda, and salt.  Add this mixture to the wet mixture and beat to combine.

5) Add oats, almonds, cherries, coconut and apricots and stir to fully combine.  Make sure everything is well incorporated.   Chill the mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes.

6) Using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop , place rounds into the muffins tins and then press down to flatten.  Bake in the center for 16-18 minutes, until edges are lightly golden.   Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then  turn out on a wire rack.  Do not over bake or these will dry out.   I over baked my first batch and they were a bit drier so I just ate those ones first.    Store them for 2 weeks in a sealed container in the fridge (or garage in the winter if you live where it is cold) 

These are a perfect little snack with your morning coffee, a easy breakfast addition to feed your holiday guests or just take two for  breakfast on the run.  They are packed with fiber and fruit to keep you full all morning.  I love dried fruit and oatmeal so these just called my name so easily.   Any dried fruit lovers out there?  Cherries are my favorite, but you could use other dried fruit or nuts if you wanted.  

MEG's RATING: D-EEEE-LICIOUS