Trail Mix Granola Bars

Trail Mix Granola Bars

My little friend Madison Long made trail mix with her mom and shared it with us.  TCJne doesn’t eat “trail mix” he thinks it’s for the birds.  So instead of hogging it all down myself, I decided to make granola bars with it.  He will eat them if there are no cookies in the jar… like my granny always used to say, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat!”

*2 cups trail mix

2 cups oatmeal (whole grain quick oats)

2 cups Quaker Natural Granola oats, honey & almonds cereal

1 cup coconut

½ cup raisins

½ cup honey

½ cup butter

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1 egg

1 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease the bottom of a 13x9x2 in baking dish with cooking spray.  Place a sheet of parchment paper on top and spray that also. 

In a very large bowl combine trail mix, oatmeal, granola cereal, coconut and raisins and mix well.  Melt butter.  In food processor or Magic bullet add butter with honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, peanut butter, egg and salt.  Pulse until well blended.  Pour over granola mixture and stir well. 

Spoon mixture onto greased parchment paper, press down firmly all around.  Sprinkle with sea salt (optional—I’m addicted to it).  Place in oven and bake 20 minutes.  Rotate pan so that the front is in the back and the back is in the front and bake an additional 5-7 minutes, just until all outside edges are brown.

Cool 30 minutes and slide out of pan to continue cooling.  Cool completely before slicing into squares (I made the mistake of cutting too soon).  Place in an airtight container.

*Madison Long’s homemade trial mix consists of pecans she picked from her granddaddy’s backyard.  She mixed them with salt and butter and roasted them on a cookie sheet in a 375° oven for about 15-20 minutes, stirring every five minutes.  After they cooled, she chopped them up and combined with a bag of dried cranberries, a bag of M&M’s (the ones she didn’t eat) and a bag of milk chocolate chip cookies.  This is her snack for when goes to her daily job of blueberry picking.

© Crackerberries 2013

Pound Cake

Cherry Pecan Pound Cake

CAKE

2½ tsp baking powder

2½ cups all purpose flour

½ tsp salt

¾ cup butter flavored Crisco + 1½ tbsp water)

1¼ cup sugar

3 eggs

¾ cup eggnog (or milk)

1 tsp cherry extract

1 cup cherry chip morsels

TOPPING

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

½ tsp cherry extract

4 tsp water

¼ cup crushed pecans

¼ cup crushed cherry chip morsels

Preheat oven 350°

Coat Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl and set aside.  In large mixing bowl beat Crisco, water and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes.)  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low until well combined.  Add eggnog and cherry extract and mix well.  Add reaming flour and beat until smooth (about 3 minutes). 

Spoon into Bundt pan and bake at 350° 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool on wire rack in pan for ten minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.  In medium bowl combine conf. sugar, water and cherry extract and whisk until smooth.  Fold in nuts and chips.  Spread over cooled cake.  Let icing dry 15 minutes before cutting.

© Crackerberries 2012

Sweet Potato Cheesecake Bars

It is week #3 for sweet potato recipes.  If you have one that you would like to share, email it to me and I'll be sure to post it for everyone to try.  This is my own little concoction.

1 cup flour

½ cup brown sugar, loosely packed

¼ cup butter, softened

½ cup finely chopped pecans

8 oz cream cheese, softened

¾ cup sugar

¾ cup cooked, mashed sweet potato

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º.  Combine flour, brown sugar and butter until crumbly.  Add pecans and mix well; reserve ½ cup mixture.  Press remaining mixture into bottom of ungreased 8x8 glass baking dish.  Bake 15 minutes and remove from oven.  Cool slightly.

Combine cream cheese, sugar, sweet potato, eggs, vanilla and spices and mix on medium speed until well blended and smooth.   Pour over cooled crust and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.  Bake at 350º 30-35 minutes.  Cool completely and cut into squares.  Garnish with pecan halves if desired.

© Crackerberries 2011

Pecan Zucchini Bread

2 cups shredded zucchini

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

3 tsp vanilla

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven 350º.  Grease two 8x4x2 inch loaf pans.  In medium bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and baking powder.  Make a well in center of mixture and set aside.

In another bowl beat eggs and add sugar, vanilla, oil and zucchini.  Add to flour mixture and stir just until moistened.  Fold in pecans.  Pour into greased loaf pans and bake 350º for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes and then remove from pans.  Slice and serve with soft butter or whipped cream cheese.

© Crackerberries 2011

Captain Morgan's Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie crust, pressed into 9-inch pie plate, do not bake.

Filling

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup light corn syrup

¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

1 tbsp. Captain Morgan’s spiced rum

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. salt

1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°

Filling: Combine eggs, corn syrup, sugars, melted butter, rum, vanilla & salt in large bowl. Blend well. Stir in pecans and mix well. Spoon into unbaked pie crust and bake for 15 minutes at 350°; remove from oven and cover pie crust edges with tin foil to prevent overbrowning. Return to oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Topping:

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 tbsp. butter or margarine

3 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. Captain Morgan’s spiced rum

1 ½ cups pecan halves

 

Combine brown sugar, margarine, honey and rum in sauce pan; cook for about 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Add pecan halves. Stir until coated; spoon over pie. Bake 20 minutes until topping is bubbly and crust is golden brown. Cool to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate leftover.

 

 

 

© Crackerberries 2011