Apricot Squares

INGREDIENTS
1 can (approx. 16 ounces) apricot halves, drained (2 cans)  (reserve 3T of the juice)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup apricot preserves

PREPARATION
Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Sift flour and spices into a bowl; stir in sugar. Add melted butter or margarine; mix together with a pastry cutter or fork. Set aside about one-quarter of the crumb mixture for topping. Stir the 1 tablespoon milk (or 2t reserved juice and 1t water) into remaining mixture; press into the pan. Prick all over with a fork.  Mix together apricot preserves with 2T reserved juice. Smooth apricot preserve mixture over bottom layer crust Arrange drained apricot halves over first layer; crumble remaining crumb mixture over the apricots. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes, or until topping is browned. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped topping.

southernfood.about.com

Apricot Jam Cookie Bars

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 cup apricot jam

PREPARATION
Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and milk; beat well. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Spread half of the batter into a greased 9-inch square pan. Spread jam over bottom layer; top with remaining batter. Bake apricot bars at 400° for 25 minutes. Cut into small bars.
Makes about 36 small bars.

Sinless Cookies

The original recipe
2 ripe bananas
1 C quick oats
1/2 C dark chocolate chips
1 heaping T natural peanut butter
Mix all ingredient together, drop on cookie sheet
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes

Here's what I did
2 ripe bananas
1/2 C granola cereal (with raisins)
1/2 C quick oats (after mixing I found I needed to add about 1/2C more of the quick oats)
1/2 C dark chocolate chips
1 heaping T Peter Pan peanut butter (found I needed about 1/2T more to tone down the banana taste)
Mash bananas and oats together - easiest way is with your hand
Mix in peanut butter then choc chips

As I noted above I needed to add more oats - my mix was goopy and needed to be firmer.
I baked them for 15 minutes at 350° then turn the oven off but left them in there for another 10 minutes
The cookies came out chewy - which I like so I deem these a success
Recipe makes about a dozen cookies

**might be fun for little people to make in a ziploc - especially since they could step all over it to mix up the bananas, oats, and peanut butter (sorry the nanny in me still comes out from time to time *grin*) 

Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredient amounts in purple are for an 8x8 pan
1/2 cup butter (3 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons)
2 cups self-rising flour (3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons)
2 cups white sugar (3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons)
2 cups milk (3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons)
3 1/2 cups blackberries (1-3/4 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Once oven temperature is reached melt butter in a 9x13 (8x8) inch baking pan.
In a medium bowl stir together the flour, sugar and milk; batter will be slightly lumpy.
Pour mixture on top of melted butter in baking pan.
Do not mix butter and mixture together.
Drop blackberries into batter; if more crust is desired add less blackberries.
Bake in preheated oven for one hour or until golden brown.

I didn't have any self-rising flour so I made my own
Homemade Self-Rising Flour - Substitute
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
Combine all ingredients and use in place of self rising flour.

Garden Monkey Bread

4 Pack of biscuits (7.5 oz)- cut into thirds  (10 frozen biscuits thawed and cut into quarters)
1/4 C melted butter
1/4 C red bell pepper - chopped (thinly)
1/4 C green bell pepper - chopped (thinly)
4 green onions - thin sliced, using as much of the green as possible
2 small cloves garlic - minced
5 slices crisp bacon crumbled (2 slices)
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (omitted)

Combine ingredients in a bowl.
Pour into greased 12 cup Bundt Pan (grease a 9x9 pan with a thin layer of butter - place biscuits in a single layer)
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

goodnessgracious.com