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

Three Ingredient Berry Cobbler

2 12 oz bags frozen mixed berries
1 box white cake mix
1 can of lemon lime soda

Directions:
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Pour both bags of frozen berries into a 9x13 baking dish. Cover evenly with dry cake mix. Pour soda slowly over the top of the cake mix; DO NOT STIR. This way it will form a nice cobbler-like crust. If you stir it will end up with more of a cake-like finish. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve warm. Refrigerate any leftovers.

         

Apple Praline Bread

1 cup sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup nuts (walnut or pecan or a combo), divided

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Set aside. (I used stoneware loaf pan for perfect cooking)
Using an electric mixer, beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed for a couple of minutes until well blended. Stop the mixer and then add in the flour, leavening agents and salt. Continue to beat on low until well combined.
Fold in the apples and half the nuts into the batter. Transfer the batter into the greased loaf pan.
Sprinkle the rest of the nuts on top and then press them lightly into the batter. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in the loaf pan for about 20-30 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. So it doesn't get too dark, I suggest using a light colored loaf pan.

For the praline sauce:
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter

In a small sauce pan, place the butter and brown sugar. Using medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and then simmer lightly for about one minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool completely.