Raspberry Chocolate Bars

These bars are a delightful marriage of sugar cookie, raspberry jam, and chocolate. Of course, I love all of these things, and was sure these would be incredible. However, when my friends, my husband and I first tried them, we weren't completely sold on them. 

But, I hate to throw out baked goods; so I put them in a sealed container, and left them for the next day. Oh how surprised I was when I tried them again the next day. 

Trust me, these bars are 100 times better the next day. My advice is to make them at night before you go to bed, and wait to eat them until the next day.

What You Will Need:
Small Bowl

Whisk

Fork

9 x 13 Pan

Small Saucepan

Large Spoon

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Soy Flour

1/2 cup Tapioca Starch

1/4 cup Potato Starch

3/4 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1 pint  Fresh Raspberries (You could also use frozen, thawed and drained)

1/4 cup Water

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

3/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In small bowl, whisk together soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch and sugar.

Add butter and mix with a fork until pea size lumps are formed.

Press mixture into 9x13 pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Mix together corn starch and water.

In small saucepan, mix together corn starch mixture and raspberries. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute. Cool 10 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked crust.

Spoon raspberry mixture evenly over chocolate chips.

Bake for 20 minutes or until raspberry mixture is set.

Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

Melt white chocolate chips and canola oil in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment, until completely melted. Cool for 2 minutes. Spoon into a zip-top bag, clip the corner, and drizzle over bar. Refrigerate overnight.

Cut into 2 inch squares and serve. Store in an air-tight container.

Just try them. You will like them.

Many are the plan's in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. ~Proverbs 19:21

Don't let this discourage you. God's plans are ALWAYS better. Sometimes it takes a while for them to unfold, but they are ALWAYS better.

~Sheryl

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Chocolate Covered Raspberry Cookies

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!

OK, this may sound bad, but I pretty much love anything chocolate covered! But, I especially love strawberries or raspberries covered in chocolate.

And what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with pink cookies that taste like chocolate covered raspberries? I couldn't think of a better way. Well, except for the fact that the family and I packed up and left this morning headed to sunny Florida and the happiest place on earth - Walt Disney World. As my kids would say, "Epic Valentine's Day!"

But, let's get back to the cookies - raspberry flavored cookies with milk chocolate chips. That sounds amazing enough, right? Yet, you know how I love to push the envelope of amazing, so I dipped some and drizzled some of them in even more chocolate. Holy cookie, batman! Trust me, you will be speechless. They are that good.

What You Will Need:
Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Medium Bowl
Whisk
Spatula
Plastic Container
Cookie Sheets lined with Silicone Mats or Parchment Paper
Medium Scoop
Cooling Racks
Small Bowl
Wax Paper

Ingredients:
1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
3/4 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
2 Large Eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup Oat Flour
3/4 cup Potato Starch
3/4 cup Tapioca Starch
1/4 cup Corn Starch
1 small package Raspberry Flavored Gelatin
1 1/2 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips (Optional for Dipping)
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil (Optional for Dipping)

Directions:
In stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar - approximately 4 minutes.

In medium bowl, whisk together oat flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, corn starch, gelatin, xanthum gum, baking soda and salt.

Add eggs and vanilla to sugar mixture and mix well. Scrape down sides of bowl with a spatula.

Slowly add dry ingredients to stand mixer. Mix well.

Add milk chocolate chips and mix until combined.

Using medium scoop, scoop dough into plastic container, using wax paper between the layers of dough balls. Refrigerate at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place dough balls on lined cookie sheets approximately 2 inches apart. I usually put 8 cookies on a sheet. (This dough is pretty soft even after being refrigerated. You may want to roll the dough balls back into balls before placing them on the cookie sheets. This will ensure that your cookies will be pretty circles, not odd shaped alien cookies.)

Bake for 16-18 minutes.

Let cool on cookie sheets for two minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

OPTIONAL: Melt milk chocolate chips and canola oil in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between intervals, until completely melted. Let cool.

Dip cookies in melted chocolate and place on wax paper to set.

Put some of the melted chocolate in a zip-top bag, snip the corner, and drizzle the chocolate on the cookies.

Didn't I tell you they were amazing?

"Some people look for a beautiful place. Other people make a place beautiful."

Which kind of person do you choose to be? I want to make beauty!!! Will you join me?

~Sheryl

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Berry Hand Pies

When I was a kid, I was a huge fan of Hostess fruit pies. I loved everything about them - the flaky crust, the gooey fruit filling, the sweet glaze; and how they all worked together to make a delicious treat.

This berry hand pie is an homage to the Hostess fruit pie of my youth. It has a flaky crust, gooey fruit filling and a sweet glaze. Eating them brings back lots of great memories. Will they do the same for you? 

What You Will Need:
Small Saucepan
Shallow Dish
Silicone Mat/Clean Counter
Rolling Pin
Circle Cookie Cutter (Approximately 3")
Cookie Sheets lined with Silicone Mats or Parchment Paper
Cooling Rack

Ingredients:
Pastry Dough (Posted on May 18, 2013)
Filling
2 cups Berries (I used blackberries, but strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries would also be great.)
1 Large Apple (Granny smith would be great, but I used what I had - I think it was a red delicious.); peeled, cored and chopped.
2/3 cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon Tapioca Flour/Starch
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Milk (for sealing crust and brushing the tops)
2 Tablespoons Sugar (for sprinkling the tops)
Glaze
6 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
1 Tablespoon Milk

Directions:
In a small saucepan, cook the filling ingredients over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens.

Pour the mixture into a shallow dish to cool.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Place racks in second to top and second to bottom slots.

On a lightly floured silicone mat or clean counter, roll out the pastry dough with a rolling pin to approximately 1/8"-1/4" thickness. Cut the dough with the circle cookie cutter.

Place a circle of dough on a lined cookie sheet, and place a heaping Tablespoon of filling in the center of the circle.

Take another circle of dough and press it between your thumb and fingers to flatten it slightly, so it is bigger than the bottom circle. 

Wet the edges of the bottom circle with milk.

Place the slightly stretched circle over the filling and line up the edges of the two circles. Press the edges with a fork to seal the edges together.

Cut a small x in the top of the hand pie.

Brush the top of the hand pie with milk.

Sprinkle with Sugar.

Bake for 15 minutes on top rack, then switch to bottom rack and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden. If baking two cookie sheets at once, place one sheet on each rack and swap at 15 minutes.

Transfer the hand pies to cooling racks to cool completely.

While hand pies are cooling, mix the glaze ingredients in a small bowl with a spoon.

Drizzle the glaze over the cooled hand pies.

Let the glaze set completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

Yummy! These hand pies are perfect for a picnic or to stick in your lunch for a special treat. How about surprising your husband and/or kids by sneaking one in their lunch? Now that is a great idea.

"You are confined only by the walls you build yourself."

Don't let your walls confine you. Dream big, tear down your walls, and go after your dreams! 

~Sheryl

Raspberry Almond Coffee Cake

Coffee cake - is it breakfast or dessert? Does it matter? I don't think so. It's delicious either way!

This sweet cake is filled with a layer of cinnamon sugar; a layer of sweet, juicy raspberries; and topped with an almond crumble. Whether you serve it for breakfast or dessert, it is sure to be a crowd pleaser - even if it is a crowd of one.

Just a note: This recipe makes a large coffee cake. If you aren't serving it to a crowd, you might want to consider freezing individual pieces for those mornings when you are running late and need something to grab and go. 20-30 seconds in the microwave should be just enough.

Although I haven't tried it yet, I'm sure this would be just as amazing with blueberries, peaches, or apples. Give it a try, and let me know what happens.

What You Will Need:
9" Springform Pan
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment

Ingredients:
Crumb Topping
1/2 cup Soy Flour
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/4 cup Potato Starch
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
3/4 cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 cup Slivered Almonds, chopped and toasted
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, cold & cut into 1/4 inch cubes
Cake
3/4 cup Soy Flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/4 cup Potato Starch
1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
1 cup Milk
Cake Filling
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
2 cups Raspberries

Directions:
To make the crumb topping, in a small bowl, whisk together the soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthum gum, brown sugar and salt.

Stir in the nuts.

Add the butter.

Work together with your fingers until lumps the size of peas form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 350° F. 

Spray the springform pan with the non-stick cooking spray.

To make the cake, in a medium bowl, whisk together the soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthum gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy.

Beat in vanilla.

Add eggs one at a time, beating until well mixed and fluffy between each addition.

With mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and the milk, alternating between the two, starting with the dry and ending with the dry.

Pour half of the batter into the springform pan.

To make the filling, in a small bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. 

Sprinkle the mixture over the batter in the springform pan.

Spoon the remaining batter into the springform pan over the filling mixture. Smooth the top.

Pour raspberries evenly over batter.

Sprinkle crumb topping over raspberries.

Bake cake for 60-80 minutes or until tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely in pan.

Remove the sides of the pan, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

You are probably thinking that I am going to say serve it with coffee, but I'm really not a coffee kind of girl. I prefer tea, but even that isn't my favorite. However, if you like coffee or tea, either would go well with this cake. If not, it is great all by itself.

"The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it."
Just something to think about.

~Sheryl