Rustic Apple and Goat Cheese Tart

I took this to church for our fellowship snack time between services today, and it was a big hit!

Rustic Apple and Goat Cheese Tart

(Makes: 4 medium tarts)

1 box frozen puff pastry—thawed
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup apple cider or juice
1/4 cup honey
3-4 large, firm apples—sliced thin
4 oz crumbled goat cheese

Combine sherry, apple cider, and honey in medium saucepan.  Add apple slices and cook over medium heat until apples are slightly softened, but have not lost their shape (5-10 minutes).  Remove from heat and strain, reserving liquid.  Return liquid to stove, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until slightly thickened (about 15 minutes).

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice each sheet of puff pastry into halves and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Thoroughly prick each pastry sheet with a fork, leaving a border of 1/2” all around the outside edges to allow outsides to puff out but insides to stay flat.  Sprinkle all four tarts evenly with goat cheese, then cover with cooked apple slices in a decorative pattern.

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until outer crust turns golden brown.  Allow to cool for 3 minutes, then spoon remaining juice over top.

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

Since Easter is tomorrow and people probably have a lot of hard-boiled eggs on their hands, I thought it was high time to add more deviled egg recipes.

Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs

6 Hard-boiled Eggs

1/4 cup Mayo

2 strips Bacon - cooked

1 tbsp. Shredded cheddar

1 tsp. Honey

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. Pepper

Peel eggs; halve lengthwise.  Combine yolks, mayo, crumbled bacon, cheese, honey, mustard, and pepper in sealable bag and mix thoroughly by squishing.   Snip off one end of bag and pipe filling into egg whites.

Apple and Pear Crisp

A great autumnal dessert :-9  Not too complicated, either!

Apple and Pear Crisp

2 apples -- chopped
2 pears -- chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup quick oats
1/4 cup walnuts -- chopped

 Mix the apples, pears, dried cranberries, 1 tbsp. flour, honey, and lemon juice in a greased 1 quart baking dish. In a large bowl, mix butter, flour, sugar, oats, and walnuts. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

Flourless Chocolate Birthday Cake

I made this for my birthday this year, and it was far superior to the other flourless chocolate cakes I've made before.  This one is a keeper!  I originally found it here.  If you want to make it gluten-free, just make sure you use gluten-free chocolate, like the Baker's brand of baking chocolate.

Flourless Chocolate Birthday Cake

Cake

12 oz semisweet baking chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) plus 3 Tbsp butter -- cut into chunks
1 cup sugar
6 eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Glaze (optional)

1 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the paper with cooking spray as well, then set the pan aside. Place 8 ounces of chocolate and 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter in a large microwaveable bowl. Melt the chocolate with the butter, stirring often, until completely blended. Add sugar and mix well. Then add your eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift your cocoa into the bowl and then stir until just blended. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake has risen to the top and formed a thin crust. (The cake should be firm in the middle when done.) Cool for 10 minutes then invert onto a plate and remove the springform pan. Remove parchment paper and let cake cool completely.

When the cake is nearly done cooling, melt the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate and 3 tablespoons of butter in a small sauce pan over medium to low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and then stir in your milk, honey and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly. When the cake has cooled, pour the glaze onto the center of the cake. Using the back of a spoon or a flexible spatula, very gently smooth glaze along the tops and sides of the cake. Chill the cake, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes before serving to set the glaze and make the cake easier to slice.  Store in refrigerator.

Banana-and-Peanut-Butter Blender Mini-Muffins

I found this recipe via Pinterest -- the original is here.  As per the recipe's original creator's wishes, I have rewritten all the instructions myself so I can post it here.  She also has a chocolate version, which I have not yet tried.

My kids totally love these, and I give these to them as their after-swimming-lessons snack a couple times a month.  With all the good stuff in them from the peanut butter and bananas (and no refined sugars except in the teeny chocolate chips), I feel like they're a great pick-me-up for them after they've use up all that energy.  These freeze really well, so I can store them up and just pull them out of the freezer before we head to lessons.  Also, I happen to think they're super tasty when frozen, so they're a quick treat for me sometimes too :-D

Banana-and-Peanut-Butter Blender Mini-Muffins

1 medium ripe banana -- peeled
1 large egg
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (store-bought peanut butter works best)
3 tablespoons honey (can substitute agave or maple syrup)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 400F.  Grease 24 mini muffin tins or use paper liners.  Put banana, egg, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, soda, and salt directly into your blender and blend on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.  Stir in chocolate chips by hand (the blender will turn them into chocolate bits, so don't use it for this).  Use a spoon to fill muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into their center comes out clean.  Because they're small, they burn quickly, so watch them.  Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing.  Store in an airtight container or the freezer.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Balls of Energy

I got this recipe here, but I changed a couple of things to make it easier and fit better with ingredients I usually have on hand.  

I made these today, and oh my goodness, they are so tasty!  Warning:  they are really filling!  I kinda sorta ate three of them over the course of rolling them up, and now I feel horribly full.  Don't do that.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Balls of Energy

1 cup old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Thoroughly mix everything in a medium bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, until it's easy to mold into a ball without sticking to your fingers or falling apart. Roll into balls of whatever size you would like, and flatten them a little between your palms if you want them to be more cookie-shaped and easier for little mouths to bite into.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge -- they should keep for up to a week. Makes about 20.

Black Bean Slaw with Soy Ginger Dressing

Tangy and crunchy, with a pretty unique flavor.

Black Bean Slaw with Soy Ginger Dressing

1 can Black beans -- drained and rinsed
1 bag Coleslaw mix
2 Granny Smith Apples -- chopped
1 Red Pepper -- chopped
3 1/2 tbsp. Cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
2 Tbsp. Oil
1/2 tsp. Ginger
2 tsp. Honey
1/4 tsp. Pepper

 In a huge bowl, combine beans, cole slaw mix, apple, and red pepper. In a seal-able container, add remaining ingredients, seal, and shake well to mix. Pour over veggie mix and toss to coat.

Berry White Ice Pops

A quick and simple popsicle recipe -- the best kind, right?

Berry White Ice Pops

1/2 cup Whole milk
1 tsp. Honey
1/4 tsp. Vanilla
3/4 cup Frozen mixed berries

 Place berries in popsicle molds, slicing to fit, if necessary. Mix remaining ingredients and pour into molds. Freeze.

Banana Almond Sandwiches

Doesn't get much easier than this!  Still, a little more prep than a PBJ, and nice enough you can serve it to company.  Great for picnics!

Banana Almond Sandwiches

2 Bananas
1/3 cup Almonds -- chopped
1/8 cup Honey

 Mash bananas with a fork. Mix with almonds and honey.  Spread both on bread.

Moroccan Lifdowish

This looks rather odd on paper, but it's amazingly tasty in a sweet, simple way.  Every time we make it, I say a line from the movie Sabrina (1995):  "It was Moroccan.  On the floor, with lots of cinnamon."

Moroccan Lifdowish

7 cups Water
6 tbsp. Butter
1/2 cup Onion – chopped
3 tsp.Dried parsley
1/2  tsp. Pepper
1 1/2  tsp. Salt
1 lb. Fine spaghetti
1 cup Honey
1 tbsp. Cinnamon

Bring first six ingredients to boil in a large pot. Add spaghetti and cook until tender. Drain. Pour spaghetti onto a platter. Drizzle with honey and dust with cinnamon. Serve.

Apple Green Bean Saute

This is colorful and fun -- a big hit with kids who like green beans, but not so much with those who don't.

Apple Green Bean Saute

1 lb. Fresh green beans - trimmed and sliced bite-sized
1 large Apple - chopped
1 tbsp. Oil
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/2 cup Honey
2 tbsp. Sesame seeds - toasted

Saute green beans and apples in oil until crisp-tender. Stir in walnuts and honey and stir to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.