Lime Bars

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• zest of one lime
• 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted

For the filling:

• 1-14 oz. can fat free sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 2 large egg yolks

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350F, then grease an 8″ square pan, line it with parchment paper that hangs over the edge of the pan by a few inches (so you can remove the bars from the pan more easily).

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and zest.  Press into the prepared pan, pressing the crust mixture one inch up the side of the pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool completely.

Once the crust is cooled combine the egg yolks and condensed milk until well mixed.  Stir in the lime juice and combine.  It will begin to thicken slightly.

Pour the filling into the crust, making sure the filling reaches the edges.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.

Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least one hour, overnight is better.  Pull the bars out of the pan using the parchment paper and transfer to a cutting board.  Cut into 16 squares with a serrated knife.  To make cutting cleaner wipe the knife with a damp cloth between cuts.

Sweet Buttermilk Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Butter
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 cup Cornmeal
• 1 cup Flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup canned or defrosted corn kernels

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Grease an 8" square pan.
2. Melt butter, stir in sugar and eggs.
3. Combine buttermilk and baking soda, stir into butter mixture.
4. Stir in cornmeal, flour, salt and corn kernels.  Do not over mix, leave some lumps.
5. Bake for 30-40 minutes.
6. To store for more than a day, freeze.  To revive yummy cornbread reheat in microwave

Cinnamon Coffee Cake Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
• 2 cups flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 heaping tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup white sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with non stick spray. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Mix the buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring cup and set aside. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. In a bowl cream the butter and white sugar together and then add in the eggs one at a time. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix to combine, then add 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat this and end with the flour. Pour 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan and top with 1/3 of the cinnamon mixture, repeat so that the final layer of cinnamon mixture is the topping on the bread. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Smores Brownie Pie

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Trader Joe's 72% Pound Plus Bar)
1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant espresso granules, optional but recommended
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
about 8 ounces large marshmallows, enough to cover pan completely
about 2 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs (half of 1 graham cracker, crushed in your fist)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium, microwave-safe bowl combine the butter, chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and heat to melt, about 45 seconds on high power. Stop to check and stir. Heat in 10-second bursts as necessary until mixture can be stirred smooth; set aside.
3. In a  large mixing bowl, lightly whisk together the eggs and sugar.
4. Whisk in the vanilla.
5. Add the chocolate mixture to the egg-sugar mixture and whisk to combine.
6. Optionally whisk in the espresso granules. It doesn't make the brownies taste like coffee and intensifies the chocolate flavor; omit if you're concerned.
7. Stir in the flour until just combined; don't overmix.
8. Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
9. Bake for about 26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
10. Turn broiler to high power. Keep the oven rack in the middle of the oven, not up high where you'd normally broil things because it's safer in the middle; the marshmallows are less likely to char.
11. Evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over brownie.
12. Evenly sprinkle the marshmallows.
13. Broil for about 1 minute, or until marshmallows are golden and puffed. Keep an incredibly close eye on them so they don't burn because broilers are extremely unforgiving. I broil on the middle rack, with the oven door open, and stare into the oven the entire time and jostle the pie dish around to aim the broiler on specific patches I want more or less toasted.
14. Remove from oven and evenly sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs before serving. Serve as soon as it's comfortably cooled, or allow to cool completely before serving. Pie will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.

 Baked Spinach, Artichoke, and Mozzarella Dip

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces cream cheese, very well softened (lite okay)
2 cups mayonnaise (lite okay)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (or fontina or a favorite easy-melting cheese)
1 1/2 cups artichokes, roughly chopped  (I used 6 ounces frozen artichoke hearts from TJs, chopped; oil-packed artichokes in a jar may be substituted)
1 1/2 cups frozen spinach, thawed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch salt, optional and to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish (or 1o-inch, or similar-sized oven-safe baking dish) with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, mayo, and stir to combine. The softer the cream cheese is, the easier this is.
3. Add 1 cup cheese (reserving remainder to be sprinkled on top), and all the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
4. Turn mixture out into prepared dish, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
5. Evenly sprinkle reserved 2 cups cheese over the top.
6. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until top is golden browned, bubbly, and dip is done to your liking. Allow dip to cool momentarily before serving. Dip is excellent warm and fresh, but extra will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and can be reheated gently in the micro or used as a cold dip. Read product labels to ensure all products are gluten-free if that's a consideration for you.

Soft M&M Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix (not sugar-free and not 'cook & serve'), OR use 2 teaspoons cornstarch in place of pudding mix
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate M&M's mixed into the dough + about 1/2 cup for placing on top of dough mounds

DIRECTIONS:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, pudding mix (or cornstarch), baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, 3/4 cup M&Ms, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
4. Using a large cookie scoop, 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form 15 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly.
5. Add about 1 tablespoon M&Ms to the top of each dough mound.
6. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
7. Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for 11 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack.
8. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Fudgy Brownie Cookie Dough Ice Cream Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS:

Brownies
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), melted
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons brewed coffee (leftover from the morning brew is fine), optional but recommend to enhance chocolate flavor and does not make brownies taste like coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process, I used Hershey's natural)
1 teaspoon instant espresso granules, optional but recommend to enhance chocolate flavor and does not make brownies taste like coffee
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional and to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Ice Cream
1/2 of one half-gallon Dreyer's Slow Churned Ice Cream with Half the Fat in Cookie Dough flavor (about 4 cups), slightly softened

Cookie Dough, optional
1 batch Raw Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls (gluten-free) - I used mini-chocolate chips rather than regular-sized

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brownies - Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang on the sides, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and heat on high power to melt, about 1 minute. Allow butter to cool momentarily so you don't scramble the eggs.
3. Add the eggs, sugars, optional coffee, vanilla, and whisk to combine.
4. Add the cocoa powder, optional espresso granules, optional salt, and whisk to combine. If your cocoa powder is lumpy, it could take a couple minutes of vigorous whisking.
5. Add the flour and stir until just combined, don't overmix.
6. Turn batter out into prepared pan.
7. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until done; don't overbake. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow brownies to cool in pan for at least 1 hour before slicing.
8. Slice the brownie in half horizontally, right down the middle. Leave one side in the pan and carefully remove the other side (a large spatula is helpful); set aside.
9. Ice Cream - Evenly and lightly spread ice cream over the brownie half in the pan. If ice cream isn't soft enough, it will tear the brownies when you try to spread it. Microwave for about 15 seconds, or as necessary.
10. Cookie Dough - Optionally, make a batch and crumble small pieces over the ice cream.
11. Top ice cream and optional cookie dough layer with the reserved brownie half. Cover with the unused portion of foil, creating a semi-tight 'bundle'.
12. Place pan in freezer and allow it to firm up, at least 3 hours.
13. Remove from freezer, lift the slab out with foil overhang, place it on a cutting board, and with a very sharp knife, slice into desired sizes. I made 6 extra-large sandwiches. It will take some pressure to slice through it, but it's do-able. If necessary, wait a few minutes for it to soften before slicing.
14. Serve immediately. Sandwiches will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months.