Tag Archives: no-bake bars

No-Bake State Fair Honey Date Bars

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When I created an ice cream cake for my husband’s birthday a couple of weeks ago, I thought the no-bake granola crust would be a good make-over option for my old tried and true date bars — a recipe from my grandmother’s ledger.

I’ve dubbed the new no-bake dessert State Fair Honey Date Bars. They’ve not pulled a blue ribbon from the Minnesota State Fair, but I will be preparing the sweet new-fashioned, better-than-grandmother’s bars during a cooking demonstration I’ll be doing there on August 30th.

The crust of ground granola is held together with honey. A small amount of unsweetened cocoa in the crust offers an unidentifiable depth of flavor. Half of the crust gets patted into a 9-inch square pan. I used a square tart pan with a removable bottom. It makes cutting and serving the bars so much easier. A round springform pan would also work. The round shape is conducive to cutting small wedges to serve like pie with a scoop of premium vanilla ice cream.

I made the crust and patted it into my tart pan just before heading for a vacation in Chicago with our younger son and his family. Once we got to the flat we rented in Chicago, I stuck it in the refrigerator until I had time to make the date filling. A small bowl of the granola mixture to sprinkle over the top of the bars went into the refrigerator, too.

Pretty doors on the flat we rented on North Halsted in Lincoln Park in Chicago.

After days packed with trips to the Chicago Children’s Museum, the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Green City Market in Lincoln Park, train rides and bus rides, exploring the neighborhood by foot, trying new restaurants, playing at neighborhood playgrounds and even some shopping, I finally got around to preparing the date bars.

It didn’t take long to cook chopped dates with water. I flavored them with a little orange juice. If I’d been making this batch of bars at home, I would have added a sprig of fresh lemon thyme or a few lemon verbena leaves to the simmering dates. They can easily be pulled out of the cooked mixture before spreading it over the granola crust.

The date filling makes a thick layer in the pan. For my preferences, that’s a good thing. If you want less filling, just freeze half of the cooked mixture for another time. You’ll be surprised at how good it is served as an appetizer dolloped over goat cheese on crostini, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh herbs from your garden.

With my secret mixture of fresh herbs added to the simmering dates, I think these no-bake bars just might be worthy of a blue ribbon. Try them and see what you think. You’ll have to come to the Fair to learn about the secret herbal blend in the bars:)

If you plan to be at the Minnesota State Fair this year, I’d love to see you. Come say hi.

What: I’ll be doing cooking demos, preparing State Fair Honey (and herb) Date Bars

Where: Saint Agnes Demo Kitchen in the Creative Activities Building at the Minnesota State Fair

When: Thursday, August 30th at 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM.

You’ll find another version of my Grandmother’s Date Bars at this earlier post. Click here.

State Fair Honey Date Bars

  • 3 cups granola
  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 pound pitted dates, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1/2 cup chopped, toasted almonds

In two batches, grind granola in bowl of food processor to fine crumbs. This can also be done by putting granola in a large zip-top plastic bag. Roll over the bag with a rolling pin or a can from your pantry until the granola becomes crumbs.

Place granola crumbs in a large bowl. Add cocoa powder, milk and honey. Mix with a wooden spoon or your clean hands until all ingredients are thoroughly blended. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of 9-inch square glass baking dish, a tart pan or springform pan. Set aside.

Add about 1/2 cup of chopped, toasted almonds to the remaining granola mixture for the topping. Set aside.

Put dates and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is the consistency of marmalade, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Allow to cool. Stir in orange juice.

Spread date mixture over crust in the pan. Sprinkle reserved granola mixture over the top.

Cut and serve. Makes 12 to 16 bars.

 

It’s not all about mushrooms at a Mushroom Club meeting — how about some Candy Bars?

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A few days before the Paul Bunyan Mushroom Club members were scheduled to assemble at my home for their monthly meeting, member Terry Schaedig sent me an email note. He explained that, along with everyone else who was coming to the meeting, he was planning to bring a dish to share. There was a problem, though. He needed crisp and buttery Nabisco Waverly crackers for the recipe. It seemed in the 10 years since he last prepared the recipe, Waverly crackers had disappeared from grocery store shelves. I hadn’t even noticed.

I did a quick check on the internet and discovered Nabisco no longer makes Waverly crackers. I suggested Schaedig use Keebler Clubs instead. I still had no idea what he was making with crackers. Maybe some kind of hardy mushroom topping piled on crackers?

Looking fit, happy, healthy and not one bit out of breath after pulling another member out of the ditch just down the road from my house, Schaedig came in with an aluminum foil-covered plate in each hand. With a wide smile on his face, he handed the plates over to me.

I lifted a corner of the foil covering one plate. As I peeked in, my eyes focused on a perfectly-cut square of layers of chocolate and yes, crackers. The sweet aroma of peanut butter mixed with butterscotch hit my nostrils. I began to salivate uncontrollably.

It was difficult to wait until dessert time to eat one of those bars that kept tempting me from the buffet of food contributed by all the members in attendance. It was a good thing lunch was the first thing on our agenda for that meeting.

One bite of one perfectly cut Candy Bar – think butterscotch, peanut butter, chocolate and crunch. Chewy. Just enough chocolate. And, nice crunch from buttery, crisp crackers. Schaedig told me that after a lengthy quest for Waverly crackers, he ended up using Club Crackers.  I’d say that was a perfect choice.

Schaedig told me the recipe came from his mother’s recipe box. “Mom made these when she felt the kids were deserving (very infrequently) or when we went on strike (at least once a day) and demanded fair labor practices, which included her homemade Candy Bars.”

After the group watched a DVD about mushroom identification and discussed a few items of Paul Bunyan Mushroom Club business, our meeting came to an end. I noticed some members grab a Candy Bar for the ride home. It was my lucky day. Schaedig left several for me. They didn’t last long.

Terry Schaedig shared the Candy Bar recipe from his mother’s recipe box. Lucky for you. And, lucky for me, Mushroom Club meetings aren’t all about mushrooms!

If you enjoy learning about mushrooms, foraging for mushrooms, eating mushrooms and eating things that aren’t mushrooms, you might like to get more information about the Paul Bunyan Mushroom Club. If you are interested, send an email to johnmike@charter.net.

Candy Bars

  • 8 ounces Waverly Crackers  (Terry’s note: good luck with this one — Club Crackers are a good substitute)
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup Butterscotch chips

 

Place a layer of crackers in the bottom of an ungreased 13- x 9-inch pan.  Melt butter in a heavy saucepan and add milk, graham cracker crumbs and sugars.  Bring to boil.  Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Pour half of mixture over crackers.  Add second layer of crackers.  Top with remaining crumb mixture and followed by a layer of crackers.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt chips and peanut butter and pour over crackers.  Cool and cut into squares.

Notes from the back of recipe card:

  • Crumble graham crackers pretty fine
  • The graham cracker mix gets too thick if cooked too long.  Try to get it to start boiling sooner.

Note from Terry:

I know I have added raisins in the past and there is a note that says you have to put in a lot for them to be noticeable.  But, hey, why put anything healthy in with this belly buster?

Weekend (No) Baking: Caramel Krispies

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Surprised? I know. I wouldn’t normally post a recipe for sweet bars made with crisp rice cereal and marshmallows. I’m going to a family reunion. There will be lots of kids there — little ones and big ones, too, if you know what I mean. Kids love rice krispie bars. I’m taking a very light, bright and healthful cabbage salad, too. So, it will all balance out in the sugar and calorie department.

This recipe came to me from a friend sometime in the early 1980′s. My boys were at a rice krispie bar stage of their lives. That stage coincided with a “not-much-time-to-bake” time in my life.

No-bake Caramel Krispies are made by making two layers of the rice krispie, butter and marshmallow mixture in jelly-roll pans. A filling of caramel, more butter and a can of sweetened condensed milk is heated together and when the caramels are melted, the mixture gets poured over one of the layers that has been sprinkled with more mini-marshmallows.

It’s a good idea to keep these gooey, chewy, sweet and sticky bars chilled. They get pretty soft at room temperature.

I decided to even out the edges of the large rectangle, slicing about 1/2 inch away from each of the four sides. I thought I’d taste a bit. I wound up eating all the trimmings. It must be the absence of rice krispie bars in my life for so many years that made them taste so good to me. That soft caramel and marshmallow filling didn’t hurt one bit, either.

If you are in a rice krispie bar stage of life, you may want to try these. Even if you’re not, I think you’d like these ooey, gooey delights. They’ll bring out the kid in you.

Caramel Krispies

  • 8 cups crisp rice cereal
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1 1/2 (10 1/2 – ounce) packages miniature marshmallows
  • 1 (14-ounce) bag caramels
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk

In a large pot on the stove or in a large bowl in the microwave oven, melt 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter and 1 bag of marshmallows together. Add cereal and stir to coat. Pat mixture into two jelly roll pans, 10-inches x 15-inches each, that have been lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. Refrigerate pans while making caramel filling.

Over low heat on stove or in microwave oven, melt caramels with 1/4 cup butter and sweetened condensed milk. When mixture is creamy and smooth, sprinkle remaining half bag of marshmallows on one pan of rice cereal mixture. Slowly pour the warm caramel filling over the marshmallows. Place second layer on top of the filling. Press down firmly. Chill before cutting.

 

No baking required for these quick and easy Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Pop Hearts

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My husband isn’t much for breakfast. At least, not if he has to sit down to eat it in the morning before heading out the door. But, if I make breakfast bars, wrap them up individually and have them right up front on an eye-level shelf in the refrigerator ready to grab, he’ll take one to eat in the car on his way into town and sometimes a second one goes into his briefcase for a mid-afternoon snack. I try to keep him supplied with Oatmeal-Peanut Bars. They’re quite nutritious and a good source of energy.

This weekend his morning energy bars will take on a new look.

I used heart-shaped cookie cutters to create chocolate-coated Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Pop Hearts for my special guy. I recommend chilling the hearts before coating them with melted chocolate. The chocolate will quickly set and the hearts will hold their shape.

I covered a couple of the Pop Hearts in dark chocolate. I will eat those. My partner hasn’t developed a liking for the rich, dark stuff. His Pop Hearts were dipped in milk chocolate. Melted Hershey bars.

While the Hershey bars were out on the counter, I made a dangerous discovery. Oatmeal-Peanut Butter mixture sandwiched between two halves of a chocolate bar turn into a devilishly good sweet treat.

You’ve still got time to make some no-bake Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Pop Hearts for Valentine Sunday to surprise all the special people in your life.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Pop Hearts

  • 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned or quick oats, divided
  • 3 tablespoons flax seeds, ground
  • 1 cup cornflakes or Special K, crushed
  • 1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup agave syrup or honey

Dump 1 1/2 cups oats into a blender. Whirl until oats become the texture of flour. Transfer oat flour to a large mixing bowl. Add remaining cup of oats, ground flax seeds, crushed cereal flakes, peanut butter and agave or honey. Blend will with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be heavy and thick.

Line a 9-inch square baking dish with waxed paper, allowing enough to come up over the sides of the dish. Press the oatmeal-peanut butter mixture evenly into the lined dish. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Remove from refrigerator. Use the waxed paper to pull the chilled mixture from the dish. At this point, the bars can be cut into bars, or use a cookie cutter to create shapes.

To make pops, push a bamboo skewer or a lollipop stick into each shape. Set Pops on a waxed paper-llined baking sheet. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Spoon melted chocolate over each. Chill until the chocolate is set. Transfer to a container and seal. Keep refrigerated.

  • Dried fruit and finely chopped nuts can be added to the mixture.
  • I’ve been using earth balance natural crunchy peanut butter with flaxseed. Sweetened just slightly with agave syrup, the flaxseeds lend Omega 3′s and slight flavor without being overpowering and the natural peanut butter doesn’t have to be stirred. I like it a lot.
  • I have a coffee grinder that I use only for grinding spices and flax seeds.