Strawberry Swirled Lemon Bars

I was feeling in a rut with the foods I had been eating since I have been eating primarily so much healthy stuff. This particular afternoon I was getting ready to head to a Relay meeting, and I felt that thing..you know…that baking itch? I decided to make lemon bars since they are fairly easy and quick to make. However, since strawberries are in season I always have 1-2 quarts of them in my fridge on hand. I got to thinking of strawberry lemonade, then figured why not in my lemon bars? I took a quick Facebook poll (sad I know!) to determine if I should or not, the response was just as I had hoped…STRAWBERRIES! And so…this recipe was born and summer has officially begun in my house here in California!

I am loving nothing more and feeling so honored to be able to share this recipe for the first time with My Imperfect Kitchen readers! Sara is an amazing blogger, friend and person. I hope everyone loves this recipe as much as my Relay committee members and family did. I even snuck 3 of them into my belly!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup coconut flour, sifted
1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
4 eggs, beaten
1.5 cups white sugar
1/4 cup coconut flour
½ tsp baking soda
2 lemons, juiced and seeded (zest 1 lemon first and reserve)
4 strawberries pureed with a little coconut water to thin out
Powdered sugar for dusting top (optional)

DIRECTIONS – Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. In a bowl, combine butter, flours and 1/2 c of sugar. Mix well.
2. In a greased 9×13″ pan, press crust into the bottom until even.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
4. In another bowl whisk together the remaining sugar and flour, then whisk in the remaining ingredients, except strawberries (don’t forget the lemon zest).
5. Pour the filling over the warm crust.
6. In a blender or food processor puree the strawberries. Dollop 1 teaspoon at a time over the filling until it is all used up. Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, drag the strawberry mixture through the lemon mixture. Be sure not to press all the way to the crust.
7. Put back in oven and bake for another 25 minutes or until center is firm. They do firm more when cooled. Dust with powdered sugar (optional) Cut into squares once completely cool and enjoy!

If you like this recipe, check out more from Sweet Heat Chefs:

• Coconut Strawberry Cake Cocktail
• Dark Chocolate Coconut Banana Bites
• Strawberry Banana Yogurt Popsicles
• Green Smoothie

Strawberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars

Get your sweet tooth and pucker face ready for this super sweet and tart recipe! 

This recipe is from one of my favorite blogs, The Foodie Physician. She has AH-MAZING recipes. I modified only a few ingredients and amounts on this recipe. It is so good!

INGREDIENTS

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury Refrigerated Sugar Cookie Dough
1 cup strawberry jam
20 ounces cream cheese (2 1/2 packages)
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 jar lemon curd (10 oz)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In an ungreased 13×9-inch baking tray, break up sugar cookie dough. With floured hands, press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan to form a crust. Bake 12 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. 
3. Spread the jam evenly over the surface of the partially cooled crust. You should get a nice thick even layer on this part. If you can see the cookie dough, I would say it is too thin, add more. 
4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add the flour, heavy cream and vanilla extract and mix. Beat in the eggs one at a time until blended. Pour the filling into the tray over the jam. Heat up lemon curd in microwave for about 30 seconds to thin it out. Using a spoon dollop lemon curd in 3 rows over the cream cheese filling. Using a sharp knife, skewer or toothpick swirl the lemon curd into the cheesecake mixture and down into the jam being careful not to cut into the crust. At this point I should have added more jam between the lemon curd on top to swirl too (will do this next time and use less on the bottom crust)
5. Bake in oven 40-45 minutes until filling is set. Cool 30 minutes. Cut into 4×6 rows.
6. Garnish with 1/2 of a strawberry and 1/2 of a lemon slice. Refrigerate for best results and enjoy!

 

Posted on Thursday’s Treasures over at Recipes For My Boys, such a terrific blog and Debi is an amazing woman!

Strawberry Peach Amaretto Cobbler

The smell, the texture and what peaches represent are so much a part of summer here in California. I received a ton of free peaches from a friends tree and had to get right to work making some goodies. As most of you know I am not a baker, so this is a hard thing for me to do. Muffins, cakes, cobblers…eh, just not me. However I must admit I think this cobbler took the cake in the YUM department. There is not one single crumb left and I just made it last night! (HAPPY DANCE) 

INGREDIENTS 
6 cups fresh peaches,  peeled and sliced
1/2 cup strawberries, cleaned & sliced
½ cup Peach Amaretto Jam or 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup unbleached flour
Juice of 1.5 lemons
1 cup unbleached flour

CRUMB TOPPING
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup rolled oatmeal
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ounces (1 stick) butter, cold, cut in 8 pieces

SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM 
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9″ X 9″ ( i used 8×8) glass baking pan or 2 quart stoneware baking dish. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss peeled and pitted ripe peaches and strawberries with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 flour and lemon juice. Set aside.
In a food processor combine flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and cinnamon and pulse until blended.
Add cold butter pulsing until the butter is incorporated and looks like coarse meal.

Spread topping ingredients evenly over the peaches and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until peaches are bubbling through and the topping is starting to brown. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes or more before serving.

TO MAKE SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM 

1.    Place a bowl and your beaters in freezer until ready to make whip cream. 

2.    Get hand mixer, bowl and beaters; on medium-high speed add heavy whip cream

3.    As the mixture thickens, slowly add sugar until completely incorporated. 

4.    Add almond extract and cinnamon

5.    Continue mixing until stiff peaks form 

6.    Add on top of cobbler and sprinkle with toasted almonds or pecans. 

Apple Pie Rolls

Does anyone enjoy Fall as much as I do? The crisp clean freshness in the air. The ripe beautifully colored apples. The tart oakiness of freshly uncorked wine….ahhhh, I can smell and taste them all. This recipe was inspired by a favorite, apple pie. Now I must confess, as I have before, a baker I am not. That being said, pie crusts for me come from a box, there I said it, now lets move on. Also, as you may know, I love bite sized finger foods. Now if I could only incorporate a pie with no crust that is bite sized, I’m all over it.

 

Did you know those cool egg roll wrappers could be used for more than savory foods? Frying or baking them and then dusting with cinnamon and sugar make such a quick easy snack…wait…what if I stuff them with something…WAIT…what if that something is APPLE PIE filling? YES! That is the answer and inspiration for these tantalizing fall treasures I call apple Pie Rolls.

These little ditties were featured on Good Day Sacramento on 8/20/12, from our home on live TV. 

 

 

INGREDIENTS 
2 apples 1 granny smith and 1 gala (2 heaping cups worth)
1 large lemon juiced
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. all spice
1/8 tsp. salt
16 egg roll wrappers
1 egg lightly beaten

 

SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon

 

 

DIRECTIONS

 

1.    Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F

 

2.    Peel and chop apples and add into a medium sized bowl.

 

3.    Add remaining filling ingredients to bowl with apples and stir together until well combined. Allow mixture to sit for about 10 minutes for all flavors to merry and the lemon to coat the apples.

 

4.    Place 1 egg roll wrapper onto a clean surface ( I use a wooden cutting board) and brush edges with a 1 inch perimeter of egg wash.

 

5.    Spread 2-3 tablespoons of the filling across the side of the prepared egg roll wrapper closest to you. You do not want to over stuff these they will explode and they are easily “overstuffable”. *NOTE* I have overstuffed, they taste the same! Just a little messier.

 

6.    Fold both sides toward the middle of the wrapper and brush again with the egg wash.

 

7.    Finish by rolling the end you filled (closest to you) and rolling away from you keeping a firm hold and roll to the end, press gently but firmly to ensure a good seal.

 

8.    Place roll on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprayed with a thin layer of cooking spray. Repeat until all the filling and wrappers have been used.

 

9.    Bake egg rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. During the last 5 minutes of cook time, pull out baking sheet and brush rolls with a little melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top. Put back in oven for remaining 5 minutes. Serve immediately with sweetened whipped cream.

 

TO MAKE SWEETENED WHIPPED CREAM

 

1.    Place a bowl and your beaters in freezer until ready to make whip cream.

 

2.    Get hand mixer, bowl and beaters; on medium-high speed add heavy whip cream

 

3.    As the mixture thickens, slowly add sugar until completely incorporated.

 

4.    Add vanilla and cinnamon

 

5.    Continue mixing until stiff peaks form

 

6.    Add in a dish on the side for dipping apple pie rolls in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on Thursday’s Treasures on a great blog Recipes for My Boys, thanks Debi 😀