You might remember from our S’mores Bars Recipe that S’mores are one of my all time favorite deserts. There are lots of different opinions on what makes the perfect s’more. Some like their marshmallows perfectly browned but not burnt. Others like the marshmallow to catch fire. Some like a traditional thin bar of milk chocolate, others prefer a piece of king size dark chocolate bar.

I thought a lot about what makes the perfect s’more during our drive down to Palm Springs. We rented a house with friends for the holiday weekend and I knew from the pictures that it had a fire pit in the back yard.

The back yard also came equipped with a perfect sized pool. Exactly what we needed our first day here when it was a whopping 113 degrees outside. The pool was bath temperature. Just the way I like it. When night fell it was finally time to make s’mores…

Our friend, Drew, got the fire going and I fashioned roasting sticks out of some nearby vines. The boys got right to work roasting their marshmallows. Dana prepared the graham crackers using good old fashioned Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bars. As you can see both boys scorched their marshmallows.

After insisting on a taste of my kid’s first s’more, I realized that no matter the kind of chocolate or how well done the marshmallow, the recipe for perfect s’mores is always the same. Take a warm summer night, mix in a beautiful fire and surround yourself with great friends. Tastes perfect every time.

When I was 16 I spent a summer as mother’s helper on Drake’s Island in Maine. Drake’s Island is just over the bridge from Kennebunkport – famed summer home of George H. W. Bush. It is the definition of picturesque and at the time I probably didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have.  (In case you’re not familiar with the term “mother’s helper” it is when a stay-at-home mom hires a young person to assist her in caring for the kids. In this case, I spent a summer helping my aunt’s friend.) The family I lived with had so many fascinating interests including being Friends of the Shakers. I loved when they went on excursions because they often brought back a triple berry coffee cake from a local farm. This cake was amazing and it took an awful lot of self control not to eat it all after the kids went to bed. I’ve dreamed of that cake a million times but never attempted it until now. My kid and I made it a tad bit healthier by using whole wheat pastry flour but it tasted just as amazing.

It turns out when I’m not trying to be polite I will devour an entire triple berry cake in one weekend. I had a little help from my little one and the big one as well. (Have I ever mentioned my husband is 6 foot 4?) I would say that we’ll be making this again soon, but I think I’d better not for fear that I will super-size myself! Now for the recipe…

Triple Berry Skillet Cake
adapted from this Cherry Skillet Bread Recipe

Prep Time: 20 mins Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
1 large egg
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries (sliced)
1/2 cup raspberries
Topping:
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Use your electric mixer to beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and combine.  Slowly add the flour, then some buttermilk then more flour. Scrape the batter into a skillet that has been sprayed with baking spray. (This is the kind of spray that has flour in it.) Spread the batter to the edges and then dot the top with berries.

In another bowl mix together the topping ingredients using a fork. Sprinkle the topping over the cherries Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until it begins to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remember to use an oven mitt when removing from your oven. Serve warm or room temp. Serves 8 or one very hungry mommy!

That’s brownie on the outside and peanut butter frosting on the inside. Need I say more? I need not, but I will. The brownies are actually made with nonfat yogurt no oil / no egg! This makes them the perfect consistency for the whoopie pie and a wee bit better for the wee one in my life.

My kid was feeling camera shy when we made these. And even though he loved using the stand mixer, he didn’t want me taking a picture. I wonder if he’s starting to think of me as paparazzi? Regardless, despite his claim that he doesn’t like chocolate, he gobbled these brownies right up. Now for the recipe…

Peanut Butter Brownie Whoopie Pies Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins  Cooking Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 package No Pudge! Fat Free Fudge Brownie Mix (or another mix and follow the directions)
3/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temp)
2/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you are using the No Pudge! Fat Free Fudge Brownie Mix stir together mix and yogurt until it becomes shiny. (You can use any brownie mix and follow the directions on the back of the carton instead.) Carefully spoon mixture into a well greased whoopie pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes and then test with a toothpick. If it’s clean, the brownies are done. If not, bake a few more minutes and test again. When the toothpick comes out clean remove from oven and turn over on to a cooling rack. Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to beat together peanut butter and butter. Slowly add the sugar until it becomes frosting. When brownies are completely cooled, assemble the whoopie pies by spreading a layer of frosting on one round brownie disc and then placing another brownie on top. Makes 12 pies.

We got a new, beautiful Bundt pan this week. We are crazy for banana bread (perfect for a Bundt), but all the really great recipes call for 2 sticks of butter and sometimes they even include sour cream. I’m all for having dessert, but we can’t eat that way every day. Today we attempted to make a great tasting banana Bundt with less fat. We replaced 1 of the sticks of butter with applesauce, used non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream and worked in some whole wheat flour. The result was the most moist and delicious Bundt we’ve ever made!

We love a good baking success story and ate several pieces in celebration. Next go round we’ll try to cut down on the sugar and see if we can keep improving on our Banana Bundt without sacrificing taste. Please tell us if you have any suggestions – we’d love to try your substitution out! Now for the recipe…

Banana Bundt Recipe

Prep Time: 15 mins  Cooking Time: 1 hour 10 mins

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
4 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup non fat vanilla yogurt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the flours, baking soda and salt together and set aside. Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and then add the sugar and blend until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and then add the applesauce. Mix on low. Start adding the flour one scoop at a time and pour in all of the yogurt. Finish scooping in the flour and add the bananas. Pour batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan. Pick up the pan and lightly drop it on the counter to clear the bubbles. Bake on the middle rack in the oven for an hour and 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cake sit for 10 minutes before unmolding the cake on a cooling rack.

PS: Here’s the pan we used to make this Bundt Nordicware Commercial Heritage Bundt Pan Heavy Duty Cast Aluminum. Teflon Non-stick Coating. 10 cup capacity

I should really just name this post “Donuts for Dana” because my friend Dana was really the inspiration for this recipe. You see, Dana does not like fruit in anything sweet so when she saw our original Baked Apple Donut post she immediately asked for an alternative recipe.

Dana and I know a little too much about each others food habits because we were pregnant with our sons at the same time. They are only 8 weeks apart and have been playing together since they were just weeks old. Dana’s son likes to look at the blog and then ask Dana (who doesn’t like to cook) to make things. It’s kind of a fun game. Anyway, I liked these donuts even better than the last batch so maybe this post should be called “Thank You Dana.” Either way, these are much healthier that your local donut shop! Now for the recipe…

Baked Maple Cinnamon Donut Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins  Cooking Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 6 oz container of non fat organic vanilla bean yogurt
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 1/2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter (melted)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cinnamon and sugar together and set aside. In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. In another bowl stir together oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, egg and yogurt. Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the hole. Gently fold everything together until combined. Divide batter evenly into a greased donut pan. (I used the cooking spray that has flour in it but I think any kind would work.) The batter will be pretty thick and airy. We found it was easier to scoop it into the donut pan with our hands. Before baking be sure to clean off any stray dough around the circle so there’s a hole in the middle of the donut. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a few moments and then flip over onto a cooling rack while still warm. Use a pastry brush to butter your donuts and then dip each donut in the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat.  Makes 6 donuts.

Here’s a link to a donut pan like the one I used: Norpro 6-Count Nonstick Donut Pan

Update: One of our readers (Juli) had a great idea for this recipe. Here’s what she said “Hey, I bought that very pan at Sur la Table yesterday ….and made these donuts this morning. Yum!  I scooped the batter into a ziploc bag and cut the corner off, then piped it into the pan….easy, no mess. Thanks for the recipe!”

Remember that awesome Homemade Granola Recipe from last week? We used it today to make this truly delicious inside out apple crisp. My kid was so excited about this idea that I let him eat it for breakfast. Before you judge me, it’s way healthier than most muffins!

We only had one granny smith apple in the house so we shared this breakfast treat. (You can also use pink lady apples but I wouldn’t recommend red delicious.) The recipe is for one large apple and you can use any store bought granola to make it – you don’t have to bake up a special batch just for this. If you’re baking this for the family just double, triple or quadruple the recipe depending on how many you want to serve. Of course, it almost goes without saying that this would be great for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Now for the recipe…

Inside Out Apple Crisp Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins  Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
1 large granny smith apple
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter (diced)*
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup granola
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons butter
agave or honey for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel the apple half way from the top down and core it being careful not to poke a whole in the bottom of the apple . In a small bowl mix together flour, butter, brown sugar and granola. Place a teaspoon of butter into the apple. Stuff the apple with the granola mixture until it is over stuffed. Place another teaspoon of butter on top and put the apple in a baking dish filled with about a 1/4-inch of water. Bake until top is golden brown and apple is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle with agave or honey. Serve warm.

*We used Smart Balance and it worked great.

No, that is not my kid, but isn’t she gorgeous? This is my friend Macki’s daughter, Sylvie. Macki is always cooking up something amazing for her precious family. She spontaneously sent me some pictures of her recent yogurt pop making session. I couldn’t resist posting.

When I showed these pictures to my kid he could not stop starring at them. Although I must admit that it was Sylvie, not the pops, that memorized him. He’s a little bit in love. Who could blame him? Since my kid doesn’t like to drink milk, I think this is going to be an excellent way to get some more calcium into his diet. Now for the recipe…

Easy Yogurt Pops Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins  Freezing Time: 4 hours

Ingredients:
1 large tub of organic vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 cups frozen organic berries (blueberrries, raspberries or blackberries)

Spoon a little yogurt into a pop mold, then drop in berries of your choice, add more yogurt, more berries, until it is just below the top.  Put it in the freezer for 4 hours. Run under a bit of warm water to loosen pop from mold. Enjoy! Makes 6 pops.

When my mom suggested we make snickerdoodle cookies my kid started laughing like a maniac. He thought the name was sooooooo funny. He’s sort of right, it is a super silly name. So silly that I decided to do a little research on the origin. More about that later. In the meantime, this is the perfect kid recipe because it involves the electric mixer, making the cookies into balls AND rolling them in cinnamon sugar. Of course, my kid tried to “accidentally” knock as much cinnamon sugar off the plate as possible so that he claim it for his mouth!

I know you are just dying to hear the origin of the name snickerdoodle. Well, I found the following on Wikipedia. “The Joy of Cooking claims that snickerdoodles are probably German in origin, and that the name is a corruption of the German word Schneckennudeln, which means snail noodles.” I have no idea how this relates to these cookies. They look nothing like snails and nothing like noodles. Right? Oh, and for the record, I do know that Wikipedia is not a “real” reference source. My mom – the history teacher – would fail me for using it. Now for the snail noodle recipe…

Snickerdoodle Sandwiches Recipe
(Recipe adapted from AllRecipes)

Prep Time: 1 hour (largely unattended) Cooking Time: 8 to 10 mins

Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter (softened)
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tatar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
strawberry or vanilla ice cream

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cream of tartar, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups of sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and continue to mix. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to blend the wet and dry ingredients together. Place dough in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes. Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon together and spread out on a plate for rolling. Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Remove dough from fridge and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll the dough into the size of a walnut. Roll the cookie dough into the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated and place on cookie sheet at least an inch and a half apart. Use the bottom of glass to gently press down on each ball and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until very lightly browned. Let cool. Lay out cookies bottom side up and place scoops ice cream on half of the cookies. Place the other cookies on top of the ice cream to form a sandwich and serve immediately or store in the freezer on a cookie sheet until ready to serve. Makes approximately 24 cookies / 12 sandwiches.

When I told my kid we were going to make sherbert for breakfast he was ecstatic. So was I because this recipe ridiculously easy and healthy. We made it first thing in the morning (before getting dressed) so it would be ready by the time we were sitting down to breakfast. Sometimes kids cooking is such a breeze!

It’s just like a fresh fruit smoothie only thicker and more exciting!  Presenting it as sherbert makes a world of difference because there’s nothing quite like having “dessert” for breakfast. (PS: it makes a pretty yummy dessert too.) Now for the recipe…

Breakfast Sherbert Recipe

Prep Time: 5 mins Cooling Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
2 cups frozen strawberries
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup water
1 generous tablespoon agave or honey

Whisk agave (or honey) into water until dissolved. Pour water, yogurt and 1/2 the strawberries into a blender and blend until smooth but still thick. Add remaining strawberries and blend again being careful not to over blend. Mixture should be very thick. Transfer to two 8 oz cups or ramekins, place in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes and serve. Do not over freeze or sherbert will become too hard.

A few weeks ago, my brother met a Trader Joe’s executive at a BBQ. He promptly told the exec about my blog and my love of TJ’s. I dreamed of that guy getting in touch with me and giving me a big fat gift card to Trader Joe’s so that I could continue to pimp their food on my blog. Nothing of the sort happened (he probably didn’t even remember the name of the blog) but here I go again, yammering on about how easy Trader Joe’s makes my life.

This pie crust is so good that sometimes I feel like it’s not really worth making my own. My kid liked stretching it out into the pie plate and also enjoyed continually eating the apples we had prepared for the pie — right up until the moment it was closed up and crimped. Now for the recipe…

Easy Apple Pie Recipe

Prep Time: 15 mins  Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
8 cups peeled granny smith apple slices
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
2 tablespoons butter (cubed)
2 tablespoons milk
1 package prepared pie crust (such as Trader Joes)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Thaw pie crust and place bottom crust in 9 inch pie dish. Crust should drape over side of pie plate. In a large bowl toss together apples, sugar, flour and spice. Pour apples into pie crust and dot with butter. Put top crust on pie and crimp edges with a fork to seal. Brush top of pie with milk, cut slits at the top for steam and bake for 15 minutes. Remove pie from oven and turn it down to 350 degrees. Cover the edges of the pie with foil and put it back in the oven to bake for an additional 45 minutes. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.