Terry Ambrose

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Afternoon Delight Fig Bars — so good!

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Afternoon Delight Fig Bars
These yummy fig bars, with a touch of crunch and a bit of sweet, make a great afternoon snack.

If your house is anything like ours, you’re always on the lookout for something in the afternoon to keep you going until dinner. We’ve found a great solution in these Afternoon Delight Fig Bars. They have just a bit of crunch and some sweetness, so they help satisfy those mid afternoon urges while keeping the calories low. These bars are easy to make and even easier to enjoy! If you’d like to see more gluten-free recipes, click here.

Afternoon Delight Fig Bars

Afternoon Delight Fig Bars

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Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

Dough

  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup flour we use Bob’s 1-1 Gluten-free flour

Filling

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • About 9 oz dried figs chopped (1 cup)

Topping

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp cold butter do not use margarine
  • 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts optional, could use any chopped nut

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Begin by making the topping. It can be refrigerated while finishing the dough and filling.
  • Cut stems off of figs and chop into small pieces (by hand or in a food processor)

Dough

  • Heat oven to 350°F. Lighty grease a 9-inch square pan with a dab of butter.
  • In small bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.
  • On low speed, beat in 1 cup flour until soft dough forms.
  • Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until center is set.

Filling

  • While dough is baking, cook filling ingredients over medium-high heat 5 to 10 minutes in a medium saucepan. Stir frequently until figs are tender and most of liquid is absorbed. Spread over crust.

Topping

  • In small bowl, mix 1/4 cup flour, the brown sugar and 3 tablespoons butter,
  • Use a pastry blender, fork, or whisk on an electric mixer to blend until crumbly. Stir in oats and walnuts (if using). Sprinkle over filling.
  • Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until edges are bubbly and topping is light golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. For bars, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows.

Notes

Looking for an afternoon snack with some crunch and a bit of sweet? These fig bars might be just the ticket. Original recipe from goldmedalflour.com.
Keyword Easy

Coconut Matcha Pie from The Daring Kitchen

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Coconut Matcha Pie
A piece of green tea cake. One piece of matcha tea cake with cream frosting and mint leaf served on a white plate. Delicious dessert for tea or coffee time. Image courtesy of The Daring Kitchen.

Looks yummy, right? This Coconut Matcha Pie recipe was contributed by Ligia Lugo, who runs The Daring Kitchen blog. Her blog is focused on tasty, but healthy recipes and buying guides. Some of her reviews might be useful – even for this recipe. For example, in this review, you can find a selection of the best oven mitts on the market. Click here for an index for all my recipes.

This coconut matcha pie is prepared with the healthiest ingredients to give you the much-needed vitamins, fiber, minerals, and energy. Don’t forget the ingredients that bring out the real taste of a pie to give you an enjoyable munching experience.

Coconut and Matcha combination basically come together to tantalize your taste buds. The tropical sweetness is paired up with a combination of floral notes and some yummy toppings of your favorite flavor – tea powder, vanilla extract, and whipping cream.

Before you start, you should gather the necessary equipment such as an oven, oven mitt, bowl, and a pie pan. With everything in place, let’s get right into the recipe part. 

Ligia Lugo

Coconut Macha Pie

The flavors of coconut, macha, and lightly sweetened whipped cream come together in this unique dessert.
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Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

Pie Crust

  • 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tbsp confectioners sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • Flour to dust

Matcha Filling

  • 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence or vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp corn flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 tbsp sifted matcha tea powder
  • ½ cup dried coconut flakes
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • Pinch of Salt

Coconut Topping

  • 1 cup heavy or whipping cream
  • 7 tbsp sifted confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 tsp matcha tea powder sifted
  • ½ tsp vanilla essence or vanilla extract
  • Additional matcha tea powder or coconut flakes for serving.

Instructions
 

Dough

  • Take a bowl and sift flour and sugar together. Take out cold butter from the refrigerator and with the help of your fingers mix flour and butter together till mixture becomes crumbly. Now add the egg and use your hands to incorporate it completely into the dough till it rolls up into a ball. The dough shouldn’t be too dry neither too sticky.
  • In order to get the perfect texture of the crust, make sure that the dough is flattened out and refrigerated for at least an hour before it is baked in the oven.
  • Now dust the surface on which you plan to roll out the dough with the help of a rolling pin. The rolled out dough should neither be too thick or too thin. With the help of your hands transfer the dough into the pie pan and make sure that the excess dough hanging out of the pan should be removed. Pop the pan in the refrigerator again for an hour as it will help add up to the flakiness of the pie crust.
  • Meanwhile preheat your oven at 200 degrees C. Cover the dough with foil or parchment paper and place red kidney beans on the top. Bake it blind for at least 20 minutes or till the dough is absolutely set.

Filling

  • Take unsweetened coconut milk in a pan and add vanilla essence. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together till the mixture becomes pale yellow in color.
  • Add cornstarch in the yolk mixture and whisk it again till it is fully incorporated. Now slowly add the yolk mixture into the milk and whisk it rigorously while you are pouring it in so that the filling is not at all lumpy.
  • Let the mixture boil till it thickens. Make sure you are whisking it till the mixture becomes thick. Now remove the pan and stir in butter. Once the butter is completely dissolved and mixed into the mixture, add in coconut flakes and matcha tea powder.
  • Refrigerate the filling in the fridge, however, make sure that the top of the pan is covered properly to avoid the skin from forming on the top of the filling.

Topping

  • Beat the heavy or whipping cream till soft peaks form. Add in the confectioner sugar and matcha tea powder, while you’re beating it. Do not overbeat the cream as will start losing its consistency.

Assembling the Pie

  • Make sure the dough is cooled completely. Pour the matcha filling in the pie and refrigerate it again till it is set. Now spread the topping evenly on top of the filling with the help of a spoon. Add coconut flakes or matcha powder on top before serving.

French Pear Tart

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This recipe is provided courtesy of Daryl Wood Gerber, the author of A Souffle of Suspicion. 

From the publisher: 

The buoyant mood at Bistro Rousseau deflates when Chef Camille’s sister, Renee, turns up dead in the chef’s kitchen, and Mimi Rousseau must tease the real killer out of a mélange of menacing characters.


Print Recipe


French Pear Tart

Course Desserts

Servings


Ingredients
Crust (*Gluten-free Crust Recipe Below)

Filling:

Gluten-free Crust

Course Desserts

Servings


Ingredients
Crust (*Gluten-free Crust Recipe Below)

Filling:

Gluten-free Crust


Instructions
Main Recipe
  1. Set one oven rack in the middle of the oven and set another at the top or second to the top slot (depending on how hot your broiler is).

  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  3. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Add melted butter and combine to form dough. Set the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough along the bottom and onto the side rims of the pan.

  4. Place the crust in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown. When ready, remove crust from oven and let it cool. Leave oven on.

  5. Meanwhile, set the fig preserves into a small microwaveable bowl and heat for about 40 seconds. Pour the fig preserves through a mesh strainer into a bowl to separate chunks from liquid. Don’t throw away either portion. Set aside.

  6. Now, slice three pears into 1/2-inch slices, discarding core. (You do not need to peel.) Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet. Add pear slices plus 1 tablespoon water. Cover and cook on medium heat until pears are slightly tender— about 3 minutes. Remove pears onto a large plate and let cool.

  7. Take the remaining three pears and cut them in the same manner. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in previously used skillet. Add the uncooked pears, chunks of fig reserves, and salt. Cook on medium heat, covered, for ten minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they cook through. You want them to be very tender.

  8. Using a potato masher, mash the pears and fig reserves into a puree. Let cook for another 5-7 minutes or until pureed mixture reduces and thickens. It will turn a darker color. That’s okay.

  9. Transfer pear-fig puree onto the cooled tart crust; spread evenly. It will fill up nicely.

  10. Next, take the cooled pear slices that you set side and assemble them in layered circles, starting at the outer edges, like a rose petal design. You might have to trim a few to make them fit together.

  11. Place tart on the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 350 degrees F for 28-30 minutes.

  12. Just before the tart is finished baking, warm up the strained liquid fig preserves for 20 seconds in the microwave.

  13. When the tart is cooked, remove it from oven and brush the surface of the pears evenly with the warmed fig liquid. Return the tart to the oven and place on the top rack (or second to the top rack). Broil very briefly!!! 1-2 minutes. Watch carefully until pears get a nice caramelized look. You don’t want the fig jam to burn.

  14. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours before serving.

  15. When ready—and this is a nifty trick—place the bottom of the tart pan on a wide can of food. Hold the ring part of the pan and carefully slide it downwards. It leaves a perfectly formed crust.

  16. Cut pear fig tart into eight slices and serve.

GLUTEN-FREE CRUST:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  2. In a bowl, mix together cornstarch, tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, whey flour, xanthan gum, sugar and salt. Add melted butter and combine to form dough. Set the dough into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough along the bottom and onto the side rims of the pan.

  3. Place the crust in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until crust turns golden brown. When ready, remove crust from oven and let sit to cool. Leave oven on. Return to main recipe, Step 5: “Meanwhile, set the fig preserves…”


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Peanut Butter Marshmallow Bars

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These Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares are a wonderfully tasty snack for anyone who likes peanut butter, butterscotch, and marshmallows. And who doesn’t? This is a great combination that’s sure to be a hit around the home or office. The only problem is…will you really want to share?

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 Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares
Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 10 minutes
Servings
bars
Ingredients
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 10 minutes
Servings
bars
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares
Instructions
  1. Heat a large pot over low heat and add peanut butter, butter and butterscotch chips. Stir the mixture constantly until all ingredients melt. This will probably take about ten minutes.
  2. Remove the mixture from the heat and set the pot aside about ten minutes to cool slightly.
  3. While the mixture is cooling, oil or spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray,
  4. Fold the marshmallows into the cooled mixture until they are evenly distributed. Some of the marshmallows may melt and create swirls in the mixture.
  5. Spread the mixture in the 9x13 pan and let sit at room temperature for a few hours. When completely cool, refrigerate the bars.
Recipe Notes

The original recipe called for 2 10.5 oz. bags. We could only find 16 oz. bags. We chose to buy extra and have the marshmallows handy for hot chocolate, etc. These bars seemed better when they were refrigerated and made very tasty quick snacks! Original recipe from www.howsweeteats.com.

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Yummy strawberry cobbler

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This strawberry cobbler is so yummy you won’t believe it. And the taste of strawberries makes this one delectable. Watch out, though, you might find yourself reaching for an extra piece!

Print Recipe
 Yummy strawberry cobbler
Strawberry Cobbler
Course Desserts
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Desserts
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Strawberry Cobbler
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish.
  2. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick and hot. Stir in strawberries, and remove from heat. Pour mixture into the baking dish, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
  3. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in 3 tablespoons butter. Stir in cream. Mixture should be fairly soft. Spoon on top of berries.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes or until biscuit topping is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
Recipe Notes

Serve with cream or ice cream to create a fruitfully decadent dessert. Original recipe from Allrecipes.com

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Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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This amazing recipe came from Pelican Cove Inn please visit www.pelican-cove.com for more great recipes.

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 Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted!  It is a little unusual in that you melt the butter and use a lot more vanilla. We found it on the internet at allrecipes.com a few years ago and we have been using it ever since. Enjoy!
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 10 minutes
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Course Desserts
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 10 minutes
Servings
cookies
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 and grease cookie sheets
  2. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, cream together melted butter and sugars. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto prepared cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.
  4. Bake 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on racks and enjoy!
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