Streusel Topped Key Lime Squares

I bought a cookbook; something I don't normally do. The book, Cooking Light's Cooking Through the Seasons, really caught my eye at good ole Costco this summer. Not only it does it break the book up into seasons (I'm slowly learning when specific fruits and vegetables are in season), but it also has helpful tips like the best way to cut a mango and the best way to roast garlic. So far, I love it. The recipes are far too involved for me to do during the week, but on Sundays, we eat gooooood. This was the first recipe I made from the cookbook....mmmm I can't wait to keep working my way through this book!

I didn't have lemon extract...I added a little lemon juice and little vanilla extract instead and honestly, these had so much flavor I don't think it was missed.

1/4 butter, softened
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp lemon extract
4.5 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
2/3 c granulated sugar
3 tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c fresh key lime juice
3 large eggs
1 tbsp powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place first 5 ingredient in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until creamy (about 2 minutes). Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Gradually add 1 c flour to butter mixture, beating at low speed until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently press two-thirds of mixture (about 1 1/3 cups) into bottom of an 8 inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray; set remaining 2/3 c flour mixture aside. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until just beginning to brown.
3. Combine 2/3 c sugar, 3 tbsp flour, baking powder, and 1/8 tsp salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add lime juice and eggs, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour mixture over crust. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Remove pan from oven; sprinkle remaining 2/3 c flour mixture evenly over egg mixture. Bake an additional 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack. Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar. Yield: 16 servings.

Blueberry Streusel Cake

I was obsessed with blueberries this summer. My mom would buy the big clamshells at Sam's Club while I was in Texas and I was in heaven. We had a plethora of blueberries so I made this blueberry streusel cake. It is such a delicious recipe and the lemon yogurt on top really rounds it all out.

3/4 c. sugar, divided
1/4 c. margarine, softened
1 tsp lemon rind, grated
1 large egg
1/2 c. plain nonfat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 c. fresh blueberries
1 tbsp powdered sugar
2 1/2 c. low far lemon yogurt

1. Combine 1/2 sugar, margarine, lemon rind, and egg; beat at medium speed with electric mixer 5 minute or until blended.

2. Combine plain yogurt and vanilla, stirring well. Set aside.

3. Combine 1 1/2 c. flour and 1/2 tsp baking soda; add to egg mixture alternately with yogurt mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition.

4. Spread batter evenly over bottom and up sides of a 9 inch round tart pan coated with cooking spray.

5. Combine remaining 1/4 c. sugar, 1 tbsp flour, cinnamon, and allspice; add blueberries, tossing gently to coat. Spoon evenly over batter, leaving a 1/2 inch border.

6. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until lightly browned; cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; serve with lemon yogurt.

Banana Bread + Chocolate Chips

In one of my classes this past semester, one of my teachers joked about making banana bread as an offering to stop the nasty weather we were having. The next week, when it clearly hadn't worked, a few of my classmates suggested adding chocolate chips to the banana bread. It's been on my mind ever since. SO when we had some bananas turning a little brown, I told Aaron to let them go bad so I could make banana bread.

This is the best banana bread recipe I have; it's my mom's (of course) and its pretty good. In our opinion, however, the chocolate chips took away from the "banana-ness" of the banana bread. I don't think we'll be adding chocolate chips again, but I'm glad we attempted to see what all the fuss is about. Perhaps this particular banana bread recipe isn't good for chocolate chips...anyone have a good banana/chocolate chip bread recipe?

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (about 3) ripe banana, mashed
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

The BEST Raspberry Bars

We had a barbecue with some of our friends last week and I made these for dessert. This is another mom recipe and she used to send these to me in college and she still sends them to my brother on his mission. These don't last long around our house!

 The Best Raspberry Bars

2½ Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

2/3 Cup Granulated Sugar

½ Teaspoon Salt

2 Sticks +2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Cut Into ½-Inch Pieces And Softened

¼ Cup Light Or Dark Brown Sugar, Packed

½ Cup Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats

½ Cup Pecans, Chopped Fine

3/4 Cup Raspberry Preserves

3/4 Cup Fresh Raspberries

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut 18-inch length foil and fold lengthwise to 8-inch width. Fit foil into length of 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pushing it into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Cut 14-inch length foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to first sheet. (If using extra wide foil, fold second sheet lenghtwise to 12-inch width.) Spray foil-lined pan with non stick cooking spray.

2. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with l-flat beater, mix flour, granulated sugar, and salt at low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine on low, add 16 tablespoons butter one piece at a time; then continue mixing on low until mixture resembles damp sand, 1 to 1¾ minutes. (If using food processor, process flour, granulated sugar, and salt until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter 16 tablespoons butter pieces over flour mixture and pulse until mixture resembles damp sand, about twenty 1-second pulses)

3. Measure 1¼ cups flour mixture into medium bowl and set aside; distribute remaining flour mixture evenly in bottom of prepared baking pan. Using hands or flat-bottomed measuring cup, firmly press mixture into even layer to form bottom crust. Bake until edges begin to brown, 14 to 18 minutes.

4. While crust is baking, add brown sugar, oats, and nuts to reserved flour mixture; toss to combine. Work in remaining 2 tablespoons butter by rubbing mixture between fingers until butter is fully incorporated. Pinch mixture with fingers to create hazelnut-size clumps; set streusel aside.

5. Combine preserves, raspberries, and lemon juice in small bowl; mash with fork until combined but some berry pieces remain.

6. Spread filling evenly over hot crust; sprinkle streusel topping evenly over filling (do not press streusel topping into filling). Return pan to oven and bake until topping is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature on wire rack, 1 to 2 hours; remove from baking pan by lifting foil extensions. Using chef's knife, cut into squares and serve.