Bake Sale Winning

Do you procrastibake ?

I meant to do many things this week, but instead I baked. I baked slow-rise refrigerator focaccia. I baked slow-rise, sourdough focaccia. I baked fast-rise, yeasted, freshly milled flour focaccia. I baked slow-rise, yeasted, freshly milled flour focaccia.

And when I tired of the focaccia genre, I made these bake-sale winningest gooey oat bars from Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen Every Day . I baked them late at night, stashed them in the fridge, and awoke the next morning ready to face the potentially troubling task of slicing, which turned out to be a cinch thanks to the rest in fridge. Ben and I each had a bar with our coffee — an especially good match — then I sent him to work with (nearly) all that remained. By 10am, I was receiving text-message requests from his coworkers for the recipe.

These bars are a snap to throw together: a buttery shortbread crust comes together in seconds in the food processor, which then bakes alone while you stir together the gooey topping, a mix of melted butter, sugar, eggs, oats, chocolate, and coconut. Once crust and topping unite, the pan returns to the oven for a quick final bake.

Deb says these bars taste like “brown butter and caramel… like an old-school magic bar, but possibly even more delicious.” This is all true, except for the “possibly” bit — these are so much better than magic bars.

If you find yourself overwhelmed by your to-do list this weekend, I suggest you bake instead. You can bake bread or cookies or muffins or these gooey oat bars, an effort guaranteed to earn you street cred with any neighbors, colleagues, or friends you share them with or, at the very least, bring you complete and utter bliss when you hanker for that afternoon pick-me-up.

Happy procrastibaking, Friends.

Here’s the play-by-play: blend flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.

Add butter.

Purée until big clumps form.

Press it into a 9×13-inch pan. (Love this 9×13-inch USA Pan. )

Bake until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, melt butter till it begins to brown.

Gather your remaining ingredients: eggs, sugars, oats, chocolate, and coconut.

Stir the sugars into the butter.

Add the eggs one at a time.

Whisk till blended. (I get asked about this whisk a lot. This one (the large, not the small) is similar.

Add the coconut, oats, and vanilla.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

I like these Guittard dark (63% cacao) chocolate chips.

Stir to combine.

Pour over the baked crust. Return to the oven.

Bake until lightly golden.

Cut the bars — this is especially easy if you let the bars set up in the fridge.

Dust with powdered sugar. Store in the fridge.

The best afternoon treat: gooey oat bar + espresso.

From Smitten Kitchen Every Day :

Description

From Smitten Kitchen Every Day , these bars are heaven to me: good with morning coffee, great with afternoon espresso, friendly for adults and children alike.

For the crust:

• 1 3/4 cups (230g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (200g) cold unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar

For the topping/filling:

• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (145g) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups (105g) rolled oats
• 1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I like a dark chocolate chip, 63% cacao or so) , chopped white or dark chocolate, candy bars, dried fruit, or a mix thereof (with the dried fruit, a mix with chocolate is best or the sweetness of the fruit will be overwhelming)
• powdered sugar, to finish

1. Prepare your pan: Heat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper (if using a cake pan, hang the parchment over the sides so the bars are easier to remove). Lightly coat the sides with nonstick spray.
2. Make the crust: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into chunks, and add it to the bowl, then run the machine until the mixture forms large clumps—that’s right, just keep running it; it might take another 30 seconds for it to come together, but it will. Transfer the dough clumps to the prepared baking pan and press them evenly across the bottom and 1/4 inch up the sides. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until very pale golden.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Melt your butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, stirring frequently, until golden brown bits form at the bottom, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugars and salt. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, and stir in the oats, coconut, and chocolate, fruit, and/or candy. Pour over the parbaked crust, spreading evenly.
4. Bake the bars: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is firm and golden and the bars are set or, at most, barely jiggle if shimmied. The bars are much easier to cut cleanly from the fridge, but they are gooiest when warm. Dust with powdered sugar before serving or selling for the prettiest finish.
5. Do ahead: Store in the fridge for many days.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Description

From Smitten Kitchen Every Day , these bars are heaven to me: good with morning coffee, great with afternoon espresso, friendly for adults and children alike.

For the crust:

• 1 3/4 cups (230g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (200g) cold unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar

For the topping/filling:

• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (145g) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups (105g) rolled oats
• 1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I like a dark chocolate chip, 63% cacao or so) , chopped white or dark chocolate, candy bars, dried fruit, or a mix thereof (with the dried fruit, a mix with chocolate is best or the sweetness of the fruit will be overwhelming)
• powdered sugar, to finish

1. Prepare your pan: Heat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper (if using a cake pan, hang the parchment over the sides so the bars are easier to remove). Lightly coat the sides with nonstick spray.
2. Make the crust: Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into chunks, and add it to the bowl, then run the machine until the mixture forms large clumps—that’s right, just keep running it; it might take another 30 seconds for it to come together, but it will. Transfer the dough clumps to the prepared baking pan and press them evenly across the bottom and 1/4 inch up the sides. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until very pale golden.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: Melt your butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, stirring frequently, until golden brown bits form at the bottom, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugars and salt. Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, and stir in the oats, coconut, and chocolate, fruit, and/or candy. Pour over the parbaked crust, spreading evenly.
4. Bake the bars: Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top is firm and golden and the bars are set or, at most, barely jiggle if shimmied. The bars are much easier to cut cleanly from the fridge, but they are gooiest when warm. Dust with powdered sugar before serving or selling for the prettiest finish.
5. Do ahead: Store in the fridge for many days.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2019/03/15/bake-sale-winning-est-gooey-oat-bars/

A few weeks ago, after I bemoaned feeling uninspired by the current between-season vegetables, one of you told me I would love the Adventure Bowl at Life Alive , a small-chain of organic cafés in the Boston area. I looked at the menu online and immediately thought of my friend Gena and her book, Power Plates , which is filled with similar* fare: plates and bowls of vegetables, grains, beans, pulses, nuts, spices and herbs, often dressed in some sort of bright, tangy sauce.

Feeling inspired, I made a double batch of Gena’s Everyday Lemon Tahini Dressing, a mix of tahini, water, fresh lemon juice, garlic, salt, and a little maple syrup. I tossed the dressing with the last of my winter CSA carrots (shredded in the food processor), along with parsley, toasted pine nuts, and some leftover cooked quinoa I found in the fridge. The whole combination tasted so fresh and nourishing, reminding me once again that carrots can be exciting .

This combination of raw, shredded vegetables, herbs, toasted nuts, and cooked grains can be used as a template. Substitute cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, (maybe beets? sweet potatoes?) for the carrots; use any nut you wish; change up the herbs; add dried fruit; swap farro, bulgur, wheat berries, or any grain you like for the quinoa.

The only non-negotiable is the dressing, which I hope you make immediately and use lavishly on anything you find in the crisper needing a bit more life.

Here’s the play-by-play: If your carrots are especially dirty, peel them; otherwise, there is no need to peel.

Grate the carrots in your food processor fitted with the shredder attachment.

Cook some quinoa. I like red for its color.

Drain through a fine-meshed sieve.

Chop some parsley.

Whisk together the dressing, a mix of tahini, fresh lemon, water, garlic, salt, and maple syrup.

I love this Soom tahini .

Combine all of the elements.

Toss with the dressing.

Serve immediately.

Or pack away — this salad keeps really well in the fridge for days.

Everyday Lemon Tahini Dressing from Gena Hamshaw’s Power Plates :

Description

This is a simple salad that can be adapted to your liking. The lemon-tahini dressing is from Gena Hamshaw’s Power Plates , and there’s nothing it wouldn’t taste good on.

This recipe halves well (both the dressing and the salad as a whole).

I also like this salad without the quinoa all together, which is how I made it initially. The quinoa bulks it up a bit — makes it a bit more filling — but if you just want a vegetable salad on the side, it’s nice without any grain.

The pine nuts are optional, but I like the crunch. Any other nut would be good here as would some currants or other dried fruit. Cilantro in place of or in combination with the parsley would be good, too.

Tahini: I like the Soom brand .

• 1/2 cup quinoa, I like red for color, optional, see notes above
• kosher salt

For the dressing:

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup well-stirred tahini

• 1 - 2 cloves garlic finely minced

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup, plus more to taste

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1.5 lbs. carrots, scrubbed well, ends trimmed, peeled if very dirty (about a pound post trimming)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

• 2/3 cup pine nuts or other nut, optional

• 1 cup finely minced parsley, plus more to taste

1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Add the quinoa and cook for 10-12 minutes or until you see the white tail begin to pop from the kernels. Drain through a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste. I like to add another teaspoon of maple syrup and more salt to taste. Set aside.
3. If your carrots are especially dirty, peel them. Otherwise, simply wash them. Trim the ends. Send them down the chute of your food processor fitted with the shredder attachment. Transfer to a large bowl. Season with a teaspoon of kosher salt and toss. Set aside.
4. In a medium skillet, toast the pine nuts over medium heat watching closely the entire time. Stir frequently. When the nuts are toasty, remove the skillet from the heat.
5. Add the quinoa, pine nuts, and parsley to the bowl with the carrots. Add the dressing. Toss to coat. It may be easiest to toss with your hands. Taste. Adjust as needed with more salt or lemon. Serve immediately or pack into containers and stash in the fridge.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Category: Grain Salad
• Method: Stovetop/Food Processor
• Cuisine: Fusion