Berries and Cream Pie Bars

      I thought after having graduated from college, summer would slightly fall in its excitement levels. I figured when I no longer had the pure bliss of finishing a year of strenuous mental work and serious stress balancing skills in sight, summer would just drift in without a major wave of happiness. However, I am finding a certain overwhelming joy with the world right now, and summer has not lost any of its excitement. Trips to see family and explore new places are in planning, there is camping to be done and I just can't help but want to be outside and do more with my days when the sun wakes up and hangs out with me longer.

        Part of summers serious bliss though, is the return of summer produce and farmers markets. I don't know if you guys have been eating fistfuls of blueberries too, but I can't seem to get enough.

        These bars are packed with blueberries, mildly sweet crumbles and crust, and a creamy blending of those two things brought together by some fruity yogurt. If you live in Colorado, I sincerely hope you have tried Noosa yogurt (if you don't live here, I know it is becoming increasingly available around the country). It is the most creamy, delicious, heaven sent yogurt and it is the perfect accompaniment to bring a mildly sweet and flavorful velvetiness to middle of these bars.

        They make a delicious snack, a tasty dessert topped with ice cream, or in the morning, use a little bit more of that yogurt to top for an easy breakfast. They are good at room temperature, but I absolutely loved them cold out of the fridge! It made them super refreshing for the hot summer days.

Note: If you don't have Noosa, as the recipe notes, any full-fat, flavored Greek yogurt will do.
Ingredients:
Crust/Topping
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c old fashion rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg

Filling
4 c fresh blueberries
1/2 c sugar
3 tsp cornstarch
2 large eggs
1 c (8 ounces) full-fat Greek raspberry yogurt (or sub other flavor, I think lemon would be awesome!)
       ---I recommend Noosa Yogurt if you can get your hands on it!
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1. Grease a 9x13 pan and preheat the oven to 375F
2. For the crust: in the bowl of a food processor, combine the sugar, baking powder, flour, 1 cup of the oats, and salt. Pulse a few times.
3. Cut the butter into cubes and add it to the food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles a course crumble with pea sized clumps. Add the egg and pulse a few more times to incorporate. It will still have a crumbly texture.
4. Divide the crumbs in half and pour one half into the base of the greased baking dish. Press it down and around the sides to create a thick and even layer. Set the rest aside.
5. For the filling: Mix together the sugar, blueberries and cornstarch in a medium bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, and lemon juice and zest.
6. Pour the blueberries over the top of the crust and spread evenly. Pour the yogurt mixture over the berries, making sure it reaches all over the dish to the corners.
7. Top the berries with the second half of the crumbles, scattering them about in cover the entire dish. Finally, sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 C oats.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top has a slight golden brown. Allow the dish to cool before cutting. They can be served warm, room temp or (my personal favorite) cold from the fridge. Delicious with milk, yogurt or ice cream :)

Bonus: Here you can spot the two cactus I have managed to keep alive for a whole 6 months now! 

Love,
 Boulder Butter

Almond + Cinnamon Sour Cream Squares

         This is something you make for a person you love. If you are nice enough to give it to someone, you know you love them because: 1) You are willing to part with it and lord knows you will not be willing to do that for anything less and 2) it calls for two and a half sticks of butter, and butter is a very precious commodity. Then you add sour cream in the mixture, and you know you really want to impress them!

          The bottom cake is soft and slightly crumbly and kind of cakey, but really moist. The middle is gooey; like melt in your mouth goodness that simultaneously melds into the vanilla bottom. The top is sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar right before it bakes, and becomes a caramelized bite, and where it hits the edges becomes just slightly chewy.

          If I were not making this for someone I love, then I would be very tempted to stop writing this and go cut off all the edges of this cake and slowly savor my way around them. If you are like me, you may also struggle with that when you lift it out of the pan and have the cinnamon and almond scents filling your nose.

         You may also struggle not to just take a spoon right too it and burn your mouth when you pull in out of the oven. I did not do either of these things, but it was only by the greatest practices of self-restraint. I wish you luck.

P.S. The person I gave them too described them as "the perfect meeting of coffee cake and cinnamon roll." I really like that :)

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's "Gooey Cinnamon Squares" in The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Cookie/Cake Base:
8 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1 TSP cream of tartar
1/2 TSP baking soda
1/4 TSP table salt
3/4 C sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 C (generous) full-fat sour cream
Gooey Layer
1/4 light corn syrup (honey is fine too)
1/4 C (generous) sour cream
1 1/2 TSP almond extract
1 1/2 TSP vanilla extract
12 TBSP butter, room temperature
1 C sugar
1/4 TSP salt 
1 large egg, room temp.
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 TSP cinnamon
Topping:
2 TBSP sugar
3/4 TSP cinnamon

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F and butter and line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper. Allow 2 inches of excess parchment paper to go up the sides so you will be able to lift the bars out.
The Base
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until incorporated.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add them to the wet mixture in 2 additions and mix until combined.
4. Pour the base into the prepared pan; spread it evenly over the pan using an offset spatula- the dough will be sticky. Set the pan aside.
The Goo
5. Whisk together the corn syrup, sour cream and extracts in a small bowl.
6. Wipe down the bowl of the stand mixer, and beat together the butter and sugar. Add the salt and egg and beat until combined. 
7. In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon and flour.
8. In alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour, add the sour cream and flour mixtures (flour, sour cream, flour, sour cream, flour). Mix until incorporated and scrape down the sides between the additions.
9. Dollop the cinnamon mixture over the cookie base and spread evenly.
The Top 
10. Stir together the cinnamon and sugar in a small cup and sprinkle it over the top. It will look like a lot but it will cook and while baking-don't worry about it.
11. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cookies have bronzed. Remove and all the cookies to full cool on a rack before removing. These will keep at room temperature for at least a week. 

Love, 
   Boulder Butter

Chili Lime + White Chocolate Macadamia Bars

     I have been thinking about bars a lot recently. No, not like pull up bars, nor the bars at the trendy ballet classes, or even the bars that fill you with beer and margaritas. I mean, I have been on a complete cake fixation for months, and then about two weeks ago, it hit me- I wanted my dessert to be in bar form. Particularly, brownies were becoming an obsessive thought. How to make the perfect fudgy brownie? I researched and read up on the science of brownies from the classic sources of chocolate knowledge. It was settled; I would go home one night and make a big batch of brownies, open a red wine and relax. 

     I had the chocolate in hand, walked into the kitchen and all of a sudden, I remembered a recipe I had promised to come months ago when my step-mom bought me a bag of macadamia nuts. I had white chocolate. The wheels started to turn. I no longer wanted brownies; I wanted white chocolate macadamia nut bars. I put away the semi-sweet and replaced it with a bag of white. The ideas started to flow...about an hour later, out came these.

      I disregarded all my thoughts of brownies the moment the chili and sugar coated the macadamias and wafted up at me. By the time they came out of the oven, all I wanted was the rich, buttery squares in front of me. The macadamias are toasted in butter, sugar, and chili and achieve a rich creaminess of their own. They provided the perfect amount of buttery crunch, with tingles of chili in every bite. Occasionally, you get a stronger chili-punched mouthful, but its softened and sweetened by the white chocolate melted throughout. The small chips allow the flavor of white chocolate to never overpower, but only hold in check all the strong flavors vying for your attention. Balancing the bar with their unique sweetness.

     The lime adds a bright fun flavor with the same sensation of the chili-prevalent in every, bite but with strong burst hidden throughout. The chili and lime create a competing warm and cool liveliness on your tongue, dancing around in the sweet, the butter, and the hints of salt. Although this is technically a Blondie, the browned butter yields a dark colored bar. It ups the creaminess significantly and adds a nutty richness. I mean honestly, it does what browned butter does best-just makes everything so much freaking better. These are not as chewy as a traditional Blondie, but they are not at all cakey. Instead they mirror their cousin, the cookie, more than I realized was even possible in a bar. I did not realize what that could be until I made these. They are delightful-so delightful and addictive, I made them twice in four days. I admit to that proudly. 

Inspired by the Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook's "White Chocolate Macademia Nut Blondies" 

Ingredients: 

1 C flour

1/2 TSP baking soda 

1/2 TSP salt

1/2 C (1 stick) butter + 1 TBSP

1 egg

3/4 C brown sugar 

3/4 C macadamia nuts 

3/4 C white chocolate chips (mini are great)

1 TSP sugar (or brown sugar)

1 1/2 TSP chili powder*

Zest of one lime 

*You can use 1 TSP to 2 TSP depending on your palate preferences and the freshness of your chili powder. If it is brand new, then go lighter, if it is older, you can use the larger amount. 

Instructions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F and prepare and 8x8 pan by lining it with aluminum foil and oiling it. 

2. Place the macadamia nuts, chili powder, 1 TSP white sugar, and 1 TBSP butter in a pan, until the butter is melted, the nuts are toasted and the sugar and chili powder caramelize and coat the nuts. The mixture will be fragrant of sweet chili.

3. Remove from the pan and place in a separate bowl to cool. 

4. Wipe out the pan and return it to medium heat on the stove. Add the stick of butter and melt then cook over medium heat until foam forms, goes away and the butter browns to a nutty color and aroma. Pull immediately, move it into another bowl and whisk to cool it quickly and prevent from further cooking. 
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
6. Add the brown sugar to the butter and mix until combined.
7. Gently mix together one egg to break the yolk and then stir it into the butter and sugar. Be careful not to over mix here as these bars are prone to a lot of air and you want to avoid creating a meringue effect with an over beaten egg. 
8. Stir in the flour mixture, followed by the nuts, white chocolate, and lime zest. The batter will be dark from the brown butter and a thick, sticky mass.
9. Dump the dough into the pan and spread it out with your fingers to an even top. 
10. Bake for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and allow cooling for 10 minutes before taking the bars out of the pan. Allow cooling for 10 more minutes, then cut into squares using a sharp knife or pastry cutter.

Love,

   Boulder Butter 

Ginger Iced Chocolate-Chip Shortbread Bars

          Last night, I lifted this bar in cheers to celebrate my new job offer to work in the bakery department of a Whole Foods in Denver! (Major whoops and cheers going on in the back of the recent college graduate's mind). When I bit down, I was greeted with a new favorite baked good-the best thing I have made in months! I was slightly skeptical of these at first, foolishly thinking they would be just another bar. By golly, I couldn't have been more wrong though! This slice of heaven, has a complimentary sweet and salty flavor weaved in its components. Not to mention the true decadence the of soft, buttery, shortbread character. I am head over heals for these bars. I want to eat them more, I want to make them more, and I want to wiggle around in happiness from eating another one because they are that good.

Eyes close and a smile forms as Corey experiences first bite happiness

       They have a buttery and just properly salted shortbread base that is packed with mini chocolate chips. This part alone could send me into sweet bliss, but then they are glazed with a thin layer of a ginger, honey icing. My goodness I was launched into wide-eyed happiness during my first bite due to true surprise at how scrumptious they were. They melt in your mouth, provide the right amount of chew, and are a true example of how food can properly balance flavors to please your palate. A perfectly satisfying bite in every way possible, one teeth sink into these bad boys I guarantee you can't put it down (and thats not something I would promise on every sweet). I am dreaming of another one now...

Inspired by David Lebovitz's "Ginger Crunch"

Oven Temp: 375 F

Dish: 8x8 square cake pan; pressed in with aluminum foil and greased. 

Ingredients for Shortbread:

9 TBSP unsalted butter, room temperature (very soft, but not melted)

1/2 C sugar

1 1/2 C all purpose flour

1 (shy) TSP baking powder

1/2 TSP salt 

1 1/2 TSP ground ginger

1/3 C mini chocolate chips-because the base if pretty thin and the shortbread batter is crumbly, it is important they're mini.

Ingredients for Icing: 

5 TBSP unsalted butter

2 TBSP honey

3/4 C powdered sugar

1 TBSP ground ginger

Instructions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 375F.

2. Add 9 TBSP of butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl.

3. Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until VERY light and fluffy-"creaming" (more details on creaming on the Lemon Vanilla Cookies-this is an extremely important process for cookies).

My favorite kitchen companion

4. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and ginger in a separate bowl.

                 5. In three turns, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing together on the lowest speed.

---The mixture will be very coarse and crumbly: You are doing it right! 

6. Add in the chocolate chips and mix together with your hands till they are evenly incorporated.

7. Transfer the dough mixture into the prepared baking dish.

8. Spread the dough over the pan and press it in until it forms an even layer. Do your best to make it smooth on top, but it will not be perfect. You're still doing it right! 

9. Bake in oven for 20 minutes, until edges just start to turn golden brown.

10. During the last 5 minutes of baking, in a small sauce pan, melt 5 TBSP butter and add honey, stirring them together.

11. Once melted, add powdered sugar and ginger. 

12. Stir until they are dissolved and no clumps remain. Remove from heat. Continue to stir as needed.

13. Once the cookie base is removed, pour the icing over the top.

14. Let it sit until the icing sets (about 30 min-1 hour).

 ...And dig your teeth into my new favorite treat!

The deservingly glorified creation

Beautiful glossy top

Happy Baking!