Tag: bbq

A Swing and a Hit: Home Run Bars

A couple of months ago, I came across a recipe for carmelized crispy rice cereal (I think rice Krispy is trademarked) in Dorie Greenspan’s Baking Chez Moi and it’s like a door opened to a crunchy, sweet but so browned it’s almost bitter land.  The possibilities were so inspiring that the next three weeks of recipes feature this versatile ingredient.

One of the beauties of caramelizing anything is that you get to control how deep you go.  I’ve tried several versions and prefer mine darker but not yet burned.  Think Cracker Jacks.

In fact, Cracker Jacks are what inspired this picnic and BBQ ready dessert bar.

How do you feel about a peanut buttery blondie base polished with a layer of chocolate and topped with crunchy caramelized crispy rice?

Homerun you say?

Exactly!

Homerun Bars

For the Caramelized Crispy Rice

Ingredients

  • 2 C crispy rice cereal (have had good results with both regular and brown rice versions)
  • 3 TBS water
  • 1/2 C granulated sugar

Directions

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. In a medium heavy-bottomed sauce pan add sugar.  Then add water and mix until sugar dissolves.  This is the last time you are going to want to touch the mixture until you take it off the heat the first time.
  3. Bring mixture to a boil (don’t stir) and allow to simmer until the syrup just starts to brown.
  4. Remove from heat and mix in cereal (I find a rubber spatula works the best). Gently mix cereal until ever last piece is covered in syrup.  By the time you there, everything will have dried and look like its dusted in snow (and now we know how they make Frosted Flakes).
  5. Return to heat over a medium burned and fold constantly.  The sugar will start to melt and caramelize.  Keep folding until you reach desired depth of caramelization.  I know the version I like is done when the sugar starts to smoke.
  6. Spread cereal on parchment lined baking sheet and allow to cool completely.
  7. From here you can store in an airtight container in big hunks.

For Homerun Bars

Ingredients

  • 1 C peanut butter (crunchy or smooth–I use smooth because I like to add-on whole peanuts)
  • 1/2 C butter, softened
  • 2 C golden brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 TBS vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 C all purpose flour
  • 1 C peanuts (I like slightly salted)
  • 1 TBS vegetable oil
  • 8 ounces chocolate (chips will do fine)
  • 1 batch caramelized crispy rice

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line a 9X13 pan with parchment.
  2. In bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and peanut butter until smooth.
  3. Beat brown sugar into butter mixture in three stages, allowing the mixer to run for a couple of minutes after all of the sugar has been added.
  4. Beat-in eggs one-at-a-time, combining completely after each egg.  Beat in vanilla.
  5. Turn off mixer.  Add flour and mix on lowest speed until just combined.  Fold in peanuts by hand.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan using a spatula to level it out.
  7. Bake until a skewer inserted into the center of the dough comes out with small crumbs (about 35 minutes).
  8. Remove from over and allow to cool completely.
  9. Melt chocolate in microwave (30 seconds at a time at 50% heat until all chips melt with mixed).  Stir in oil.
  10. Using an off-set spatula, “frost” cooled blondies with chocolate.
  11. Slightly press caramelized rice into still warm chocolate.
  12. Allow chocolate to set-up.  Cut and enjoy.
  13. Store in an airtight container for up to three days.

See ya later summer!

I could wax poetic about the final days of summer slipping into the horizon like grains of stand through an hourglass.  But. Whatever.

For me, Labor Day Weekend is the signal of something new, not the symbol of something lost.  And while I try not to ever wish away time,  I am always glad to see September.

In our neck of the woods, probably like yours, Labor Day weekend is about BBQs, pool parties and trips to the beach.  So, here is a nice accompaniment that’s easy to put together and travels well.

This slightly sweet cornbread calls for three flours: all purpose, corn meal and corn flour.  Okay, to be honest, the original recipe called for masa harina.  I didn’t have it on-hand and  knowingly swapped-in the corn flour (even though one isn’t a substitute for the other).  If you are a purist, find masa harina.  If not, corn flour will do.

My twist includes lemon zest and sliced almonds.  I think the different textures make this simple corn bread interesting.

Adieu summer!  Bring on the Autumn!

If you like this, you might like these

Blueberries and Cream Cookies

Baluberry Muffins

Blueberry Scones

Blueberry Cornbread

adapted from the Sunset Cookbook credited to Doug Case

Ingredients

  • 1 C fresh blueberries
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 C buttermilk
  • 1/4 C butter, melted
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 2/3 + 2 TBS C all purpose flour
  • 2/3 C yellow cornmeal
  • 2/3 C masa harina (corn flour)
  • 1/4 C sugar + additional for sprinkling on top if desired
  • 1  1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2/3 C slivered or sliced toasted almonds

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter and line with parchment an 8X8 paking pan.
  2. Place clean, dry blueberries in a fine-meshed sieve placed over a bowl.  Sprinkle 2 TBS all purpose flour over the berries.  Gently toss in the sieve to release extra flour into the bowl.  Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, buttermilk and butter to blend.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, corn meal, masa harina, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  5. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture, fold until all ingredients are just combined.
  6. Gently stir-in berries and lemon zest.
  7. Scrape batter into pan; spread level.  Sprinkle almonds and sugar over the top.
  8. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Allow to cool 10 minutes before cutting.