Category Archives: Squares and Bars

Sonte’s Granola Bars

April 23, 2012 Sonte Leave a comment

When making up your weekly batch of Granola, have another bowl on hand to mix up the ingredients for these Granola Bars so you can have a healthy, nutritious snack at work, at school or at play!

1. 4 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
2. 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
3. 1/2 cup Wheat Germ
4. 1/4 cup Ground Flax Seed
5. 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds
6. 1/2 cup Pumpkin Seeds
7. 1/4 cup Sesame Seeds
8. 2 generous teaspoons Cinnamon
9. 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
10. 1/2 cup Flour
11. 3/4 cup Raisins (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, then drained well)
12. 1 cup Coconut
13. 1 cup chopped Dried Apricots (optional)

3/4 cup Honey
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
3/4 cup Applesauce
1 Tablespoon Vanilla

2 cups whole Blanched Almonds

Preheat oven to 350F (175C)
Prepare a 11x15x1 inch (28x38x2.5cm) baking tray by spraying lightly with vegetable oil spray.

Combine first 12 ingredients together in a large bowl.
In small mixing bowl, combine honey, eggs, vegetable oil, applesauce and vanilla.
Stir liquid ingredients into dry ingredients until well blended.
Press into prepared pan.
Bake in 350F oven for 12 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle evenly with whole almonds, gently press the almonds into the granola bars.

Return to oven and continue baking for 12 to 17 minutes.

Score into bars and let cool for 30 minutes.
Cut into bars and allow to cool completely.

Store in airtight container.

NOTE: Luke loves chocolate so when they are finished baking, I sprinkle with 200g Chocolate Chunks, return to turned off oven for 2 minutes, remove from oven and spread melted chocolate to cover the whole pan of granola bars.
Looking for a yummy yogurt topping to replace the chocolate….

Squares and Bars

Reeses Bars

December 30, 2011 Sonte Leave a comment

This recipe was given to me by a neighbour about 20 years ago. Living in a house with four children you can bet peanut butter was a favourite so these were a natural hit! One son used to request these bars for his “birthday” cake! On your birthday, anything goes, so instead of making bars? I pressed the peanut butter mixture into a springform pan, topped with chocolate, let it set then wrote, “Happy Birthday Ryan!” on top!

Now I will be the first to tell you, health bars, these are not! I have recently started doing them as individual cups in order to help with portion control. However, I will not be held responsible for how many of these you eat! And may I suggest a nice cold glass of milk? Normally I am all about the coffee but these bars/cups need something to tone down the sweetness.

3 1/2 cups Icing Sugar
1 1/2 cups Peanut Butter
1 cup Butter
1 1/2 cups Graham Crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 1/2 cups Chocolate Chips
1 Tablespoon Butter

In medium saucepan melt peanut butter and butter.
Stir in icing sugar, one cup at a time and stirring well after each addition.
Add graham crumbs and vanilla, mixing well.
Press into a 9X13 (3.3l) pan.*
Melt chocolate and 1 Tbsp butter over very low heat, stirring constantly until completely melted and no lumps remain.
Spread over base; cool until chocolate has set.
Cut into bars.

* Line 48 mini muffin cups with paper liners.
Use a two ounce scoop to fill each cup; press each filling firmly into cup.
Using a small coffee spoon (Aussie style!) top each peanut butter cup with melted chocolate, swirling to cover entire top.
Cool until chocolate has set.

Squares and Bars

The Ultimate Buttertart Square

October 9, 2011 Sonte Leave a comment

Canadian Living magazine put the question out there: Butter Tart Square or Date Square? Well, I have been making both for years! Date Squares since I first discovered the kitchen as a child. Ok, maybe I didn’t make them by myself then, but I did get to chop the dates that came in a solid block which had to be painstakingly cut up.

This is the Buttertart Square recipe I have been making for the past 20 years. Oh, hey, I learned something interesting; apparently a well made BTS is quintessentially Canadian! Who knew? What the Lamington is to the Aussies! And here I thought Strawberry Shortcake was the quintessential Canadian dessert because it graces many a Canada Day Celebrations!

Without further ado…THE Buttertart Square recipe…

2 1/4 cups Flour

3 Tablespoons Sugar

3/4 cup Butter

3 large Eggs

2 cups Brown Sugar

1/3 cup Butter, melted

1 1/2 Tablespoons Vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

1 Tablespoon Flour

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 cups Raisins, soaked and drained

Preheat oven to 350F

Lightly spray a 9X13 pan with Vegetable Oil Spray.

In medium mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar, using a pastry blender.
Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Press into prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl beat eggs until light and fluffy.

Stir in brown sugar, melted butter, vinegar, vanilla, flour and salt.

Scatter raisins over the baked crust then pour filling over all.

Bake in 350F oven for 20 – 25 minutes or just until set and golden brown.

Cool.

Cut into 24 squares.

Store leftovers in an airtight container.

These can also be frozen.

Squares and Bars

Brownies

October 9, 2011 Sonte 2 Comments

When I am feeling particularly lazy but need Lunchbox treats for the week I like to whip up a batch of Brownies. They are so easy to make and are a sure hit…the challenge will be to make them last for the week!

1 1/3 cup Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Butter

1 cup Cocoa

2 cups Sugar

4 Eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F.

Lightly spray a 9x13inch pan with vegetable oil spray or line a mini muffin tin with muffin liners.

In small mixing bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.

In medium size saucepan, melt butter over low to medium heat.

Add sugar to melted butter and stir for a minute.

Remove from heat and stir in cocoa. Mix well, until no lumps remain.

Add eggs, one at a time and stirring well after each addition.

Stir in Vanilla.

Pour in dry ingredients and carefully stir in until all the flour is incorporated then stir vigorously for 2 – 3 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared 9×13 or use a 2ounce Pampered Chef Scoop to portion into 24 mini muffin cups.

Bake in preheated 350F oven for 25 – 30 minutes, or until pick inserted in centre comes out clean. Two Bite Brownies for 16 – 20 minutes.

*As an alternative to Fudgy Cocoa Frosting, at this point you may break a family size Chocolate bar into bits, sprinkle on top of the warm brownies and return the pan to the turned off oven. Leave for a few minutes. Remove from oven and gently spread melty chocolate over the surface of the brownies. I like Fruit and Nut bar

Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.

Frost with:

Fudgy Cocoa Frosting

3 Tablespoons melted Butter

1/4 cup Cocoa

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

splash of strong brewed Coffee

2 cups Icing Sugar

Add cocoa to melted butter and stir until no lumps remain. Stir in vanilla, coffee and 1 cup of icing sugar stirring well.

Add second cup of icing sugar, stirring until no lumps remain then beating for 2 minutes.

Spread on cooled Brownies.

Reduced Fat Brownies:

Substitute 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for the cup of butter.

Substitute 1/3 cup of the flour with Whole Wheat Flour.

Chocolate Chunk and Fruit Brownies:

To Reduced Fat Brownies add:

1 cup Sultanas

1 cup Chocolate Chunks

Stir the Fruit and Chocolate in with the dry ingredients.

Squares and Bars

Date Squares

October 9, 2011 Sonte Leave a comment

This recipe is passed along to me from O-Mommy. O-Mommy was the Grande Dame of the Kitchen. She wasn’t just a good cook she was a good Home Maker. She tended the garden, raised the chooks and turned the farms yields into scrumptious meals. O-Mommy, you are my Hero.

Date Filling:

Combine in Saucepan

1 cup chopped Dates

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Water

Bring to boil and cook until dates are soft enough to be mashed with a fork (5 minutes) The mixture should be consistency of jam. Set aside to cool.

Crumb Mixture:

1 cup Flour

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/8 tsp. Salt

Cut in:

1 cup Butter

Then Blend in:

1 cup Brown Sugar

2 cups Rolled Oats

Preheat oven to 325F.

Lightly spray and 8″ square pan with vegetable oil spray

Follow directions for Crumb Mixture.

Press half over bottom of prepared pan.

Cover evenly with cooled date filling.

Cover with remaining crumbs and pat until smooth.

Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until golden brown in 325F oven.

Cool before cutting.

Aysontespli's Kitchen

Category Archives: Squares and Bars

Sonte’s Granola Bars

Reeses Bars

The Ultimate Buttertart Square

Brownies

Date Squares

Welcome to my Kitchen where the most important ingredient is Love.