Macaroon Madness Bars

After yesterday's "healthy" post, I have to catch up by posting something extra un-healthy today! Just kidding! I'm trying to post one healthy recipe per week going forward as I've had a number of requests from my readers for healthy recipes including - low fat, low sugar, diabetic friendly, gluten free and dairy free! I'm going to do my best to try to post a variety of these recipes over the next year. If there is anything you'd like to see me make, or you have a healthy recipe you'd like me to feature, by all means, please leave me a comment or send me an email.  I would love to hear from you!

I found this recipe on Jen's blog Food & Whine. She has a great online recipe box full of amazing recipes - so if you haven't already, do check her out. She doesn't post every day but whenever she does post I'm always excited to see what new recipe she is sharing because they're always good!! I made these macaroon madness bars and they're so delicious I just have to share them with you. If you love coconut, you'll fall hard for these little beauties. Jen notes that you should leave them overnight in the fridge before slicing them and she's right. I let them soften a bit to room temperature prior to slicing and they were a little messy to slice.

Macaroon Madness Bars
Recipe minimally adapted from Food & Whine

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup salted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 can sweetened, condensed milk (14 oz)
• 2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
• 2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
• caramel syrup (I used store bought, but you can find a good recipe on Jen's post)
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. For the base, line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Leave an overhang of parchment on each end to lift out of the pan easily after baking. Combine butter, flour, cornstarch, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Mix until mixture is well combined and crumbly. Press into bottom of prepared pan (use the bottom of a glass to really pack in the crust). Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. For the filling, over low heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, vanilla and sweetened condensed milk. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in eggs. Fold in coconut and oatmeal until well combined. Pour over crust in prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown (center will still be a bit jiggly). If the center is too wobbly, cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Cool completely. Cover, refrigerate overnight.
4. Drizzle bars with caramel syrup. Place back in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Then melt the white chocolate and drizzle over the bars. Refrigerate another 10-15 minutes. Finally, melt the chocolate and drizzle over the bars. Refrigerate another 10-15 minutes or until chocolate is firm. Remove from pan and slice into squares or triangles. Keep left over bars in the fridge, or freeze for later use.

Hope you enjoy these bars! I know we sure did. I've actually saved some of the leftovers in the freezer (and by freezer, I mean my patio - its -8 again today, so no need to take up valuable freezer space when I have a big one outdoors!!) for a girls get together I'm having at my place on Sunday. Oh its going to be a good time - we're going to get a valentines card making tutorial from one of the ladies and what kind of girls get together would be complete without a friendly chocolate tasting competition?! I'll let you know how it goes and obviously give you the DL on what kind of food I make next week.

This post has been linked up with Whatcha Baking Wednesdays over at Cajun Sugar Pie. Head on over to check out what other delicious desserts have been whipped up this week by fellow food bloggers.

This post has been linked up with Jane Deere's Fusion Fridays! Please stop by the Fusion Friday's link party to check out what everyone else was cooking up this week.

Happy baking my friends!

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Alright, let me just start this post off with a little disclaimer: This is another Bobby Flay Throwdown recipe, so that means it requires a lot of ingredients, lots of time, and a whole lot of effort. This is another all-out recipe... but the time it takes to make all the components from scratch is well worth it! This cheesecake is so light and fluffy and decadently rich. A little bit goes a long way and this cheesecake will feed a lot of people. So if you're up for a culinary challenge, get on board with this recipe and make a plan to make it for your next dinner party. I made it for our Superbowl party in February and it was well received by all our guests. :)

Be sure to read the entire recipe before starting out and plan out your timeline accordingly. I say this because I didn't do that and it ended up with me almost pulling an all-nighter to finish this cheesecake before our Superbowl party the next day!!!

This recipe is from one of my most recent cookbook additions - Bobby Flay's Throwdown. There are three components to this recipe including the cheesecake, the apples and the apple-caramel sauce. Make them in the order specified below for best results.

Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• cooking spray


• 8 whole graham crackers


• 1 cup lightly toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped


• 2 tbsp light brown sugar


• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted


• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar


• 1 tbsp grated orange zest


• 3 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature


• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbp finely packed light muscovado sugar (brown sugar works too)


• 4 large eggs, at room temperature


• 1 large vanilla bean, seeds scraped out, seeds and pods reserved


• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract


• 1/2 tsp fine salt


• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Method:

1. To make the cheesecake, preheat the oven to 350F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.


2. Combine the graham crackers, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, and the brown sugar in a food processor and process until finely ground. With the motor running, add the butter through the feed tube and process until themixture just comes together. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, place it on a baking sheet, and bake in the oven until light golden brown and just set, about 8 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.


3. Combine 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar and the orange zest in a food processor and process until combined.


4. Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the orange sugar, remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp of granualted sugar, and the muscovado sugar, and beat until sugar is incorporated and the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix until just incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the vanilla seeds (save the pod for the apples), vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined. Add the heavy cream and mix until just combined.


5. Scrape the mixture into the cooled crust. Set the springform pan on a large piece of heavy duty aluminum foil, and fold the foil up the sides to surround it. Set the pan in a large roasting pan. Pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until it reaches about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the edges of the cake are slightly puffed and set and the center still jiggles, about 55 minutes.


6. Turn off the heat, prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon, and leave the cheesecake in the water bath in the oven for 1 hour.


7. Remove the springform pan from the water bath, place it on a wire rack, and cool to room temperature, 2 hours. Then cover the pan and refrigerate until the cheesecake is chilled through, at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Apples

Ingredients:

• 2 cups apple juice


• 1/4 cup granulated sugar


• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, cold


• 3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced


• 3 fuji apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced


• 1/4 cup calvados or other apple brandy


• 1/2 cup creme fraiche

Method:

1. Bring the apple juice, sugar and the reserved vanilla bean pod to a boil in a large saute pan over high heat. Cook until slightly thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup, 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod and discard.


2. Stir in the butter until melted. Add the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly carmelized and soft, 8-10 minutes. Add the calvados and simmer until reduced by half. Transfer the apples to a plate and let cool slightly.


3. To serve, remove the foil and sides from the springform pan. Spread the creme fraiche over the cheesecake. Top with the warm apple topping, drizzle liberally with the caramel sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Serve additional caramel sauce on the side.

Apple-Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar


• 3/4 cup heavy cream, hot


• pinch of fine salt


• 3 tbsp calvados or other apple brandy


• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method:

1. Combine the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, swirling the pot occasionally to even out the colour, until amber, 10-12 minutes.


2. Slowly add the heavy cream and salt to the caramel. Whisk until smooth. Remove from teh heat, and stir in te calvados and vanilla extract. Serve warm.

If you decide to try out this recipe, I would recommend halfing the recipe for the apples and the apple-caramel sauce. Otherwise you'll be stuck with lots of leftover apples and caramel sauce and no more cheesecake to eat them with!! I loved this recipe, the quality of the cheesecake was absolutely spectacular and the addition of the creme fraiche on top of the cheesecake really helped to counter the sweetness of the cheesecake and the caramel sauce. I hope you get a chance to try out this recipe and that you enjoy it as much as we did. Happy Baking my Friends!