apple cinnamon streusel bars

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar, divided
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups chopped apples (about 2 medium apples, cored and peeled)
Powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease a baking pan (13 x 9in preferably) with nonstick cooking spray. Melt the butter on a pan on the stove.
2) Place graham crackers in a plastic baggie and smash or roll them with a rolling pin to get the crumbs. Combine the crumbs, flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar (pack it tight!), granulated sugar, cinnamon and melted butter in a large bowl until well blended. SAVE 1 CUP OF THE MIXTURE FOR LATER.
3) Press the rest of the mixture into the bottom of your prepared baking pan. Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes, then remove from oven and set aside to cool. (This is your crust; don’t overbake it, even if you think it might need to cook longer. It’ll go back in the oven later and might burn if you cook it too long the first time!)
4) Toss the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar (pack it tight!) with the apples in another bowl until the sugar is dissolved and the apples are a pretty brownish color. Arrange this apple mixture over your crust evenly.
5) Sprinkle the 1 cup of the original mixture you saved from step 2 over the apple filling. It should completely cover the apples and crust.
6) Bake 30 to 35 minutes (less time for a darker pan) or until apples are tender. Remove pan and let cool completely. Drizzle with glaze (recipe below) and cut into squares.

Glaze:
Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk in a small bowl until well blended. **TIP: for thicker glaze, keep adding more powdered sugar by the teaspoon until it’s at the consistency you like.**

Glaze tip: And easy way to drizzle the glaze over your bars is to put the finished glaze in a ziplock baggie and cut the very tip of one corner out. You can then squeeze the other side and have more control over the glaze.

Hint for beginners: Spreading the crust might be a little difficult without crumbling it. Try using a rolling pin with just a little bit of flour on it and a spatula to get it even. Since the ingredients in the dish are brown, it might be hard to tell if you’re overcooking it or not. Check on your pan often, and remember that the crust doesn’t need to cook for very long!

Comments/questions? Leave me your thoughts!
~Sugar~

banana pancakes (2 servings)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1/2 a banana)
3 tablespoons Egg Beaters egg substitute
1 tablespoons light vanilla soymilk
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 packet sweetener (or a spoonful of sugar)
dash salt
dash cinnamon

*regular flour and regular milk work just as well. This recipe was substituted with healthy ingredients and is under 200 calories per serving!*

Directions:
1) In a medium sized bowl, mash up your banana as best as you can. It works best with a potato masher, but if you don’t have that, use a fork.
2) Combine the soymilk, egg beaters and vanilla with your banana. Mix well.
3) In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sweetener)
4) Combine the two bowls. Mix until you have a nice batter and everything is dissolved.
5) Spray a skillet or pan with nonstick spray and put it on medium heat. Pour your batter in the pan.
6) After a few seconds, test the edges of the pancake with a spatula. If you can lift the side, flip the pancake and cook the other side. (Note: Since the banana is in the batter, it might not smell so appetizing while you’re cooking it)
7) Add your favorite toppings and you’re done!

This recipe will make about 2 regular-sized pancakes or 5 mini ones. (The picture shown above is two servings)

Hint for beginners: Pancakes tend to cook fast, so you have to be quick if you don’t want to burn it. Don’t worry if your first time doesn’t turn out just right; keep practicing until you get the technique down.

Want to see a recipe? Have a question or comment? Leave me your thoughts! Until next time!
~Sugar~

Here I will post recipes I have made, with tips and hints that a normal cookbook recipe wouldn’t have. And of course, with every recipe will be a picture so you generally know what it should look like when it’s done! The pictures are taken with an average point-and-shoot (nothing special), and unlike pictures you sometimes see in cookbooks, it’ll be a better depiction of the finished product.

With my schedule being ridiculously crazy, I’ll try to post at least one recipe a week. New ones will be posted to the main page, then archived in the pages on the side (so bookmark me if you see something in particular you like!).

Thanks for visiting! If you have any suggestions or would like to request a recipe for me to try out and post to the blog, let me know!
~Sugar~