Mother’s Day Peppered Eggs Benedict

Mother’s Day is a time for pampering Mom — and what better way to pamper her than to make a meal with her favorite recipe?

My neighbors have the most perfect tradition that I just couldn’t resist sharing with you. If you remember, each month I write a Resident Recipe column for our neighborhood magazine. This month, I featured this wonderful family and their Peppered Eggs Benedict recipe for Mother’s Day. Keep reading for an excerpt of the article below:

While my neighbor Tracy loves to cook for her family, Mother’s Day is the special day where her family cooks for her!

Husband Chris and children Grace, Abbie, and Christopher make quite a team in the kitchen as they prepare eggs benedict for Mom. But this isn’t your typical eggs benedict…

Crispy-edged fried eggs replace the old poached standby as Chris uses good extra-virgin olive oil – just the way his mother taught him! Canadian bacon is replaced by using thick-cut peppered bacon, and freshly chopped tarragon is an addition of a uniquely flavored herb that makes this eggs benedict have a distinct finish!

“No words can describe the perfection of Dad’s eggs benedict,” say the girls. But actions speak louder than words, especially with plates that are perfectly polished clean, ready for round two, and accompanied by four big grins that say, “I love you too!”

“Eggs Benedict is one of those dishes that is simply always a favorite,” says Tracy. “With this recipe you make a little mess, or should I say a BIG mess, but it’s all worth it when you make the first cut into that runny egg yolk. Delish!” Here’s to wishing everyone a Happy Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day Peppered Eggs Benedict

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 lb. thick cut peppered bacon (shop at Central Market or use Boars Head)
½ cup sour cream
½ cup good mayonnaise (Helman’s)
1 tsp. yellow mustard
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Pinch of garlic salt
Dash of tarragon vinegar (optional) and/or 1 tsp. freshly chopped tarragon
6 eggs
3 English Muffins (halved)
3 Tbsp. butter
Sea salt/Pepper
Good extra virgin olive oil
Chopped chives

Instructions

TO MAKE THE BACON: Prepare bacon to desired consistency using a cast iron skillet. Place prepared bacon on paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
TO MAKE THE HOLLANDAISE SAUCE: Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, lemon juice, garlic salt, and tarragon/tarragon vinegar in a small saucepan on medium-low heat. Make sure not to heat too high because the sauce can separate. Once warmed, turn off heat.
TO MAKE THE EGGS: Heat a small frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom by rolling it around. Be prepared to make a mess! (at least that’s what Chris does). Fry two eggs at a time side-by-side and generously give them a sprinkling dose of fresh ground sea salt and pepper. The eggs will get nice and crispy on the edges and the center will stay wiggly. If it is too soft for you in the middle, throw a lid on the pan for half a minute or so.
Meanwhile, toast the English muffins and have them ready for the freshly fried eggs. Assemble the English muffins with a spread of butter and layered peppered bacon. Gently slide the egg on top (try not to let the yolk break). Gently spoon the hollandaise sauce on top and sprinkle with the chopped chives or tarragon.

Tiramisu Trifle

Kudos to my amazingly talented neighbor, Carmen, who made this wonderful tiramisu trifle for me and my family.

Two weeks ago, I interviewed Carmen as part of the resident recipe article I write for our monthly neighborhood magazine. I was so impressed with her delicious creation, that I had to share it with you sooner than later!

Carmen’s family loves tiramisu but she has never been a real fan. After experimenting with a lot of recipes, she finally came up with one that all of her family liked!

She started to make it the traditional way with lady fingers, but found they are really hard to find in a regular grocery store. One day, when Carmen couldn’t find lady fingers, she had some homemade biscotti and decided to try using them instead of the lady fingers. That inspired her to make many other “twitches” in the recipe! It instantly became a crowd favorite!!

This tiramisu is the ultimate, most decadent and delicious dessert. It’s perfect for a crowd, and while it takes a little patience to make, it’s definitely worth it. I give Carmen’s Tiramisu Trifle two thumbs up… I’d give it more if I had more thumbs!!

Enjoy!!!

Carmen’s Tiramisu Trifle

Serves: 12+

Ingredients

MASCARPONE CUSTARD
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 large egg yolks
4 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese
2 cups chilled whipping cream
2 tsp. almond extract
DIPPED BISCOTTI
1 shot of expresso
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. sugar
30-40 almond homemade or store bought biscotti
FOR LAYERING
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, finely ground in processor
CHOCOLATE LEAVES
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
about 40 leaves of assorted sizes

Instructions

FOR THE MASCARPONE CUSTARD: Whisk sugar, water, vanilla extract and egg yolks in a metal bowl. Set bowl “a bain marie” – over simmering water. Whisk until mixture thickens for about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk mascarpone, 1 container at a time, into warm custard until blended.
Beat whipping cream with almond extract until cream forms soft peaks. Fold in mascarpone custard.
FOR DIPPED BISCOTTI: Mix warm water, expresso and coffee liqueur. Dip biscotti in coffee mixture to coat on both sides.
FOR CHOCOLATE LEAVES: Wipe and dry leaves. Melt chocolate in microwave 30 seconds at a time, mixing after each 30 seconds, until chocolate is completely melted.
Brush chocolate over the bottom side of the leaves until coated.
Place leaves on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Chill until firm.
Carefully peel chocolate from leaves.
TO ASSEMBLE: Cover bottom of trifle dish with dipped biscotti. Spread about 2 cups of the mascarpone custard to cover biscotti. Sprinkle with ground chocolate chips. Repeat layers until you reach top of dish. Cover and chill for a couple of hours or until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, decorate with chocolate leaves.

Pinto Beans

Who doesn’t love a big ‘ole pot of beans? Before I met Matt, I’d say I could care less about homemade beans… I was perfectly happy with the canned ones. However, after making these, I’ll definitely cook them again.

Even though I’m from the south, we didn’t grow up eating beans. Don’t get me wrong, I like beans, but I never liked them enough to make them from scratch; we would just heat up a can of them on the stove. Dad doesn’t like beans. At Mexican restaurants he orders double rice instead of pinto beans.

Matt and his parents Tony and Paula have exposed me to some good ‘ole southern comfort food that apparently I’ve been missing out on.

In Matt’s family, pinto beans are a household staple! Every time I go over, there’s a pot of homemade beans in the crock pot. Paula, as you may know, is a country cook. She never follows recipes, so when I asked her how she made her pinto beans, she told me at least three different things (or so it seemed!)

Anyways, I made Paula’s recipe using a crock pot and somehow I ruined them. Oops!!! The beans were way too tough. They never got tender and they were a weird color. I don’t know how you mess up beans, but I did. 🙂

So when I found Ree Drummond’s recipe for pinto beans using a dutch oven and the stove, I thought I’d give them another shot!

Fortunately the beans turned out wonderfully. Matt loved them, I loved them, and I also loved how the beans were ready in 2 hours as opposed to 8-10 hours in a crock pot plus soaking them overnight.

Paula, watch out! These beans may give yours a run for their money!!! (Well, maybe not, according to Matt; but they are a super close second!)

Bring to a boil and then simmer and cover for 2 hours.

To help thicken beans, remove a small cup’s worth of beans. Mash them with a fork and return to the pot and continue to simmer.

Once beans are tender and broth has thickened, add salt and pepper.

Pinto Beans

Cook time: 2 hours

Total time: 2 hours

Serves: 4

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients

2 cups pinto beans
3 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 tsp. salt or to taste
1 tsp. ground black pepper
water

Instructions

Rinse beans in cool water; pour into a pot, cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover.
Simmer 2 hours, or until beans are tender. Add water to pot as needed. Beans should have a thick broth. Cook longer if needed. (I like to take a few beans out, mash them up, and return them to the pot to thicken.)
Toward end of cooking time, add salt and pepper and season to taste.

Notes

Serve over white rice or cornbread. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, chopped onions, fresh jalapenos, sour cream, and/or cilantro, if desired.

Baked Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

Anyone love blueberries at much as I do? If so, here’s a new baked oatmeal recipe that you must try!

My sister first made it for my mom when they visited each other about a month ago in Michigan. My sister is a major health nut and left out the brown sugar. I don’t recommend that, but supposedly it was still good according to my mom.

When my mom returned home to Texas, she decided to try the baked blueberry coconut oatmeal again… this time with brown sugar, and guess what? She was hooked!

For the past month, my mom has been making a batch of this oatmeal every week for her breakfast. She’s sent me picture after picture via email showing me how good it was!

So, being good daughter that I am, I finally made the oatmeal for myself to try. Guess what? I LOVE it just as much as she does!

Talk about easy. Simply combine the oats, coconut, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl.

Then whisk together the milk, egg, coconut oil and vanilla.

Next, sprinkle two-thirds of the blueberries on the bottom of the pan.

Pour your oat mixture evenly over blueberries.

Then pour the milk mixture over oats. Gently shake the baking dish to make sure milk covers oat mixture.

Sprinkle remaining blueberries on top. (For a quicker prep time, you can mix your wet and dry ingredients plus your blueberries all together in a large bowl. Then pour the contents of the bowl into the prepared baking dish.)

Finally, place the baking dish in 350 degree F oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes and then dig in!

It’s healthy and pretty! If you’ve never tried the coconut and blueberry combination, put it on your things to-do-list because the flavors are outstanding!

Spoon into individual bowls and eat by itself, add a splash or milk or cream, or if you’re like me, add a touch of vanilla yogurt!

Looking for other blueberry recipes? Here’s a few of my favorites:

Banana Blueberry Bread

Blueberry Muffins with Doughnut Topping

Cornmeal Blueberry Cookies

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal (sans the coconut)

Peach and Blueberry Crumbles

Baked Blueberry Coconut Oatmeal

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 6

Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups skim milk
1 large egg
3 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pint fresh blueberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×8-inch square baking dish and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, brown sugar ,baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, coconut oil and vanilla. The coconut oil might get a little lumpy/congealed, but that’s okay. It will melt when baking.
Arrange two-thirds of the blueberries on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Pour the oat mixture evenly over the berries. Pour the milk mixture over the oats. Gently shake the baking dish to make sure the milk covers the oats evenly. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries on top of the oats.
Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is golden and oatmeal is set. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve warm.

Notes

*Note: Alternatively, when preparing this dish, you can combine the dry mixture with the wet mixture along with the blueberries. Then take that entire mixture and pour it into the prepared baking dish all at once.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

No, I’m not vegan. However, I LOVE cookie dough and found a healthier way to indulge in the oh so sweet cookie dough cravings I get.

This recipe, adapted from Averie at Averie Cooks, is vegan, packed with protein, healthy fats and hearty whole grains.

These cookie dough balls kind of remind me of my favorite healthy energy bar: Lärabars. The taste is very similar due in part to the nutty cashews.

The chocolate chips add a touch of sweetness and could be substituted with white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, raisins, craisins, or a mix… totally up to you!

Enjoy one or two or even four for a quick pick-me-up snack!

Simply blend the oats and cashews together in a blender.

Add the vanilla and maple syrup. Blend again.

Fold in chocolate chips. If your dough gets too sticky (like mine), place the dough in the refrigerater for at least 30 minutes. That should to the trick…your dough will firm up and will be much easier to shape into balls.

Roll into small, 1-inch balls and dig in!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

Serves: 1 dozen

Blend cashews and oats together in blender. Add the honey, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Blend again. Ad chocolate chips by hand. Transfer dough to a plate or clean working surface. If your dough is too sticky, gummy or runny, refrigerate for a half an hour, then you should be good. Roll into 1-inch balls. Yield: a dozen cookie dough balls

Ingredients

2/3 cup raw cashews
1/3 cup oats
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Blend cashews and oats together in blender.
Add the honey, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Blend again.
Ad chocolate chips by hand.
Transfer dough to a plate or clean working surface. If your dough is too sticky, gummy or runny, refrigerate for a half an hour, then you should be good.
Roll into 1-inch balls.

Notes

Adapted from Averie Cooks

“Old Aggie” Baked Beans

You haven’t experienced Texas if you haven’t eaten Texas BBQ and/or baked beans! While I’m from Texas, my side of the family is not very “southern”… at least compared to my in-laws.

My husband Matt and his side of the family are about as southern as you can get! They are “country” as I like to call it. As true east Texans, you can bet your money that they’ve got some good ole country recipes up their sleeves.

While my mother-in-law Paula is the main cook in the family, her husband Tony (aka, the “old Aggie”) has got a knack for baking beans; they are his speciality!

Every family get-together at the lake house, grandparents house, etc. and we’ll have baked beans! They are great with just about anything from BBQ to grilled chicken to hamburgers.

We were at the lake a few weekends ago for Easter, and I was finally able to get Tony’s recipe. The great thing about this recipe is that you can prepare the beans in the morning or a day in advance of when you want to bake them. As the beans sit, the flavors seems to blend together better and yield a more complex taste.

Anyone else ready for warmer weather? Like I said, baked beans and the being at the lake go hand-in-hand!

Okay, here’s the recipe. It’s super easy!

Combine the beans, crumbled bacon, onions, Worcestershire, mustard and brown sugar. At this point you can cover and refrigerate until ready to bake OR place in a 350 degree F oven. (It’s best to let them sit a while before baking).

Bake the beans, covered with aluminum foil, for 45 minutes or until bubbly.

Enjoy! If you’ve got a crowd, this recipe can be easily doubled. 🙂

P.S. Did I mention Tony’s an Aggie? Haha, being a fighin’ Texas Aggie is a pretty big deal…There are 13 (and counting) Aggies in our family! Whoop!!!

“Old Aggie” Baked Beans

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
10 slices of bacon, cooked crispy
4 (28-ounce) cans pork & beans
6-8 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp. mustard

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Place beans in a large casserole dish.
Fry bacon and onions in bacon grease. Break bacon into small chunks and add to beans.
Add cooked onions, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce to beans. Mix well.
Place in a pre-heated oven and cook, covered with aluminum foil for 45 minutes.

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Before I get to this spaghetti squash, its time to announce the winner of the Truvia Baking Blend giveaway!

And the winner is… #7, which is Amanda T. Congratulations Amanda; your baking blend should be on its way shortly.

Okay, now that the winner has been announced, time for a how-to on spaghetti squash! If you’ve never heard, there is a vegetable called a spaghetti squash that is a great alternative to spaghetti (pasta), so I’ve heard.

So after hearing all these rave reviews, I thought I’d give it a try and serve it alongside my favorite marinara sauce for low-carb spaghetti dinner.

For those that don’t know, spaghetti squash is an oblong seed-bearing variety of winter squash (according to Wikipedia). When raw, the flesh is solid and similar to other raw squash, but when cooked, the flesh falls away from the fruit in ribbons or strands, like spaghetti!

Overall, I thought it was very good. I’m pretty sure had Matt eaten it, it would have requested real spaghetti (pasta) instead, but if you’re wanting to eat super healthy, save on calories and carbs, you ought to try this. Good luck!

Cut squash in half.

Scrape out seeds and pulp.

Place in baking sheet, cut side down. Add water.

Cover and bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

My squash was so big that I needed two pans!

After 45 minutes, remove foil, turn squash over, recover with foil and bake for another 25 minutes.

Let cool, then gently stands of squash away from the peel.

Serve with your favorite marinara pasta sauce (I like Newman’s Own Marinara).

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 Spaghetti Squash

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and pulp. Place squash cut side down, in a baking dish. Add enough water to come 1/2-inch up the sides of the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 45 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a pairing knife. Turn squash over and cover with foil again and continue to cook for another 25 minutes.
Remove from over, uncover and allow to cool slightly. Using a fork, gently pull the strands of the squash away from the peel and place squash strands into a mixing bowl.

Lisa’s Oatmeal Bars

As mentioned, I write a Resident Recipe column for our monthly neighborhood magazine. This month’s article features Lisa, a personal trainer who made these wonderful oatmeal bars – a healthy version of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. An excerpt from the article is below:

As a personal trainer and class instructor at the Frisco Athletic Center, Lisa understands the importance of eating healthy.

While living in Fort Lauderdale and working for a cooking show at the time, Lisa was determined to find a healthier alternative to chocolate chip oatmeal cookies that her kids could enjoy. After experimenting on her own, she perfected this recipe for oatmeal bars. Unlike a traditional cookie, these bars contain neither butter not eggs. Instead, they are loaded with whole grain oats and skim milk. Lisa’s cookie alternative is a tasty and good-for-you recipe that you don’t have to feel guilty about eating.

Fortunately for my husband and me, we were able to try some of Lisa’s oatmeal bars and absolutely LOVED them! Lisa used to sell her bars when she lived in Florida and I can see why people would buy them … they are delicious! Enjoy.

Lisa’s Oatmeal Bars

Serves: 20-24 bars

Ingredients

4 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix dry ingredients together. Add liquid to dry ingredients with wooden spoon.
Spread mixture into a 9×13-inch greased baking pan. Bake for about 24 minutes.

Notes

*Substitutions for chocolate chips: Golden raisins Dried cranberries and white chocolate chips Butterscotch chips

Easter M&M Cookies

Springtime is officially here, and while it doesn’t quite feel like spring (it’s actually been pretty chilly here in Dallas), Easter is already upon us!

If you’re feeling festive, here’s a great recipe adapted from my friend Averie over at Averie Cooks for soft and chewy M&M cookies. This recipe is so tasty, you could probably use it as a chocolate chip cookie recipe and substitute M&Ms for chocolate chips or chunks or even white chocolate and cranberries.

I’ve actually never had a cookie with just M&Ms. I’ve had monster cookies but those include oats, M&Ms, chocolate and peanut butter.

Funny story. As a little elementary school kid, I did not like M&Ms. My mom would pack me a ham & mayo sandwich, chips, fruit, and a dessert. I loved it when she included Rice Krispies treats, Kudos granola bars, or money to me buy the Blue Bell ice cream sandwiches at school. However when she included that brown package of milk chocolate M&Ms I was a little disappointed. Not sure why I didn’t like them, but I didn’t.

Years later, I’ve come to love all the M&M varieties and my all-time favorite are the pretzel M&Ms. If you haven’t tried them, go to the store right now! (You could even use them in this cookie recipe). I would have used them, but I wanted to use the pretty pastel milk chocolate M&Ms in honor of Easter.

Enjoy and Happy Easter weekend!

Beat butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla in a stand mixer. Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt and beat some more.

Add the M&Ms and gently fold (or do so by hand).

Now for the hard part: Shape into 2-inch balls and place them in the refrigerator for 2 hours or up to 5 days. Trust me on this… if you let the cookies set up in the fridge they will not only taste better, but they won’t spread as much.

Place on silpat-lined baking sheet or parchment paper and bake for 8-10 mintues at 350 degrees F.

Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking pan.

Serve with a tall glass of milk and more M&Ms!!

Easter M&M Cookies

Serves: 22 medium-sized cookies

Easter M&M Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate M&Ms (Easter colors)

Instructions

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and mix until just combined, about 1 minute. Add M&Ms and fold in by hand.
Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form heaping mounds. Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly with your palm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, line a baking sheet with a silpat non-stick baking mat, parchement or spray with cooking spray. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 10 minutes as cookies will firm up as they cool.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Notes

Source: Adapted from Averie Cooks

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars and a GIVEAWAY

Has anyone ever tried Truvia natural sweetener or baking blend before? Well, now is your chance! (SPOILER ALERT: Scroll down to the bottom of this post for details on the GIVEAWAY!!)

If you haven’t heard, Truvia sweetener is a zero calorie sweetener made from the stevia plant. Their newest product, Truvia Baking Blend is a mix of Truvia sweetener and sugar, and is specifically used in baking and has 75% less calories per serving than sugar.

Since many of my readers are from Dallas, Truvia reached out to me so that I could help them spread the word about their “Turning the Town Truvia” campaign that is coming to Dallas, TX this week!

From now until May, you can nominate your favorite food establishment via Truvia’s Facebook Page for a chance to win $5,000! Because of your nomination, Truvia sweetener may end up on the tables of your favorite cafes and restaurants.

Plus, beginning THIS WEEK, Society Bakery (on March 26 and April 23) and Tu-Lu’s Gluten Free Bakery (on March 27 and April 26) will be offering customers special reduced-calorie, reduced-sugar versions of their favorite desserts. As Dallasites, you’ll be able to buy guilt-reduced Chocolate Crostatas from Society Bakery or a gluten-free Lemon Pies from Tu-Lu’s, both of which are made from Truvia Baking Blend.

With that said, if you live too far from Dallas to check out these two bakeries or you just don’t have time, I’ve included the recipe for lightened-up raspberry oatmeal bars using Truvia Baking Blend.

For these bars, you’ll want to have a bag of Truvia Baking Blend on hand… that is if you want a healthier bar with only 4 grams of sugar. 🙂

Measure out 4 cups of freshly washed raspberries.

Put the berries in a blender with Truvia, corn starch and lemon juice. Blend until its uniform. (I wanted the berries all nice and pureed. You could probably mix the berries by hand, which would yield a thicker filling with chunks of raspberries.

Meanwhile, mix the oats, flour butter, cinnamon, Truvia, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl to form your crust and topping. Place 2/3 of the crust in the bottom of a greased baking pan. Pour raspberry filling on top.

Sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into bars and enjoy for breakfast, dessert or as a spring-time snack. Did I mention these bars have 35% fewer calories and 80% less sugar than the full-sugar version? Not a bad way to enjoy your dessert!

Ready for the GIVEAWAY??? Keep reading… its at the very bottom of this post… after the recipe part. 🙂

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars with Truvia Baking Blend

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

CRUST/TOPPING
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup Truvia Baking Blend
FILLING
4 cups raspberries
1/3 cup Truvia Baking Blend
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup corn starch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Place oats, flour, cinnamon, butter, salt, vanilla and Truvia Baking Blend in mixing bowl, mix at low speed for 1 minute.
Scrape sides of bowl, mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Portion 2/3 of oat mixture into greased 13″x9″ baking pan; set aside remaining 1/3 of mixture for topping.
Press oat mixture into bottom of pan to form crust.
For filling: Blend raspberries, Truvia Baking Blend, lemon juice, and corn starch until uniform. Spread over pressed oat mixture.
For topping, add remaining oatmeal mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 150 Fat: 6g Saturated fat: 3.5g Trans fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 22g Sugar: 4g Sodium: 40mg Fiber: 2g Protein: 3g Cholesterol: 15mg

Notes

Note: 1 cup sugar = 1/2 cup Truvia Baking Blend

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

For a chance to win a bag of Truvia Baking Blend, please leave a comment below telling me what recipe (banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, pudding, etc.) you would make with Truvia.

Want to increase your chances of winning? You can comment up to 4 separate times! GOOD LUCK!! The winner will be announced Monday, April 1, 2013.

LIKE Dallas Duo Bakes on Facebook, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.
FOLLOW Dallas Duo Bakes on Twitter, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.
FOLLOW Dallas Duo Bakes on Pinterest, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.

*This post and giveaway is sponsored by Truvia. All opinions are my own.