I love rhubarb, especially in the spring. Put it atop a creamy cheesecake with a nutty crust --- mmmm. Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars – heavenly. So good you won’t want to stop eating until it’s all gone. One pound of rhubarb makes 3 cups of sliced rhubarb. The redder the color of the rhubarb, the sweeter the taste. So I hear. To me, it’s all relative and all tart! In fact rhubarb is one of the few tart things I do like. By the way, it is not a fruit. It’s considered a vegetable and is also sometimes classified as an herb. And the big green leafy top is poisonous so be sure to trim and discard it if you are harvesting directly from the garden. Place stems in plastic bag and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Rhubarb will keep 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. To prepare, ... [Read More]
desserts
Cowboy Cookies
Bytes and some of his cousins met for a workday last week. Big guys and big jobs deserved big cookies. Cowboy cookies are big in size – four inches across on average. And they are big in flavor with three kinds of chips, pecans, coconut, butter, oatmeal and corn flakes. It’s like the cook used all the good stuff in the chuck wagon. Toasting the pecans is optional, but they do have a deeper flavor if you take the time to put them in a small skillet over medium heat until they become fragrant. Takes about 3-5 minutes and you can gather ingredients at the same time as long as you remember to give the skillet a shake or three. They’ll cool while you make the cookies. I thought I had peanut butter chips in the pantry, but when I was ready to bake, it turned out they were ... [Read More]
Loaded Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Meet the birthday Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with Chocolate Ganache! ‘Tis birthday season at our house. Bytes has a birthday at the end of March and Bytes Big Brother (the short one) has his birthday in the first half of April. They had the same due date, too – neither one was on time! Birthday celebrations are a little more challenging since they outgrew the pirate and Star Wars themes – although new Star Wars movies are still a big priority! Celebrations are an important part of life. But birthday cakes or themes don’t have to be the star of the day. The Loaded Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake with Chocolate Ganache is a perfect celebration in a pan. This recipe goes together just like a chocolate chip cookie. It has wonderful flavor – not too sweet – and a nice smooth ... [Read More]
The Ultimate No Bake Cheesecake
The Ultimate no Bake Cheesecake started out in January to be a St. Patrick’s Day post. Cheesecake with a St. Paddy twist. Sounds good, right? Wrong. Total. Fail. Forget St. Patrick’s Day – this was personal now! Never one to back away from a challenge, I stirred my way through many cheesecakes searching for THE recipe that tasted great, looked good and came out the same every. single.time. Strangely, my taste testers never complained. They just urged me to keep trying. But that team effort paid off. I created a wonderful baked cheesecake – coming soon. And then this no bake winner! The Ultimate No Bake Cheesecake! This is a soft cheesecake. Meaning, the cheesecake holds its shape well, but does not have the fork firmness especially associated with baked cheesecake. ... [Read More]
Pumpkin Spice Crunchy Dump Cake
Pumpkin Spice Crunch Cake is a dessert that gives pumpkin pie a run for the money. I think it is better than pie – by far! More texture, more flavor, better looking. However, everyone is entitled to their opinion and Wheels and Bytes certainly have theirs. They lean a little toward pie. But they are not known to turn down dessert of any kind, so asking them defeats the purpose. Try it for yourself and see what you think. Scrumptiousness! I like the spice crust and the spice strudel topping. Actually, they improve with time, especially the crust. That makes this the perfect bake ahead dessert. Keep it covered in the refrigerator for a day or two. Then bring it to room temperature before serving to bring out all the flavor. A good vanilla ice cream is the perfect ... [Read More]
Lemon Ooey Gooey Bars
With the tang of lemon, the rich creaminess of the filling atop a thick crust, finished with butter crumbles Lemon Ooey Gooey Bars is a baker’s reward! Since it makes 16 servings, it is a good dessert for a potluck or serving a large group. It always disappears quickly. It takes about 20 minutes to make this and another 35 to bake. Cooling is the hardest part. Restrain yourself for a couple of hours and you will be so happy you did. Just not burning your tongue is a good thing, but the real favor you’ve done yourself is the enjoyment of the flavors and textures on that unburned tongue. Store overnight in the refrigerator and the flavor deepens and is even better. It will keep up to three days in the fridge – assuming it doesn’t disappear before that. To go along with the ... [Read More]
