Category: Try This At Home

It’s berry season in New Hampshire, which means it’s time to get some fruit and start baking! Growing up with wild blueberries in my backyard, this fruit was always part of my summer. Blueberry muffins, pancakes and crisps were made regularly this time of year.

You might notice that I didn’t mention blueberry pies. There may have been one or two, but I am not a fan of pie. Call me odd, but I find pie crust to be boring. I would much rather enjoy my blueberries in a different format.

After years of making blueberry crisp, I decided to see if I could transform that recipe from a “serve it in a bowl” dessert to something that might need only a plate or napkin. Thus, I have this recipe for blueberry crisp bars.

These bars have that same sweet and crumbly topping of oats and brown sugar for the base as well. That means you’re getting two layers of oat-y goodness filled with sweet and jammy blueberries.

Two important notes on the ingredients for this recipe. The blueberries need to be fresh. If you use frozen, there will be extra liquid, which will make the bars soggy. Although the blueberries need to be fresh, the lemon juice can come out of the bottle. You need a little tartness but not a ton of flavor, so you can skip buying and juicing lemons.

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Blueberry crisp bars
Makes 16

2½ cups fresh blueberries
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
½ Tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
10 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
1¼ cups old-fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper, and coat with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Place the blueberries in a medium bowl.
Sprinkle the sugar and cornstarch over the blueberries; toss to coat.
Add lemon juice and stir to combine; set aside.
Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture.
Use a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers, and cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles small peas.
Add oatmeal to the flour mixture, and stir well to combine.
Press approximately 1¾ cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
Spread the blueberry mixture on top of the crust.
Sprinkle remaining crust mixture evenly on top of the blueberries and press lightly.
Bake for 45 minutes uncovered.
Cover with foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until a knife in the center shows only blueberry juice and no raw dough.
Remove from the oven and cool on a baking rack..

Photo: Blueberry crisp bars. Courtesy photo.

Coleslaw is a regular item on summer cookout menus. Typically it’s mainly a combination of cabbage and some sort of mayonnaise-based dressing. I went to introduce you to a fun yet simple spin on regular slaw.

This slaw starts with a base of coleslaw mix. Sure, you could buy a head of cabbage and slice it yourself, but the mix will save some prep time. Plus, you’ll most likely get a mix of red and green cabbage, as well as some shredded carrots, for zero effort. That’s a double win.

Then that cole slaw is combined with a sweet and tangy vinegar-based dressing. For additional flavor and texture, dried cranberries, slivered almonds and crushed up ramen noodles are added.

You may wonder about the ramen noodles. Trust me. They add a fun component to this dish.

Because the ramen noodles are thin, just a few minutes in the dressing transforms them into a tender yet crunchy state. In fact, I’d highly recommend adding the ramen just before serving. The texture of the ramen is a key part of the salad.

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Healthy ramen slaw
Serves 4

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 14-ounce package coleslaw mix
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 3-ounce package ramen, vegetarian or chicken flavor recommended

Combine water and sugar in a small microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup.
Microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir well. Repeat in additional 10-second increments until sugar is fully dissolved.
Allow sweetened water to cool slightly.
Add vinegar, olive oil and ramen flavoring packet to sweetened water.
Mix dressing ingredients well, then refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow sauce to cool.
Combine cole slaw mix, almonds and cranberries in a large bowl.
Pour sauce over salad mixture, toss well.
Break ramen into smaller pieces, and add to the coleslaw mixture; mix well.
Serve salad.

Notes
Leftover salad can be refrigerated in a sealed container. However, the ramen noodles will become softer, and the salad will lose a bit of its toothsome texture.

Photo: Healthy ramen slaw. Courtesy photo.

For many, the highlight of a hike is when snacks are distributed. A mix of nuts, dried fruit and chocolate is probably one of the most common snacks people bring to enjoy while hiking a long trail or when they reach the peak of a mountain.

Of course, you don’t have to hike to eat trail mix, nor do you have to use those particular ingredients for trail mix.

Let me introduce you to trail mix bar cookies. Filled with dried cranberries, pecans and white chocolate chips, they offer a fine mix of sweet, tart and crunchy. Plus, all of those sensations are delivered in a moist and sturdy bar cookie.

Although I am a fan of almost all varieties of cookies, I love the simplicity of a bar cookie. All the dough goes into one pan for one round of baking. Not that it’s difficult to bake two or three batches of cookies, but these cookies reward a little bit of laziness.

Even better than the easy baking is the fact that these treats are great for whatever cookout or barbecue you will be attending or hosting. Once they’re cooled, just cover the pan with some plastic wrap and you’re ready to go.

We’re in the midst of summer. You probably have gatherings to attend. The next time you’re asked to bring a dessert, give these bar cookies a try.

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Trail mix bar cookies
Makes 24

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on speed 2 for 4 minutes.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate each.
Add vanilla, and mix.
Add baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour, and mix until incorporated.
Add oatmeal, stirring until combined.
Add white chocolate chips, dried cranberries and pecans, stirring until incorporated.
Grease the sides and bottoms of a 13×9 pan with butter.
Transfer batter to pan, using the back of a spoon or spatula to spread it evenly in the pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Cool in the baking pan on a wire baking rack before serving.

Photo: Trail Mix Bar cookies. Courtesy photo.

Just under a year ago I shared a recipe for double strawberry pavlovas. Today’s recipe is its more simplistic sibling. Sometimes I want a pavlova that is bursting with strawberry flavor, and other times I want a pavlova as plain as can be.
When I was first working on this recipe, everything seemed to shout, “Since they’re vanilla, you’ll need to top them with berries.” So I made my first batch of pavlovas, macerated some berries, and served them together. The result was quite delectable.
Looking at the leftover pavlovas, I decided to eat one just as it was. I fell in love. Sure, it was just a simple vanilla pavlova, but there’s a lot of deliciousness in that. There are the great pavlova textures — crispy and chewy — plus all of the sweetness.
Make these pavlovas whichever way you prefer. You can’t go wrong no matter what you decide.
Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Pavlovas with (or without) berries
Makes 8

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 large egg whites, room temperature
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup blueberries
1 cup diced strawberries
1 Tablespoon sugar

Heat the oven to 250 degrees.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Blend sugar on high in a food processor for 15 seconds.
Measure sugar again. (You need 1 cup)
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the processed sugar.
Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk on medium-high speed until foamy peaks form, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Gradually add plain, processed sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, to the egg whites, whisking until incorporated, about 1-2 minutes.
Add cornstarch and sugar mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until whites are stiff and glossy, about 1-2 minutes.
Add vinegar and vanilla; whisk for 1 minute.
Using a spatula, spoon meringue into 8 mounds on the prepared baking sheet.
Using a butter knife, spread each into 3-1/2″ disks.
After that, using the back of a spoon, make an indent in the center of each.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Turn off the oven, and prop the door open, placing a wooden spoon in the opening.
Let pavlovas cool in the oven for an hour.
Meanwhile, combine blueberries and strawberries in a small bowl; sprinkle with sugar.
Stir well; allow to sit for at least an hour
Transfer the pavlovas from the baking tray to a cooling rack.
To serve, top with berries, if desired.

Photo: Pavlovas with (or without) berries. Courtesy photo.