Huckleberry and Lemon Crumb Bars

Here's the recipe that not only won Eagle staffer Cheryl Hoefler 2nd place in the cookie bar contest at this year's Grant County Fair, but lip-smacking rave reviews around the BME office. The changes she made were adding wheatgerm and cinnamon, and substituting huckleberries (fresh from the slopes of Dixie Butte) for the blueberries. She also inadvertently used salted butter, but reported that no measure of mouth-watering taste seemed to be lost.

Huckleberry and Lemon Crumb Bars

Crust
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour unbleached

1/4 cup wheatgerm
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter cut in 1/4" slices
1 lg. egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. cold water (optional)

Filling
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour unbleached
1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg 

1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 cup huckleberries, rinsed and sorted

Topping
5 tbsp. soft butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour unbleached
Confectioner's sugar

Oven 400° F. Butter is unsalted unless otherwise stated. Lightly butter a 13- x 9-inch baking pan.

TO MAKE THE CRUST: Combine flour, wheatgerm, sugar, lemon zest and salt in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, add pads of cold butter, a few at a time. In a small cup, stir together the egg yolk and vanilla. With the motor running, gradually add the yolk mixture; process until the mixture pulls together. If the mixture seems dry, add some to all of the cold water. Turn dough out (it will be crumbly) into the prepared pan; with floured fingertips, carefully press the dough into an even layer over the bottom of the pan.

TO MAKE THE FILLING: In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon until blended. Add the huckleberries; stir to coat. Spread the huckleberry-sugar mixture into an even layer over the crust.

TO MAKE TOPPING: Work the butter and sugar together with a wooden spool until blending. Using a fork, gradually add the flour, stirring until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the huckleberries. BAKE for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees, and back for 25 to 30 minutes longer, or until the edges and topping are browned and the huckleberries are cooked. Cool on a wire rack before cutting into bars. Lightly sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Granola on a Stick

Granola on a Stick

My co-worker Cheryl Hoefler brought several of these Granola on a Stick goodies into the Eagle office a few weeks ago and she shared the recipe. What a fun way to eat granola! These snacks would be great to take along on a family camping trip or hike, and kids could have a lot of fun helping out in the kitchen.

Camping or not, these bars are chewy and delicious!

Ingredients:
1/2 C. light corn syrup
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
3 C. quick cooking oats
1 1/2 C. fruit, seed and nut trail mix
3/4 C. mini chocolate chips
large pretzel rods

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl mix corn syrup, brown sugar, butter and vanilla until well blended. Stir in oats. Add trail mix and chocolate chips. Stir in additional goodies 1/4 C. at a time, making sure that the mix is still sticky enough to mold around the sticks.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Measure out 1/2 C. of granola and shape into a log. Starting from the bottom of the log, stick the pretzel into the granola, shaping it around the pretzel. Do not worry about the shape because you will be reshaping it after it bakes. Fill the baking sheet side by side with 5 granola pretzel rods. Make sure you leave ample room between each one. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until light brown. Do not panic when you see that the granola has melted away from the pretzel rod. Once the sticks have baked for the required time, remove the tray from the oven and, working quickly with two knives, simply mold and shape the granola back around the pretzel sticks. As the granola cools, it will harden around the pretzel stick.

This recipe makes about 10 granola sticks, depending on how much granola mix you measure out for each pretzel rod.

Cheryl’s tips: Pretzel rods could be cut in half for a shorter stick, and make smaller granola shapes. Also, this recipe could be used to make granola bars (see instructions below). Other ingredients to add could include: shredded coconut, M&Ms, marshmallows, etc., although marshmallows work better if you’re making the bars.

To make bars:

Lightly spray two 8x8 baking dishes. Firmly press granola mixture into the pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. It is very important to allow the bars to cool completely before cutting them with a sharp knife.

Pecan Pie

When the Boulder Creek Ranch pie social invitation came back in June, it didn’t take long to decide what to make. I love pecan pie. The dilemma was that I’d never made a very good one. The pecan pies I remember from childhood at family holiday gatherings were usually burnt on top.

I just happened to recently borrow a great cookbook from the local library which is packed full of great Southern recipes, “Mama Dip’s Kitchen,” by Mildred Council. I decided to give it a chance, and the South did not let me down - I knew it wouldn’t! To be on the safe side I covered the pie with foil halfway through ... no burnt top.

1 stick of butter or margarine
1 C. sugar
1 C. light Karo syrup
3 eggs, beaten
1 C. chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a saucepan, melt the butter but don’t let it brown. Mix in the sugar and Karo syrup and cook, stirring, over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Allow sugar mixture to cool slightly, then stir in the eggs. Mix well. Stir in the pecans. Pour into the pie shell and bake for 1 hour or until firm when shaken.

Serves 8.