Sandra's Kitchen Studio: Desserts to Die For

Pistachio-Almond and Wild Blueberry Bars

Today I was bitten by the baking bug. And I've enjoyed its seductive sting all day long. I woke up this morning with a clear craving for something sweet and nutty to go along with a hot and steamy cup of coffee. Facing a pantry filled with lots of baking supplies makes it so much fun to bake on a whim. I always keep yeast, different kinds of flour, grains, dried fruits and nuts in my pantry at all times. That way, whenever the urge for a delicious and rustic baked goodie hits me or my family, all I have to do is reach into my baking chest and go with it.

This morning it was all a matter of deciding how long I was willing to wait before I could eat what I baked. I decided that baking bread and waiting for the dough to rise was not going to happen today. Don't misunderstand me, baking bread is one of my most favorite things to do; watching the first rise of the dough is always exciting and kneading dough (sinking fingers into warm, soft dough that yields easily under my hands) is as therapeutic as it gets in my kitchen. But I was not in the need for therapy of that kind today. No, all I wanted this morning was something scrumptious to satisfy my sweet tooth.

I thought of mixing up a batch of muffins but today didn't feel like that kind of a day. Brownies perhaps, yet after Valentine's Day, I'm swearing off chocolate for at least a week. I rummaged through my pantry a little longer and found my favorite pistachios (I buy mine at Trader Joe's, already shelled, unsalted and meaty, these are perfect for baking, although you'd be surprised how delicious they are stirred into a bowl of oatmeal); wild, dried blueberries (oh, so good, plump and sweet); and some chopped almonds, left over from yesterday's salad. What to bake, then...

Something quick and easy. So I started by creaming butter and brown sugar together in a bowl. Easy enough, I was thinking while I decided what to bake. This could be the base for a butter cake, or a batch of cookies, or blondies. I opted to make some bars with them and stirred in a couple of eggs, flour, a touch of baking soda and a pinch of salt. Then I stirred in the goodies that inspired me in the first place. Read on below for the recipe.

The results? Exactly what I wanted. Not too sweet, these are a great partner to a cup of coffee. My tasters today were happy with them too and reports all around were that they were nutty and fruity to boot (just what I wanted). Try them and judge for yourselves. Oh, and if you want to experiment further, may I suggest a touch of nutmeg and a pinch of allspice in the mix. I'll try that next time. For now, I'm sharing this simple, albeit delicious, experiment with you. And please, make yourselves a really good cup of coffee (my favorite is Guatemalan coffee from the highlands of Huehuetenango or Antigua). Then stop whatever you're doing for a few minutes and take a break from life. Close your eyes, let the aroma of the coffee take you away for a moment, and then, and only then, take a bite of these bars....there...therapy for the body, one bite at a time. Life will still be there when you are done eating these. Only you will feel a lot better than you did before.

Pistachio-Almond and Wild Blueberry Bars

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (I prefer fine sea salt)

1/3 cup shelled, unsalted pistachios

1/3 cup chopped almonds

1/3 cup dried wild blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a mixer, place butter, brown sugar and vanilla; mix at low speed for 1 minute, scrape the sides of the bowl and beat again for 2 minutes are medium speed, until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Add the eggs, one at a time to the butter mixture (make sure the first egg has been absorbed before adding the next one) and beat mixture for 2 minutes, stopping mid-way to scrape sides of the bowl. Turn mixer to lowest speed and add half of the flour; scrape down sides of bowl and add the rest of the flour. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in pistachios, almonds and berries with a rubber spatula. Turn batter into the prepared baking pan and spread batter well so it's uniformely distributed on the pan. Bake bars for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (I use the finger test, where I touch the center of the bars and if they bounce back at the touch, they are ready). Bars will appear golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and set over a cooling rack. Cool completely before cutting them into desired sizes. Makes anywhere from 12 giant to 24 small bars.

Carrot Flaxseed Cake

I know I haven't been posting lately but I needed a summer respite and I've been keeping busy working on a few exciting projects and on a few articles. So after a weekend of rest, lounging on a deck-chair in front of the shimmering water, I am ready to treat you to one of the most delicious desserts I've made this summer.

This carrot cake is chock-full of vitamins and deliciousness that includes a good dose of cancer-fighting flavonoids in the form of ground golden flaxseeds. That's just so you don't have to feel too guilty when indulging in what is a purely sweet and moist piece of cake.

The recipe is simple enough to bake while you sit by the pool reading the latest summer novel and the frosting comes together in a jiffy. So relax, pre-heat your oven and get your mixer out of the cupboard.

I like to shred the carrots myself so I can give the carrots the right consistency--not soo long, not too stringy but rather, thin and delicate shreds instead. However you should feel feel free to substitute with pre-shredded carrots.

Here goes: the easiest carrot and flaxseed cake you can imagine! Enjoy!

Carrot Flaxseed Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 cup ground golden flaxseeds

4 eggs, large

1 cup sugar

3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar

1 cup canola oil

1/4 cup skim milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups packed shredded carrots

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 9 baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper and grease paper too. Dust the pan with flour. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and flaxseeds. In anoghter large bowl, with a fork or a mixer at medium speed, beat the eggs, sugar and brown sugar together until blended. Beat in the oil, milk, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat together well, until blended and smooth; stir in the pecans (if using). Spoon batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean about 50-55 minutes. Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and onto a cooling rack. Remove parchment paper and let it cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting and enjoy!

Easy Cream Cheese Frosting

1 lb. Neufchatel style cream cheese

6 tablespoons butter, softened

2 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the Neufchatel cream cheese and the butter; beat with an electric mixer until it is fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar a little at a time, beating well after each addition, until all is incorporated and the frosting is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and beat again until smooth. Yield: Enough frosting for one cake.

Chocolate-Almond Coffee Cake

1/2cup-softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2cups flour

2tsp. Dutch cocoa powder

1tsp. Baking powder

1 tsp. Baking soda

1/4tsp. Salt

1cup sour cream

1/2cup coarsely chopped almonds

1/2cupbrown sugar

2 Tbsp. Dutch cocoa powder

2 Tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9in.x9in.baking pan. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl and with and electric mixer (hand held is fine), cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add one egg at a time, while beating, and combine well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add one half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir together with a wooden spoon. Add one half of the sour cream and mix together. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and sour cream. The batter will be thick. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level it smooth with a spatula; set aside while you make the topping. In a small bowl, combine the almonds, brown sugar, cocoa and melted butter. Sprinkle with topping evenly over the entire surface of the batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake separates from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the pan and serve.

Yields 1 coffee cake.

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Sandra Gutierrez