homemade poptarts

good morning sunshine!

 

here is a fab recipe from bon appetit for

raspberry linzer bars/poptarts

AMAZING!

these didn't look perfect, but i loved the texture and taste.

they are worth a try!

ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup almond flour or almond meal

(i found my almond flour in the

specialty part of a regular grocery store)

1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 1/4 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes

2 large eggs

1/3 cup raspberry jam

raw sugar

directions

1. whisk first 3 ingredients in a large bowl.

scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; whisk to blend.

2. add butter; rub in with your fingers until coarse crumbs form.

3. beat 1 egg in a small bowl; add to flour mixture.

stir until dough forms. divide in half.

4. working with 1 half at a time, roll out dough between 2 sheets

of parchment to a 12x10" rectangle. transfer to a baking sheet; chill for 2 hours.

5. preheat oven to 375°.

6. remove top layer of paper from 1 dough rectangle.

invert onto a baking sheet; remove remaining paper.

spread jam over in an even layer, leaving 1/2" border.

TIP: really do chill it for two, otherwise it's extremely hard to work with.

i got impatience... as you can tell by my funny shape. oopsies :)

7. whisk 1 egg in a small bowl to blend; brush lightly over plain border.

remove paper from second dough sheet and invert,

placing on top of dough covered with jam. remove paper.

press lightly from center of dough out toward edges to release any air pockets.

press edges to seal.

8. brush top with remaining beaten egg.

prick dough several times with a fork.

sprinkle with raw sugar.

9. bake until crust is golden, about 25 minutes.

let cool completely on a wire rack. trim edges. cut into bars.

10. enjoy! :)

march madness

inspired by the madness... :)

smallest fave person in the world!

this is my smallest favorite person in the world right now...

miss svea lisbeth johnson

i like her a lot.

i like her mom and dad too :)

you can read more about her life here.

i've been picking out some outfits for when she grows up...

hello crewcuts!

obsessed! makes me want 12 kids.

why do these not come in my size??! :)

top ten things i want this spring

1 . chunky chain necklace.

(via)

2. cute oxford flats.

(via)

3. a jean jacket.

(yes, i just said that for the first time since 5th grade)

(via)

4. a flowery headband.

(via)

 

5. a colorful skinny jean

(via)

 

6. adorable kate spade bangle watch

(via)

7. a classy wedge

(via)

8. dainty gold tennis bracelet

(kate spade does it again!)

(via)

9. dresses & skirts in every color/style!

(via)

 (all via)

 

(via)

10. a floral shoe

(via)

happy spring! :)

an apple a day

apples: the go-to for dessert at christine's house lately :)

 

confession: i am terrible at cooking/baking the right proportions.

i never have too little. i always have TOO MUCH.

i mean, this has just gotten out of hand.

why in the world would i bake a 9x12" apple crisp when i live by myself.

what was i thinking???

i need help. or 12 roommates.

nonetheless! this recipe was super fab and classic.

i would have rated it 'easy breezy' except that it was actually

quite time consuming to core, peel and slice all the apples.

otherwise - super easy :)

i have made some slight modifications to the recipe below.

cutting back the water and increasing the cinnamon.

this would have been a crowd pleaser if had a lot of guests.

although looking back, i should have just stuck with

some individual apple tarts.

that project will be for next week :)

until then, enjoy!!

ingredients

10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup water

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, melted

(recipe via all recipes)

directions

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan.

3. mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour and ground cinnamon together,

and sprinkle over apples. pour water evenly over all.

4. combine the oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder,

baking soda and melted butter together.

crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

5. bake for about 45 minutes.

chicky chicky parm parm

um, this is my new favorite chicky chicky parm parm recipe.

honestly, super easy, delicious and fresh.

definitely going to be one of my go-tos!

there is just something perfect about the

panko-parmesan crunch on the chicken,

the tang of the caesar, the crunch of the romaine,

the freshness of some squeezed lemon. YUM.

ingredients

4 7-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts

kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, Pecorino, or Asiago cheese

1/2 cup panko

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 garlic cloves, chopped, divided

2 large hearts of romaine, halved lengthwise

caesar salad dressing

1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

(recipe by bon appetit with some small tweaks)

directions

1. preheat oven to 450°.

2. line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

season chicken with salt and pepper; place on prepared sheet.

combine cheese, panko, 2 Tbsp. oil, parsley,

and 1 garlic clove in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper.

pat panko mixture onto breasts.

 

3. roast chicken until crumbs begin to turn golden, about 10 minutes.

4. drizzle romaine with 1 Tbsp. oil and sprinkle

with remaining 1 chopped garlic clove. season with salt and pepper.

remove sheet from oven; place romaine around chicken.

5. roast until chicken is cooked through and

lettuce is browned at edges, about 5 minutes.

divide among plates. drizzle lettuce with caesar;

garnish with lemon wedges for squeezing over.

honestly, this chicken was the best i'd had/made in a long time.

so juicy and delicious!

i think i would have cut a few minutes off

the cook time for my romaine though.

maybe about 3 minutes next time!

enjoy! :)