Baklava

I found this recipe online here and changed it a little. It is really good, quite easy, and looks and tastes like you spent hours on it. :) - 1 pound chopped mixed nuts (you can combine or use a single kind of nuts) 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough 1 cup butter, melted 1 cup white sugar 1 cup water 1/2 cup honey 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (lemon juice will also work) - 1. Toss together cinnamon and nuts. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack to fit the dish (if necessary). 2. Place three sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with butter. Sprinkle several handfuls the nut mixture on top (nut mixture should completely cover the phyllo dough and be about 1/4 inch thick). Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava (all the way through to the bottom of the dish) into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes. (If you put butter on the top layer-especially on the edges-the corners don't poke up so much when it is cooked.) 3. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden and crisp. 4. While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon zest, reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes. 5. Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered.

Banana Muffins

These muffins are from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook. They are so quick and easy, and they have the most moist, dense texture, which we love.

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3 bananas, mashed

1 cube butter

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

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Combine and spoon into a muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Gingerbread Breakfast Bars

(original recipe from Vocalpoint, greatly adapted to be my own)

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Preheat oven to 350, spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

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Sift together:

1 3/4 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

12/ tsp ground allspice

1/2 c packed brown sugar

(you could also use a packaged gingerbread mix)

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Beat together:

1 large egg

1 1/4 c lukewarm water

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Stir in dry ingredients until just moistened, then add:

3 c granola cereal (buy it or make your own)

dried fruit (I like currants, but raisins, craisins, or other small, soft fruit will work)

chopped nuts (optional - my granola already had some)

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Pour into prepared pan. Bake about 30-35 minutes or until bars spring back when pressed with fingertips. Cool, then cut and serve.

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They store great in the fridge for several days. This works great as a hearty addition to breakfast, or they are perfect for a grab and run snack to tide you over. I keep them in the fridge and eat one for my mid-morning re-fueling. Ryan calls them super oatmeal cookies. Whatever you like.

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Tip: I like to double the dry ingredients at the top and save half to make it quicker to put these together next time. Just store in an air-tight container in your pantry.

Peanut Butter Cup Layered Cake

This cake was an experiment. I had the idea one day and decided I simply must make it for Sam's birthday. The last layered cake I tried had...some issues, to say the least. This attempt was far more successful, but I still learned some valuable lessons along the way (through mistakes, of course!). It's really rich, so it goes a long way. With just the two of us, we ended up freezing most of it! But it freezes amazingly well and even tastes good before it is thawed out. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Layered Cake

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Mix together:

2 c. sugar

2 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

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Bring to a boil:

2 cubes butter

4 Tbsp. cocoa

1 cup water

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Pour over flour mixture and add:

2 eggs

1 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

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Liberally grease and flour 2 8-inch round pans. Pour half of the batter into each pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

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Mix together:

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1 cube butter, softened

4 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

enough milk to make a good frosting consistency

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Set aside approximately 1/2 cup of frosting and thin it down with more milk so it is quite runny. Level both cakes with a long, serrated knife. Coat cakes with a thin layer of the thinned down frosting to "glue" the crumbs to the cake. Chill until icing sets up. Spread 1/2-1 inch of frosting over the top of one cake. Stack the other cake on top and cover completely with frosting.

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Heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes:

1/2 c. heavy cream

4 oz. weight semi-sweet chocolate chips (or about 1/3 bag)

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Stir together. Microwave for additional 30 second intervals if necessary, until it reaches a glossy texture. Let cool until it has thickened, but is still pourable. Pour over cake.

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Top with:

1 bag Great Value peanut butter cups

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I cut enough in half to circle the top of the cake, then surrounded the bottom with quartered ones and sprinkled the rest on top.