Monkey Bars

I have been enjoying summer and I will say, it is hard to turn on the oven when it is hot outside! But sadly, summer is coming to an end. But that means more cooking and baking which makes me excited, so I guess I goes I break even. 

These bars can be eaten as cookies or as breakfast! Behold the monkey bars!

Yummy!

Mix together wet ingredients in your mixer, then add in dry ingredients.

Now add the chocolate chips or raisins, whatever your preference.

Spoon batter into 8 inch pan, then put it into the oven. And...

It is done! All the chocolate chips sunk to just below the surface but they are there! And enjoy your monkey bars!

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
• 3 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips/Raisins (Be generous)
• Cooking spray
• 
  

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2.  Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 3 ingredients (flour through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Set aside.
3. Combine brown sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add banana and next 3 ingredients (banana through egg whites), beating well. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
4. Spread the batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden. Cool the bars completely on a wire rack.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Mixed Berry Crisp

Everybody likes berries in the summer, at least everybody I know. This mixed berry crisp has frozen berries that we picked earlier this summer. Crisps are super easy, kind of like pie, but no complicated dough necessary!

The ingredients

Mix together the berries, flour, and lemon juice

In another bowl combine the crumble topping with your fingertips or a pastry cutter

Layer the berries evenly in a 9 inch pan

Pour the crisp topping over the berries (Spread evenly, but it doesn't need to be flat)

And above, the berry crisp! This picture belongs to Epicurious because I forgot to take a picture... I remembered but only after it was all gone. Voila!

yield:

Makes 6 servings

ingredients

2 12-ounce packages frozen mixed berries (such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries; about 6 cups), unthawed

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, diced

preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine berries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour and lemon juice in large bowl; toss to blend well. Transfer berry mixture to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Combine remaining 3/4 cup flour, oats, brown sugar, spices and salt in medium bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until topping holds together in small moist clumps. Sprinkle over berry mixture.

Bake crisp until berry mixture bubbles thickly and topping is golden brown, about 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Courtesy of Epicurious