Peanut Butter and Julie

Blueberry Pie Bars with Almond Streusel

"Hey Julie, have you ever heard of P90X?"

As soon as these words came out of Eric's mouth, I should have sprinted from the room. But no, I didn't.  I stayed and listened to his argument as to why we should partake in the popular but notoriously grueling 90-day home fitness program consisting of a deceptively non-intimidating set of 12 DVDs.

He said that it was "something that we could do together to stay in shape", selectively forgetting that I had used the same line for months trying to get him to attend my bikram yoga classes.  He scoffed at the idea of yoga, thinking that the class would be too easy.  If you have taken one of these classes, you'll find the humor in that assumption. 

He also listed various friends and colleagues of his who had completed P90X and who were raving about its ability to transform their bodies and fitness levels.  Unfortunately, everyone who he cited was both: A) A male -and- B) Someone who could easily bench press me a dozen or so times.  I wasn't completely convinced that this was a program for women, especially women who hate lunges (me), can't do a proper pull-up (me), and tend to do push-ups on their knees (me again).

Against my better judgement, I agreed.  Well, I agreed providing the following:

1. If we were going to do P90X, we were going to do it right.  In other words, we needed to clean out the current gym/storage room for anything that doesn't have a proper place in the house, so that there was room to actually move around.

2.  The dogs are not allowed in the gym while we are working out.  If Eric had a choice, he would let the dogs go anywhere at any time.  The problem is that Fenway, our 85 pound lab, likes to sit on people, which would make the abdominal work and floor exercises unnecessarily more difficult than they already are.

3.  If we are doing the fitness DVDs, then I wanted to follow the nutritional plan as well.  Might as well, right?  Go big or go home!

We've just finished our first week of the 90 day program, and I can honestly say that I am sore in places where I have never been sore before.  While I can't yet see a drastic physical change, I can certainly feel the program working its magic, and I am fairly confident that after 90 days I will be stronger, more flexible, and fitter.

The first day was one of the toughest, when we did the "Chest and Shoulders" DVD along with the "Ab Ripper X" DVD (the name alone intimidated the heck out of me.)  Each DVD is roughly 1 hour of constant movement, with this one containing more varieties of push-ups than I even knew existed.  I'm fairly certain that the phrases "You've GOT to be KIDDING me!" and "How on earth is he/she doing that with her arms/abs/legs" came out of my mouth at least 10 times during our workout.  The following days had us working our legs, arms, and backs along with more cardiovascular workouts called "Plyometrics" (lots of jumping), "Kenpo X" (kind of like boxing), and, yes Eric, even Yoga.  Not so easy, now was it???

The guy at the helm of every workout is the super-fit, supermotivational, and super self-marketing Tony Horton.  He really does do a good job of keeping you going and showing variations on the workouts, but by day two I started to get a bit annoyed by the cross-promotion of his other related products ("After this workout, it will be the perfect time to down a P90X Results and Recovery Drink!!  I sure plan to!!")  Other than that, he had me actually enjoying the torture that was P90X, and I'm actually kind of looking forward to week 2.

Following the nutrition plan to a T has been less of a change for me than it has been for Eric.  He has had to change his "potato chips go with everything" diet, to which he has strictly adhered for decades.  That said, it has by no means been easy for me either.  For starters, I have had to cut out bread.  I adore bread.  If I had to be stranded on a desert island with only three foods, I would pick good artisanal bread, ice cream (not allowed to have that either), and butternut squash or sweet potatoes (CAN have these!!)  In a nutshell, the program is very high in protein and allows for fruit, vegetables, and limited carbs.  The program says nothing about wine, and some might interpret that wine and beer are not allowed.  I say phooey! On certain nights I've interpreted differently, and a glass of wine (or two) has been my daily carb.  And after those workouts, lemme tell you, that wine tastes freakin' de-licioso!

On a positive note, the nutrition plan's emphasis on high-protein has led me to discover Think Thin bars.  Have you tried them?  Really good, and I say that as someone who is picky, picky, picky about my bars.  They come in yummy flavors like Crunchy or Creamy Peanut Butter, Brownie Crunch, and White Chocolate Chip, and they have 20 grams of protein per bar, making them perfect for an on-the-go breakfast or a pre-workout snack.  I picked mine up at Trader Joe's, but I'm sure they have them everywhere.

Since Eric doesn't usually get home from work until 7ish, we don't finish our workouts during the weekdays until around 8:30.  By that time I am always starving.  Remember those Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny cartoons when they would be stranded on an island without any food?  They were so hungry that they started picturing each other as fried chicken drumsticks and chocolate cake?   In my own way, I kind of get it.  During the last portions of these workouts, I've found myself thinking about all of the foods that I would love to eat, but sadly cannot have, for dinner, breakfast, dessert, etc.

A few days ago, during a particular hunger pang, I found myself thinking about my mom's blueberry pie, the one that she used to always make when we spent our summers in New Hampshire, surrounded by blueberry bushes.  Perhaps it was the two quarts of plump blueberries that I had picked up at Trader Joe's, or perhaps it was the fact that her blueberry pie always meant that summer had arrived, and Memorial Day was just around the corner.  Whatever prompted the craving, I knew that her pie was likely not listed in the P90X nutrition plan.  Grumble.

So the recipe for this post was a true test of my willpower.  Inspired by my blueberry pie craving, I decided to created more picnic/party friendly blueberry pie bars.  I've done apple pie bars in the past, and they make a great portable dessert as well as one that you can eat with a fork at the table.  These bars have a flaky, buttery crust studded with lemon zest and an almond streusel topping.  Serve them warm with a scoop of ice cream, at room temperature, or chilled.  I'm saving one for my weekly "cheat" day, and I'm going to savor every single bite!

Have a great holiday weekend!! I'm going to tell Eric that we are going shoe shopping because it's "something that we can do together."  He owes me one, right?

One last thing:  I have FINALLY figured out how to format my recipes so that they are easily PRINTABLE for anyone who wants to print them out!  There is a link just below the recipe title, which will take you to a page featuring the printable version (no photos.)  I hope to update my archive of recipes as well over the coming weeks.

Here are a few extra tips for making these Memorial Day party pleasers:

• Although I have not attempted this recipe using frozen blueberries, I am inclined to think that they would not work as well....but I could be wrong.  My suggestion in this case would be to add another 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch to the blueberry mixture to atone for the extra moisture.
• If you'd like to punch up the presence of the almond flavor, feel free to add 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract to the dough mixture.
• These bars are best eaten the day that they are prepared, but they can also be prepared a day in advance and stored tightly covered at room temperature of in the refrigerator.
• I've found that the easiest way to cut these bars into neat portions is to chill the bars first to help firm them up.  Use a very sharp knife.

Blueberry Pie Bars with Almond Streusel

Printable Recipe!

Makes 12 generous servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

Zest from one large lemon

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) cold butter, cubed

1 large egg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup sliced natural almonds

4 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Juice of one large lemon

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil so that there is a 1-inch overhang on all sides.  Spray the foil with nonstick baking spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the sugar with the lemon zest on medium speed, allowing the sugar to "crush" the zest and release the flavorful oils (this process should smell very lemon-y!), about 1 minute.  Add the brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and the salt to the bowl, and mix on low speed until well combined.

Add the butter to the bowl and mix at medium-low speed until the butter has been incorporated and has broken down into very small pieces.  Mix in the egg.

Remove half of the dough from the bowl and pat it into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.  Place the pan in the freezer to keep the dough cold during the next few steps.

Add the cinnamon and the almonds to the remaining dough in the bowl, and mix at medium-low speed until well combined (almonds will break down.)

In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, and the lemon juice, stirring gently to mix.  Pour the blueberry mixture over the chilled dough layer, spreading to an even layer.  Sprinkle the remaining dough over the blueberry layer.

Bake the bars at 375F for 15 minutes.  Lower the oven to 350F and continue to bake until the top is golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling, about 30 minutes more.  Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into 12 bars. 

 

Brownie Sundae Bars with Salted Caramel Dipping Sauce

I recently returned from our annual summer trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, one of my favorite places in the world.   Although most people who have been to this area tend to love it as much as I do, many people who have never visited ask me what's so special about it.  I mean, it is Wyoming, after all.  We're not talking about a Villa on Lake Como, Italy or some luxury residence on a secluded island in the Caribbean owned by Bono, both of which have obvious attributes that require no explanation.

Well, for starters, there's this:

Breathtaking mountains, serene lakes, crystal-clear blue skies -- I never sleep better or feel healthier than I do when I am in Jackson.  And the wildlife is everywhere: herds of buffalo hanging out alongside the road, moose showing up in your backyard, and yes, even the occasional bear sighting on a hiking trail. Eric saw one this time around, but I didn't stick around to verify.  I was too busy running......which apparently is the number one thing that you are not supposed to do when you see a bear.

The stress just kind of lifts off of my shoulders the moment that I get off the plane at the cute little Jackson Hole airport, an airport that really throws you for a loop because everyone there is so darn happy and friendly.  At an airport!  But then I realize, "Oh, right.  You're happy because you get to live here."  Makes perfect sense.

So, to recap, we've got the scenery, wildlife, stress relief, outdoor activities, friendly people, fresh air.  Good start, right?  Then there's the fact that I have a super-easy time finding clothing and souvenirs with my initials on them whenever I visit:

Julie Hession -- Jackson Hole.  See how convenient that is?  True, this might not seem like a benefit to you, unless you are Jennifer Hudson or Jack Hanna (both of whom I'm certain read this blog), but it's one of my reasons.

Now let's talk food.  C'mon, you knew that I would get there eventually.  I mean, a vacation is not a vacation unless there is fantastic food involved, am I right?  I know that I'm not the only one who researches, scours foodie message boards (love Chowhound.com!), and plans almost every vacation meal prior to departure.  Admit it.  Yes, it's obsessive, but my husband has never eaten so well on vacation as he has since he's known me.  So there.

You might be surprised to learn that, for a relatively small western town, Jackson has some downright amazing dining options, and they're adding more every year.  As a tradition, we always like to have dinner at the Snake River Grill during our first evening in town.  This is one of the higher-end "reservations strongly recommended" places in Jackson, with consistently scrumptious food, but it still has a very comfy, unpretentious, and laid-back atmosphere. 

 

I was particularly excited and geeking out foodie-style during this visit because Chef Hubert Keller (of "Top Chef" and Fleur de Lys fame) was dining at the next table with his family, all of whom looked like they had come straight from a Vogue photo shoot.  I happened to be facing him, and as much as I tried to not look his way, I couldn't help it (I was trying to figure out what he had ordered off the menu.)  So from his perspective, I was a crazy lady who stared at him throughout his entire meal.  But, to my point about the caliber of dining establishments in J.H., if they're good enough for a Top Chef......

One of the menu items for which the Snake River Grill is famous is their "SRG Eskimo Bars", described as "Chocolate Dipped Brownies and Vanilla Ice Cream, served with Caramel Dipping Sauce."  I've mentioned in the past that Eric and I aren't really dessert people when we dine out, so we might have passed these up if our friend, who is from the area, hadn't convinced us to give them a try.  I only took one {very big} bite, but that was all that I needed to know that I would figure out a way to recreate this dessert after I arrived back home.  Bittersweet chocolate coating enrobed layers of fudgy chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream, all of which was then submerged in a gooey warm caramel sauce.  TO. DIE. FOR.  Obviously, it was extremely rich and decadent -- eating the entire dessert would most definitely put you into a food coma -- but it was also so creative and fun.  Plus, as someone who has always played with my food, I just love the "interactive dessert" factor with the dipping sauce.

The hard part was figuring out how to make this dessert come together without ending up with a big pile of melted ice cream when I attempt to coat the bars in melted chocolate.  The ice cream and brownie layered base was pretty easy to create, and the salted caramel sauce turned out better than I had anticipated (Seriously, you might want to make a double batch of this stuff.  I couldn't stop taking samples.)  After some extensive research via my cookbooks and web sites, I determined that "tempering" the chocolate was the best route to take.

I had never tempered chocolate before, at least not that I could recall.  According to several sources, tempering chocolate is "a method of heating and cooling chocolate in order to use it for coating or dipping."  Properly tempered chocolate has a nice glossy finish after coating as opposed to lines or striations. Directions for tempering are included below.

Personally, I think that the name was derived from the fact that one might lose one's temper while going through the process -- it takes a bit of extra time and effort.  That said, the end results were totally worth it, and I was pretty darn proud of myself and my glossy-chocolate-covered-unmelted-ice cream-brownie bars.  Hubert Keller would've been proud of me too. 

Oh, and if the tempering had been a disaster, my back-up plan was to resort to Magic Shell.

 For this recipe, I decided to use a variation of my "super-secret-World's-Best-rich-and-fudgy-brownie-recipe" as the base layer.  The variation is that I cut all of the ingredients by 1/3, so that the brownie layer wouldn't be quite as tall as it usually is when I just make brownies.  If you would like to make the brownies, increase all of the ingredients by 1.5 (6 eggs, 3 cups sugar, etc.)  Also, be sure the chill the brownies for at least 2 hours after they cool to room temperature.  These are really fudgy brownies, and they can be kind of messy if not chilled.  Oh, and be sure to run a few miles after eating one.

• There are MANY steps to this recipe, and it should ideally be started the day before serving.  To make the recipe easier, you can:  Use a boxed brownie mix or even store-bought brownies, use pre-made caramel sauce and add sea salt, use "Magic Shell" to cover the bars as opposed to tempering the chocolate.
• The salted caramel sauce will keep for up to two weeks, tightly covered and refrigerated.  Rewarm prior to serving.
• You can use low-fat ice cream for the bars.......but really, what's the point?  You've already got the decadent brownies, chocolate shell, and caramel sauce.  You might as well go for it, right?
• For the tempered chocolate, you can use chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate -- they will work just as well.
• After the brownie bars have been frozen, they can be individually wrapped in plastic and kept for up to 2 weeks.

Brownie Sundae Bars with Salted Caramel Dipping Sauce

Printable Recipe

Makes 15 bars

Bittersweet Chocolate Brownie Layer

7 ounces (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 large eggs

1 cup cake flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

1/2 gallon good quality vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream, softened to a spreadable consistency

 

Tempered Chocolate

24 ounces milk chocolate or bittersweet chocolate (or a combination of the two), coarsely chopped

Salted Caramel Dipping Sauce

1 cup sugar

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1/4 cup water

2 ounces butter, cubed

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon course sea salt or flaked sea salt

Prepare the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Line a 9X13 inch baking pan with enough foil so that there is a 1-inch overhang on all sides.  Butter the foil.  In a heavy large saucepan, melt the butter with the chocolate over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth.  Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Whisk in eggs, one at a time.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder.  Add this mixture to the chocolate mixture, stirring until well incorporated.  Stir in the sugar and the salt until thoroughly combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.

Bake the brownies until the top is set and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges with a few moist crumbs adhering, 25-30 minutes.  Cool to room temperature before proceeding.

When the brownies have cooled, spread the softened vanilla ice cream in an even layer over the top.  Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, at least 3 hours.

Line a baking sheet (size that will fit into your freezer) with parchment paper or waxed paper.  When the ice cream has frozen, remove the pan from the freezer.  Grasping the foil overhang, pull the brownies/ice cream block out of the pan and place it on a work surface.  Working quickly with a very sharp knife, cut the block into 15 bars (you can do more or less, depending on the size that you want to serve.)  Transfer the bars to the prepared baking sheet, spacing apart, and freeze until solid, at least 2 hours.

Temper the chocolate (you will need a candy thermometer for this part!):  Fill a large bowl with a few inches of ice water and set aside.  Bring a heavy medium saucepan filled with 2 inches of water to a low simmer.  Place the chocolate in a large, dry, heatproof bowl, and set the bowl over the simmering water.  Stir the chocolate until it is completely melted and smooth, and the temperature reaches  118F degrees.  Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set it over the reserved ice-water bath.  Stir the chocolate constantly until the temperature has decreased to 80F degrees. 

Return the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water and stir the chocolate until the temperature has increased to 87F degrees, and then immediately remove the bowl.  Throughout the next steps, check the temperature of the chocolate occasionally.  It should stay between 86-89 degrees.  Keep the saucepan of water simmering in the event that you will need to reheat the chocolate.

Cover the ice cream brownie bars:  Have a fork and an off-set spatula handy.  Remove the baking sheet holding the frozen bars from the freezer.  Working as quickly as you can, lower one bar into the chocolate using the off-set spatula, and then flip the bar over using the fork, making sure that all of the surfaces are coated with chocolate.  Carefully lift the bar out of the chocolate with the fork, tapping the fork a few times on the bowl to even out the chocolate.  Return the coated bar to the baking sheet and repeat the process with the remaining bars.  If the ice cream starts to get too soft, return the baking sheet to the freezer until it firms up.

Freeze the coated brownie bars for at least 2 hours.

Prepare the caramel dipping sauce:  In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and the water.  Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly until the sugar has dissolved.  Continue to boil the mixture without stirring over medium-high heat until it turns dark amber in color, 5-6 minutes.  Turn off the heat and carefully stir in the butter, cream, and salt (the mixture will bubble up vigorously at first.)  Return the heat to low, and cook the mixture, whisking, for 2-3 minutes more, until smooth and slightly thickened.  Allow the caramel to cool to a moderately warm temperature before serving.

Serve the brownie bars alongside the warmed caramel dipping sauce.