Chewy Blueberry Double Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars



Chewy Blueberry Double Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars

 This week I needed to bake some cookies for my daughter's school bake sale, which worked out perfectly for me. Creating two new recipes a week is fun, and I like it, but the treats are starting to pile up. I still have half a pie on the counter from last week, and my pants are tight!
This was the first time I have tried dried blueberries, and I must say I love them in these cookies. They are chewy, and really pack a lot of flavor.  My kids (the ultimate judges) both loved these, and I'm sure the cookie bars that are left in the house won't last long.  I like to make cookie bars more than cookies for one reason only: I'm lazy!  I can make six dozen cookie bars all at once, and to make that many cookies would take over an hour just to bake. 

Chewy Blueberry Double Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups dried sweetened blueberries
100g good quality white chocolate (coarsely chopped)
100g good quality milk chocolate (coarsely chopped)

Preheat oven to 350°.  Cream butter and both types of sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well. Add vanilla mix well.
In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Mix well and gradually add to creamed mixture. Mix well.
Combine oats, blueberries and both kinds of chocolate. Stir into the cookie dough.

Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray.  Distribute the cookie dough evenly on the cookie sheet and pat down.  Bake 20-25 min, until lightly golden.  Cut into 72 bars.  If you prefer to make cookies, as opposed to bars, drop on sheets by teaspoons and flatten slightly. Makes 6 dozen cookies. 

Make these cookie bars, I promise you will love them, so much so that you really do need to share.

White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Blueberry Coulis

White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Blueberry Coulis






  Panna Cotta is a classic Italian Dessert, traditionally flavored with vanilla and served with fresh fruit. Panna Cotta is velvety smooth and decadent. It is truly a treat. I decided to change it up and add white chocolate and make a blueberry coulis to go along with it.  Panna Cotta is best chilled overnight, so it is a great make-ahead dessert.  Many recipes call for less milk and cream or more gelatin.  In my opinion this makes a Panna Cotta that is too jiggly (that is my technical term for it).  I like my Panna Cotta to be just set and slightly delicate, not bouncy or firm.  This Panna Cotta melts in your mouth, and no- it is not low fat!

Panna Cotta

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp gelatin

3 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

100g white chocolate ( I used Lindt swiss white chocolate)

Pour 1/2 cup of milk into a large bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over the top. Set aside and allow gelatin to soften.
In the meantime, finely chop chocolate.  Combine all remaining ingredients, including chocolate, in a heavy saucepan.  Gently bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.

Stir gelatin mixture. Add boiled milk mixture, and stir well until gelatin is completely dissolved.  Place bowl in an ice water bath, stirring occasionally until mixture is significantly thickened.  Approximately 45min.  Pour into 6 individual ramekins, each covered with plastic wrap. Chill at least 4 hours, although I highly recommend overnight.

Blueberry Coulis

2 cups  Frozen Blueberries (thawed)
1/3 cup sugar


Combine Blueberries and sugar in a blender. Puree until smooth.   Strain through a fine sieve. Refrigerate until ready to use.

1 cup blueberries to garnish
white chocolate shavings for garnish

To serve, run the blade of a thin sharp knife around the inside edge of the ramekin.  Briefly dip the outside of each ramekin in hot water, invert ramekin over dessert plate.  Panna Cotta should slide out. Drizzle with Blueberry coulis and garnish with fresh blueberries.  Indulge!

Blue Blondies



Blue Blondie

 If you have never tried a blondie, it is basically a brownie made with white chocolate and no cocoa.  For this challenge I decided to go out on a limb and add blueberry to this already perfect square, a gamble to be sure.  I was so nervous that these wouldn't turn out, that while they were baking in the oven I was pacing the kitchen wondering why I had attempted such a foolish thing.  Well, risk certainly has it's rewards. These are so delicious!  The kids had friends over after school, so I decided to test the blue blondies out on them. Kids are always honest (mine a little too much so), so when I received a rating of "awesome" from all of them I knew they would become a family favorite. These are very easy to make, which is good because they disappear quickly. 

Blue Blondies

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1tsp vanilla

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped white chocolate (I used Lindt Swiss White Chocolate)
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup blueberry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 2L/2.2Q rectangular baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine melted butter and brown sugar in mixing bowl and mix until well blended.  Add egg and beat well.  Add milk and vanilla and mix well.

Add flour and salt. Mix until ingredients come together. 

Stir in both kinds of chocolate.

Spread mixture into prepared baking dish.

Top with blueberry pie filling,  gently spreading evenly (careful not to disturb bottom layer).

Bake at 350° for 40-45 min until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Allow to cool. Cut into 32 bars. Devour!