Cherry-Berry Pecan Granola Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan. Then line it with parchment paper and butter the parchment paper.

Combine the oats, pecans and coconut and spread evenly on a cookie sheet. Toast (mix once during toasting) until lightly browned, about 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mix-in the wheat germ, cardamom and cinnamon.

Reduce heat in the oven to 300 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Upon boiling, cook for one minute. Pour the heated mixture over the oat mixture. Add the cherries, blueberries and cocoa nibs. Mix until the dry ingredients are well coated.

Pour the mixture into the pan and spread evenly in the pan. Use the back of a wooden spoon or wet your fingers and press the mixture firmly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Don’t overcook or the bars will be too hard. Cool for 2 to 3 hours. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

make the crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8 inch baking pan. Cut two pieces of parchment paper in rectangles long enough to extend up the sides of the pan (so later you can use them as tabs to pull out the finished cheesecake bars). Place the parchment paper in the buttered pan cross-wise and press it into the corners.

In a plastic bag, crush up the graham crackers in to dime size pieces or smaller crumbs. In a bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers. Add the melted butter and mix until the butter is incorporated. Pour the mixture into the baking pan and evenly press it into the bottom of the pan and about a 1/4 inch on the sides. Use a glass or another smooth surface to disperse the graham cracker mixture. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Cool crust.

make the filling

Before you begin, ensure the cream cheese is at room temperature. This will make your bars more creamy. In a bowl with an electric mixer, add the cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar. Mix until the ingredients are creamy and the cream cheese is fully incorporated. Pour into the pan with the cooled crust. Then evenly distribute the blueberries.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cheesecake comes out mostly clean. Only allow the top to get a hint of brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Remove the cheesecake from the pan using the parchment paper. Cut into 9 bars and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

blueberry sour cream coffee cake

makes 1 bundt cake, 12-14 servings

make the cake batter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a bundt pan, making sure to coat the crevices well. With a mixer, cream the softened butter and the two sugars. Then add the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed. In a separate small bowl, fold the vanilla into the sour cream. Then fold the sour cream mixture into the bowl with the cake batter.

In a separate larger bowl, mix together flours, baking powder and salt. Pour this mixture into cake batter bowl with mixer on low to medium. Then fold in blueberries.

make the streusel

In a new bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and chopped pecans.

finish the coffee cake

Pour half the cake batter in the bundt pan. Top with the streusel mixture. Pour the remaining cake batter on top of the streusel to cover. Bake for 50 minutes to an 1 hour. It is finished cooking when a toothpick inserted comes out clean and when the edges begin to pull away from the sides. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.