Pineapple Carrot Bars

Before taking off on our Yellowstone adventure last week, Shaun and I attended a summer picnic at his parents place. To me, nothing quite beats a barbecue on a beautiful summer day and this was no exception. Part of my excitement for picnics (or of being invited anywhere for that matter) stems from choosing what to make for the occasion. Since I'm still honing my baking skills and feel as though one can never go wrong with an Ina Garten recipe*, I dug out her Pineapple Carrot Cake which I had seen her make years ago and have been longing for it ever since.

While she made hers into a decadent two-layer cake, I took a chance and thought that they might work as a more picnic and finger food friendly bar. And oh was I right.

While they are heartily filled with carrots, raisins and walnuts (no shortage of fiber here!), they also incorporate pineapple, which is a personal favorite and a fun summer twist on this heavy dish. The finished product was nothing short of mouth watering, and in fact, my own mom proclaimed them one of my best yet. Are you sold?

Pineapple Carrot Bars
*Adapted from Ina Garten, 2007
2 C granulated sugar
1 1/3 C canola or vegetable oil
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 C plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 C raisins
1 C chopped walnuts
1 lb carrots, grated (this was about 3 C grated carrots), plus extra for garnish
1/2 cup diced pineapple, plus extra for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter and flour a 13x9 inch baking pan. While Ina recommends also adding parchment paper to also butter and flour, I went the peanut butter and jelly bar route by skipping this step. Luckily, I didn't have a repeat incident of depressing broken cake.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat the sugar, oil and eggs together until the mixture is light yellow. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together 2 1/2 C flour, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until combined. Once this mixing bowl is empty, add the raisins and walnuts, mixing with the remaining 1 tbsp of flour (Note: coating the raisins and walnuts with flour keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Fold in the grated carrots and the diced pineapple Note: to make this super easy on myself, I used my food processor with the grater attachment for the carrots which got 'er done in a snap.

I also used Dole canned pineapple chunks which I cut in half before adding to the mixture.

Add this mixture to the batter and mix well.

Pour into baking pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares with a good seraded knife.

Cream Cheese Frosting
12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 C confectioners' sugar

Oh how I love a basic cream cheese frosting. Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer. Add the sugar one cup at a time, mixing until smooth and fluffy. With a knife or spatula, spread onto each bar. Garnish with shredded carrot and pineapple slice.

So there you have it - a round up of one of my favorite baking endeavors thus far. What do you think? What is your favorite picnic food or summer ingredient?

*For even more Ina fun, check out my twist on her Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars, Pink Coconut Cupcakes, Herb Roasted Turkey Breast, and Slow Cooker Beef Brisket.

June & July Favorites

It's a double helping of favorites this month since last month and the one that came before it seemed to be all consumed with our big move and some serious traveling. No sooner had I just started unpacking that it was time to jet off to Las Vegas and then Atlanta for work, and then off to Aruba for vacation. It's been a busy and exciting few months here at the Humiston household, but there has been plenty of fun and even more food along the way. So let's get down to what I've enjoyed the most over the last two summer months, shall we?

Farmer's Market Fare
Spring and summer mean the inevitable fresh fruit and vegetables that I crave so much. And getting them from a local farmer's market is just the icing on the cake. This summer, Shaun and I have indulged in everything from zucchini and Jersey corn to fresh strawberries, cherries and peaches.

Moka's Red Velvet Cake
I really could go on about this forever and ever until the end of time. Is it wrong that one of my major fears is that somehow it won't be there next July?

Iced Coffee & the Cold Cup
The extreme temps in New York and New Jersey have caused a virtual frenzy each morning for iced coffee. It's really the only way I've found to semi-combat the heat and keep myself from overheating before even getting to the office each morning. With iced coffee costing about $2.50 each day, my mom was wonderful enough to purchase a sweet Copco cold cup for me which should help cut some costs while looking super chic to boot.

BBQ Fare
Since our very first home purchase during our first weekend in the new joint, Shaun and I have taken just about every opportunity we could to use our beloved Mr. Weber for grilled burgers, juicy hot dogs, tender summer squash and crisped ears of corn. Nothing says summer like grilled meat and veggies. And bonus, I get a free pass from cooking after work since Shaun is always on grill duty.
Seaweed Salad
I discovered this wonderful concoction while dining at Deep Blue Sushi, a restaurant in the Jet Blue terminal at JFK (while waiting for my plane to Vegas, no less). I had heard the tales of seaweed salad but was admittedly a bit skeptical of its potential due to its seemingly gelatinous nature. My take? A resounding yum and I can't wait to try it again.
Truffled Mac & Cheese
Not since my trip to Otto and discovery of truffled honey have I really gotten the whole truffle thing. Sure, I enjoy dipping a bit of Amy's Bread into a bit of truffle oil. But added into macaroni, cheesy goodness? It doesn't get much better. I enjoyed this gluttonous plate at Knobhill at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Oysters
I know I already did the raving and most of you are probably wondering if I've been living under a rock. Even my own sister asked after reading my article, You've really never had oysters? Nope. But now that's basically all I want to eat.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars
I could really make like I'm in third grade and bring a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch everyday of my life if I thought it was remotely healthy. Put it into a dessert bar and I'm pretty much set for life.

Almond Milk
Making your cereal better by the second, almond milk has fully replaced my love for soy milk. Vanilla flavored and sweet, this milk added to anything just screams YUM!

Banana Pudding
This banana pudding that I enjoyed during my trip to Atlanta was nothing short of fabulous. Creamy banana custard, real whipped cream (which can't really be beat in my book) and soft yet crunchy bits of pie crust come together in this out-of-this-world concoction that left no regrets on passing over some Georgia pecan pie.

So there you have it - a not so succinct round up of a few of my favorite Summer things from June and July. But what I really want to know is...what have you been enjoying over the last couple of months? Dish!

Burger Creations

A few weeks ago as my sister Kim and I were shopping for our Aruban getaway, we realized how shopping really does make you hungry. It could also just be shopping in crazy, crowded Union Square, but who were we to ignore it? So wandered downtown a few blocks to my old stomping ground, the NYU campus. And oh my how it has changed.

I was horribly aware that when I went to school there, 8th street was filled with shops selling punk rock gear, shoes that only a coneusseur could love and cheap-o food. In fact, the most exciting eats on that block were none other than one Johnny Rockets and the Dallas BBQ, a faux Southern gem serving giant roasted chickens, cornbread and blue margaritas. Anyhow, imagine my surprise to find a plethora of new eateries including Crumbs, 'wichcraft, and Burger Creations; though to my delight, Johnny Rockets is still going strong. Intrigued by Burger Creations, we gave it a whirl.

Boasting fresh ingredients and coal fired burgers, Burger Creations is fast food that's anything but. Imagine my second wave of surprise when I ordered my burger at the counter and I was asked how I wanted it cooked. But this is fast food, I thought. I never knew there were varying degrees of doneness in fast food. Oh how I was happily mistaken. I ordered the Greek Burger, a patty atop a mini Greek salad and then topped with tzatziki, kalamata olives and feta cheese, all stuffed between a brioche bun. And it was cooked to my order - done with perfect mediumness.

Was it Shake Shack? No. But it was juicy and just the right amount of add-on ingredients but not too much that it overpowered the delectable burger. Burger Creations, you changed my view of 8th Street and of fast food, proving that it can actually be fresh, delicious and affordable.