Half Baked – blog.jlp.company

Banana Apple Cake

September 5, 2022
by jennifer.pryslak

Don’t throw those bananas away. As tempting as it may be. Do this instead.

It’s a one bowl recipe because I hate doing dishes. Mash the bananas with a fork and add the wet stuff. Whisk (with the fork—because dishes). Add sugar. Whisk. Put a sifter over the bowl and add the dry stuff and incorporate gently. Fold in apples.

Pour into a greased pan and drizzle with melted butter and put in a 375 oven. Preheated. No cheating. 20-30 minutes or until done. You know—when it’s risen and it springs back in the middle to the touch and golden brown on top. Don’t go poking holes with toothpicks. That’s for novices.

Not apple season? Don’t use apples. Other fruits’ll do. Serve warm with a pat or two of butter and a drizzle of honey. Write this recipe down because you don’t measure anything ever and this came out delightful. (That part’s just for my reference.) Update the blog. You’ll be glad you did.

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Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Filled Dark Chocolate Truffles

October 3, 2021
by jennifer.pryslak

It’s Fall. So, pumpkin spice. Because why not?! 😉 Another episode of I-don’t-measure-so-baking-is-not-always-successful brought us these morsels of delight. Here’s what happened:

Used the stand mixer to whip it together (minus the dark chocolate). Set in the fridge for 24 hours – then with olive-oiled hands made spheres. Froze them for about an hour. Melted the chocolate, dipped the cheesecake balls and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs. We just might do this again. Yum!

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Cantaloupe Froze Fruit

August 29, 2021August 29, 2021
by jennifer.pryslak

Melon. In season. Good price. Seemed like a good idea. Tossed it in the cart. I looked at it for a week thinking, “I should cut that thing up.” Never happened.

Got a little soft and it wasn’t of cut-it-and-eat-it quality anymore. But sweet as hell. And I like ice cream. And homemade, upcycled kinda what-if-I-tried-this kinda treats. So here’s what I did.

1 RIPE CANTALOUPE | 1 RIPE BANANA | 1 CAN SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK | 1 C WHIPPING CREAM – WHIPPED

Blitz first 3 ingredients in the blender until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream. You could toss it in the ice cream machine, and voila! Would’ve been nice, but our ice cream maker is buried in the garage somewhere. Has been for years. Lack of equipment rarely sidelines me, though – into a container it went. Set it in the freezer – and gave it a stir every hour or so to minimize ice crystals, and keep it nice and smooth. A delicious delight. Less than 3 ingredients. And the melon fulfilled its melon-ic destiny.

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Spinach Blueberry Mini Souffles

May 16, 2021May 16, 2021
by jennifer.pryslak

I followed a recipe this morning. I know, let’s throw this girl a parade, you’re thinking. But it’s not my style, really. Out of my comfort zone by miles. It was an easy one, but the kitchen still could be described as, “there may have been a struggle,” when I was through. Totally worth it. We like these. If you’d like to give them a go, check out Milk & Honey Nutrition. I added a bit of toasted coconut to the top, because I can’t leave well enough alone when it comes to cooking.

And if you feel about recipes as I do, may the force be with you. I grant you permission not to follow directions for the rest of the day if you make it happen. You’ll have earned it. But sometimes, rules have merit. And when you’re trying to make something that contains no flour, very little sweetener and spinach taste delicious, it’s not recommended to go it alone. And this recipe works. It’s gonna be part of the repertoire.

Blogging 101

One-bowl Banana Bread with Walnuts

February 27, 2021February 27, 2021
by jennifer.pryslak

I don’t bake a lot. I hate measuring, so it often doesn’t work out so well. But I’ve made my share of quick breads and there were bananas that were about to be garbage. So I went in. The recipe-ish kinda went like this:

One bowl. Mix it up. Make sure it’s quick bread consistency. If not, make adjustments. Toss it into a buttered pan, sprinkle a few walnuts on top and bake for 40 minutes. The lightest, fluffiest quick bread I’ve ever made. And I measured nothing. When you bake like a rogue you just never know what you’re gonna get. But this one was a success. And thanks to this blog, I might even remember how to do it again.

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Cauliflower Crust Pepperoni Pizza

February 7, 2021February 7, 2021
by jennifer.pryslak

I love pizza. Anything portable … a meal I can hold in my hands without dirtying utensils, etc. Perfect. But the carbs. I like to keep ’em less, if I can. This is my #superbowl #sunday #pizza pie. (Kidding. Not a football fan. Just a pizza and snack lover.) It goes like this:

Half for lunch. Half for dinner. A delight. I could make the cauliflower crust from scratch, but some things are worth $3.50 to me. Cauliflower crust is one of them.

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Protein Pancakes

January 16, 2021January 16, 2021
by jennifer.pryslak

Protein pancakes. Recipes are a guideline to me. I took away the flour and whipped the egg whites and increased the eggs … used coconut “flour.” Bananas and oats. Butter in the pan. Unsalted. A bit of vanilla. And pancakes. They were fluffy and delightful. Here’s what they’re made of:

Again, recipes are not my thing. I find them inspiring. But I rarely follow them to the letter. I grew up in kitchens – the home variety, and professional grade. I’m comfortable with basic techniques and I’m creative. Often this leads to success … sometimes, it’s a flop. But these were lovely. And they belong in the repertoire. So, here they are. Give ’em a try. Delish, lower carb and higher in protein and they just tasted fabulous.

I have a goal to start my days with more protein. But I’m not willing to give up the griddle. Protein pancakes. A good solution!

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Peanut Butter Pumpkin Dog TrEATS

December 19, 2020
by jennifer.pryslak

Dogs deserve trEATS too. At least ours do. Most of the time. 😉 We sold these when we were slinging switchel at the Farmers Market here in VT. Soul-ed out every, single time! Pumpkin Peanut Butter. Yum! The taste testers spend a great deal of time in the kitchen … as seen here. The snoopervisors … never far from where the noshes are being made.

Therefore, that’s where the dog beds are. Sometimes. They travel. But this vibe is what goes on when cooking occurs. They’re excellent company.

So, dog biscuits. They go like this:

I bake them until they’re crispy and usually rotate them about half way through – maybe 15-20 minutes in. A total of 30-40 minutes at 350.

We try to keep it real around here. Even in the kitchen. So, peanut butter pumpkin dog trEATS. From scratch. A coveted snack among the four-legged furry souls of this house.

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Apple Peanut Butter TrEATS

December 19, 2020
by jennifer.pryslak

Nut butters are delightful … peanut, almond, hazelnut and more. I love them all. But this trEAT is simple … and pictured here with all natural peanut butter and a black apple. That’s a thing. Seriously. I found ’em at our local co-op. I bought two … ’cause they don’t come cheap. Firm and minimally sweet and just juicy enough. But they’re like top shelf liquor when it comes to apples. Like I said, a trEAT. But you can use any ol’ apple, really. We often do.

Pictured here, the fruit is topped with raisins and pepitas (I use whatever I have on hand). Raisins. They’re full of iron and calcium and a good source of fiber, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) are a good source of magnesium – which has been studied and proven to reduce blood sugar and be good for cardiovascular health. And protein … protein’s a plenty with these bite-sized morsels. So good for you, this little trEAT is. And no cooking to boot!

Did I mention they’re good for you? And they’re delicious. What?! Truth. That’s the key for me, really. It’s gotta taste good, or no go. These do! And they’re wicked simple. They go like this:

1 apple (any kind) | peanut butter | raisins | pepitas

An easy portable breakfast, or, if you have the time, have a seat. Make some coffee. Or maybe tea. And enjoy. Not just the trEAT, but the whole scene. You deserve it.

Blogging 101

Chaga Coffee Infused French Toast Custard

December 11, 2020December 11, 2020
by jennifer.pryslak

So, the heart. You can’t make this stuff up. All I did was whisk up the custard for a bit of french toast and there it was – with love. I adore french toast. Simple and delicious. If I can infuse a bit of health and wellness into anything, I will. Chaga coffee. From Four Sigmatic. The instant one. Good product. Sometimes I drink it like coffee – other times, I toss it in the cooking. I use a good bread, like the whole wheat voonder bread from Earth Sky Time Community Farm. The custard goes like this:

Whisk it up. Let the bread soak it up and with olive oil or a really good butter and cook until golden brown in a pan. For overnight french toast – kinda like bread pudding – cube up your bread and pour the custard in. Let it soak it up overnight, and pop in the oven in the morning.

But whatever you do, do it with love. And look for signs. They’re everywhere. Even in the french toast batter.

Category: <span>Half Baked</span>