Citrus Crumb Bars

Lemon Crumb Bars

adapted from TastyKitchen

INGREDIENTS

Filling
2- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup lemon juice

Zest of lemon
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
0.5 tsp salt
Crumb

1.5 cups ap flour

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup melted butter

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Combine milk, citrus juice and zest. Mix well and set aside.

Mix remaining ingredients until crumbly..

Press half of the dry mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk mixture over top.

Finish by sprinkling remaining dry mixture over the top of the citrus filling, and gently press.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cool completely then store in the refrigerator.

KEY LIME COCONUT CRUMB BARS

Key Lime Coconut Crumb Bars

INGREDIENTS

Filling
2- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup Key Lime juice

zest of Key Limes
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
0.5 tsp salt
Crumb

1.5 cups ap flour

0.5 cup oatmeal
1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Same as above.

I first found this recipe a couple years ago, and instantly fell in love. I was going through a lemon phase, and this recipe filled my need for all things lemon. I doubled the sweetened condensed milk and juice from the original recipe because I needed it to have a little more zip. About a year later I went through a lime phase, and revamped this recipe to be my ultimate lime dream. I think this works best with citrus fruits that are zippy! Oranges might be too sweet to for this application. I'm not sure about grapefruit, because I'm allergic- but someone should try it and let me know! This recipe is fool proof, and easy!

Cowgirl Cookies

adapted from Bakerella

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, m&ms, chocolate chips, pecans, coconut, brown and white sugar in a large mixing bowl. Blend well to break up any chunks of brown sugar. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, beat the egg, butter and vanilla together.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix together.

Scoop out 1 1/2 inch balls of dough, and place on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool on cookie sheet before transferring to wire cooling rack.

Serve to that special cowboy or cowgirl in your life.

I first found this recipe during Erica Ellen's Cookie Extravaganza in Honor of Black History Month… and then I forgot about them. The other night my niece found out that I have a crap ton of cookbooks. Cookbooks are her new favorite books. So we were looking through my homemade one, and found this recipe and declared, "We HAVE to make these right now." I shot her down because it was 10:00 pm, and I am a grown up with a job. When I came home early from work the next day, we made them. I want to rename them because I added coconut, and have decided that they are even better, so I wanna rename them "Reverse Cowgirl Cookies" but I don't want you all to think I am super disgusting. Just know that they are that good, and easy soooo you need to make them yourself.