Everyone will love this banana bread turned fruit cake for the holidays! Complete with a rum glaze drizzle on top.

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Unpopular opinion: I love fruit cake. But to clarify, I love my dad’s fruit cake. In fact, most people who hate fruit cake enjoy my dad’s version. It’s not the overpowering brick that most people think of as fruit cake. But I am not here to talk about that version.

Since 2020 was the year of all the bread baking, including lots of banana bread, I decided to made a banana bread version of fruit cake!

It’s everything you love about banana bread with festive flair – moist, not overly sweet, flavorful, and packed with candied fruits and nuts. I am actually surprised I did not come up with this idea sooner.

The combination of banana bread and fruit cake was basically meant to be. So if you also are a fruit cake hater but love banana bread, maybe you should give this one a try!

This is actually my last recipe to share in 2020. I almost didn’t share it, but after doing a treat exchange with two friends I was asked if the recipe was on my blog. Figured I’d give the people what they want now rather than making them wait (and forget) a year from now.

However, I do have a friend gust posting tomorrow for a festive cocktail to get you through the rest of 2020, so stay tuned! Then all that’s left is the Best of 2020 recap post! What were you favorites of the year? A lot of old posts from years past popped up this year so I may have to revise the list a little this year to include those as well.

Five years ago: Cranberry Apple Cider Sangria

Eight years ago: Christmas Magic Cookie Bars

Nine years ago: Christmas Recipe Roundup (2011)

Ten years ago: Pizza Tart

RUM GLAZED FRUIT CAKE BANANA BREAD

Print

Yield: 1 loaf Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

BREAD

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup diced candied fruit blend
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

GLAZE

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 Tbsp milk
• 1 Tbsp spiced rum (or more milk)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine mashed bananas with melted butter and sugars, mixing well. Add the egg and beat well.
3. Stir in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until incorporated. Then, gently fold in the fruit and nuts. Be careful not to over mix!
4. Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs (but no batter).
5. Allow to cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. To make the glaze, in a small bowl whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and rum together until smooth, adding more powdered sugar or milk to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cool bread and let set before slicing and serving.

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Who knew eating a mouse could be so appetizing? These chocolate covered cherries are dressed up as Christmas mice for the holidays!

This content contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Finishing off Christmas Sweets Week with a little treat that strikes a little close to home for me right now as my day job currently includes an experiment involving mice. I won’t go into detail about that, but rest assured that these are actually just chocolate covered cherries for the body and tail, Hershey kisses for the head, and almond slices for the ears. I used a little bit of red candy coating to make little santa hats with snowflake sprinkles for them too!

I actually made these last year for our lab fundraiser, themed “Have a Typhoid Mary Christmas” and included “raw hamburger” rice crispy treat patties, “unfinished courses of antibiotic” jelly beans, chocolate covered raisin “gallstones”, “petri dish” cookies, and these happy little Merry Christmice chocolate covered cherries. As you can imagine we ended up winning the most creative category but also ended up raising the most money for charity too!

Welcome to #ChristmasSweetsWeek 2020! Co-hosted by Terri from Love and Confections and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! What better way to celebrate the holidays than with food and fun? 21 bloggers from around the country have come together to share some of their favorite sweet Christmas recipes!! Deck the halls and get ready for very merry sweet treats, like fudge, cookies, Christmas morning breakfasts, layer cakes, cocoa, and more! Follow along on social media with our #ChristmasSweetsWeek hashtag. Happy Holidays!

Enjoy these #ChristmasSweetsWeek recipes from our bloggers:

Beverage Recipes
Frozen Eggnog Cocktail by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Breakfast and Baked Goods Recipes
Orange Sweet Rolls by Sweet Beginnings
Peppermint Mocha Muffins by Making Miracles

Candy and Fudge Recipes
Candied Almonds by House of Nash Eats
Easy Homemade Christmas Crack Toffee by Blogghetti
Egg Nog Fudge by A Little Fish in the Kitchen Lemon

Pastry and Dessert Recipes
Achu Murukku / Rosette Cookies by Magical Ingredients
Bittersweet Chocolate Bourbon Balls by An Affair from the Heart
Candy Cane White Chocolate Cookies by The Redhead Baker
Candy Crunch Ice Cream Cake by The Mandatory Mooch
Carrot Cake Crinkle Sandwich Cookies by Bear & Bug Eats
Chocolate Covered Cherry Mice by The Spiffy Cookie
Gingerbread Men Cookies by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
Peppermint Fudge Cake by Simply Inspired Meals
St Louis Gooey Butter Cake by For the Love of Food

Three years ago: Bacon, Cheddar, Caramelized Onion, and Potato Pierogi

Four years ago: Weekly Meal Plan #42 – Christmas Edition

Five years ago: Homemade Instant Oatmeal

Six years ago: Pear-Cranberry Sauce

Seven years ago: Gluten-Free Chipotle Cornbread Muffins

Eight years ago: Streusel-Topped Milky Way Apple Butter Bread

CHOCOLATE COVERED CHERRY MICE

Print

Yield: 5 dozen

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 60 maraschino cherries with stems attached
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 3 Tbsp corn syrup
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 lb chocolate candy coating (or chocolate chips)
• 60 Hershey's kisses, unwrapped
• 1/4 cup red candy coating
• 60 snowflake sprinkles
• 120 almond slices

Directions

1. Drain cherries and set on paper towels to dry.
2. In a medium bowl, combine butter and corn syrup until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar and knead to form a dough. Chill to stiffen if necessary.
3. Wrap each cherry in about 1 teaspoon of dough. Chill in freezer until firm.
4. Meanwhile, line baking sheets with wax paper; set aside.
5. Melt red candy coating and place into a piping bag (or ziptop bag with the corner snipped of).
6. Pipe a little red triangle onto the wax paper, place a snowflake sprinkle on the top, and then one almond slice on either side of the triangle (for ears).
7. Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat but keep over hot water.
8. Slightly dip the flat side of a Hershey kiss into the melted chocolate and then place just barely over the bottom edge of the red "hat" and almond "ears".
9. Dip each cherry in the remaining melted chocolate by its stem, place on its side on prepared sheets, and immediately press the flat side of an assembled kiss (mouse head with ears and hat) onto the opposite side of the stem. Chill until completely set.
10. Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Best after 1 or 2 weeks.

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I’m at it again, adding savory things to sweet treats, this time with goat cheese and rosemary in thumbprint cookies. Normally I use cream cheese or Greek yogurt so swapping them for goat cheese was not a difficult change. The slightly tangy flavor of the goat cheese pairs well with the sweet cherry jam, which in turn heightens the fresh rosemary flavor. It’s just a little love triangle in cookie form.

The flavors of these cookies may not be traditional to Christmas, but I’m not one to stick to traditions. But the flavors do (unintentionally) represent Christmas colors with red cherry jam, green rosemary, and white goat cheese. Maybe I am subliminally traditional haha. What is your favorite holiday cookie?

Two years ago: Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

Three years ago: Weekly Meal Plan #38 – Thanksgiving Edition

Four years ago: Homemade Instant Oatmeal

Five years ago: Pear-Cranberry Sauce

Six years ago: Gluten-Free Chipotle Cornbread Muffins

Seven years ago: Streusel-Topped Milky Way Apple Butter Bread

GOAT CHEESE & ROSEMARY THUMBPRINTS WITH CHERRY JAM

Print

Yield: 3 dozen Prep Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 8 Minutes 8 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 oz. goat cheese, room temperature
• 1-1/2 cups plus 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 tsp Adams vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp 2% milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2-1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 cup cherry jam or preserves

Directions

1. In a stand mixer or large bowl with electric hand mixer, mix ingredients in order until fully incorporated (except jam). Cover and chill dough in refrigerator for one hour.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Shape dough into walnut-sized balls (I used my medium cookie scoop). Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or silicone baking mat). Bake for 8 minutes.
3. Using the back of a spoon or your thumb, gently push a crevasse into the center of each cookie immediately after removing from oven while still on the cookie sheet (be careful not to push all the way through the cookie) and spoon a teaspoon of cherry jam into the center of each cookie. Let cool before transferring to wire rack.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!
Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Thank you to Ellen of Family Around the Table and Christie from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures for hosting #ChristmasCookies Week And a huge thank you to our sponsors Adams Extract and Millican Pecan Company for supporting the bloggers and events like Christmas Cookies Week.

Check out today’s cookie recipes:

Black Forest Stuffed Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Bourbon Molasses Cookies by Cookaholic Wife
Cake Mix Chocolate Peppermint Cookies by Love and Confections
Candied Pecan Lace Cookies by Food Above Gold
Caramel Butter Pecan Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Chocolate Pecan Thumbprint Cookies by Intelligent Domestications
Coconut Grinchy Christmas Breakfast Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Cinnamon Pecan Snickerdoodles by Blogghetti
Dark Chocolate Pecan Croissant Cookies by Daily Dish Recipes
Easy Snickerdoodle Cookie by Everyday Eileen
Fruit Cake Biscotti by Creative Southern Home
Fruitcake Cookies by Red Cottage Chronicles
Gluten Free Hungarian Rugelach by Frugal & Fit
Goat Cheese & Rosemary Thumbprints with Cherry Jam by The Spiffy Cookie
Hot Chocolate Chip Cookies by Cheese Curd In Paradise
No Bake Chocolate & Marshmallow Stained Glass Cookies by Hardly A Goddess
Pecan Butterscotch Shortbread Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Pecan Sandies by Books n’ Cooks
Pecan Tassies by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
Peppermint Blossom Cookies by Family Around the Table
Speculaas Stars by Palatable Pastime
Triple Chocolate Mint Cookies by Sweet Beginnings

Prize 1 – Millican Pecan Tower of Treats Gift Tins

Originally founded as the West Texas Pecan Nursery in the late 1800’s, Millican Pecan is now in 5th generation ownership. Located in San Saba, TX, the family continues the tradition of pecan farming while also branching the business into the online world. The family also enjoys educating people about pecans. One winner will receive The Tower of Treats Gift Tins. The tower includes 3 decorative gift tins stacked on top of each other. The bottom tin includes our 2 lb. Chocolate Pecan Sampler, the middle tin is our Flavored Pecan Sampler and the top tin is a 8 oz. tin of Milk Chocolate Caramillicans (similar to Turtles). An $80 value.

Prize 2 – Adams Extract Prize Pack

Adams traces its beginnings back to Battle Creek, Michigan, when John A. Adams began making and selling his Green Plant Sarsaparilla extract, Adamur, in 1888. In 1905, he moved his family to Beeville, TX. At the time, most vanilla sold to pharmacies and was often labeled “Do not bake or freeze.” John A. Adams’ wife yearned for a flavoring that wouldn’t bake or freeze out. He announced that he could produce a better vanilla than the one his wife was currently using. Working with just $6.71 worth of materials on top of an old icebox, John A. Adams discovered the formula he wanted. To test this product, his wife whipped up a cake for the family to try. “John, this is the BEST flavoring I have ever used,” she announced. “Well, that’s old man Adams BEST,” he responded.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Two (2) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. Bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Winners have 24 hours to respond once notified by email, or they forfeit the prize and an alternate winner will be chosen. The #ChristmasCookies bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members living in the household cannot enter or win the giveaway. Entries will be verified. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter giveaway and contest is open only to US residents. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or any other social channel mentioned in the #ChristmasCookies posts or entry. Thank you to our sponsors Millican Pecan Company, and Adams Extracts and Flavorings for providing prizes.

Cranberry sauce is a Thanksgiving staple, but have you ever tried it with tart cherries mixed in?

Did you grow up with the canned cranberry sauce that maintained not only the can shape, but the ridges? Not gonna lie, I still love that stuff. But I also enjoy making my own because it means I get to tinker with it! I have added pear to my homemade cranberry sauce before but this time I decided to use tart cherries. Lat year we hosted Bob’s parents and his dad loves tart cherries so it seemed like the right thing to do!

Another question: do you put cranberry sauce or gravy on your turkey? I like it both ways. As you can see pictured below I poured each on one half of my turkey. For more cranberry recipes, check out the list below…

It’s Cranberry Week! See all the other delicious cranberry recipes being shared today (and follow #cranberryweek to see even more):

• Cranberry & Brown Sugar Glazed Turkey Meatloaf from Savory Moments
• Cranberry Butter from Daily Dish Recipes
• Cranberry Curd Pie from The Redhead Baker
• Cranberry Glazed Meatballs from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Cranberry Jalapeno Cream Cheese Dip from Sweet Beginnings
• Cranberry Orange Marmalade from Books n’ Cooks
• Cranberry Prosecco Punch from Our Good Life
• Cranberry Salsa from The Freshman Cook
• Cranberry Swirl Mini Cheesecakes from Our Crafty Mom
• Cranberry Walnut Bread from Palatable Pastime
• Easy Homemade Cranberry Vanilla Liqueur from Family Around the Table
• Homemade Granola Recipe (with cranberries & coconut) from Caroline’s Cooking
• Jalapeno Cranberry Bombs from Cookaholic Wife
• Pear and Cranberry Salad from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Polar Espresso Cookies from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Roasted Maple Bourbon Cranberry Sauce from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Sugared Sparkling Cranberries from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Tart Cherry Cranberry Sauce from The Spiffy Cookie

Two years ago: Buckeye Muffins

Four years ago: Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Burrito Bowls

Five years ago: Seattle & 99 Bottles of Root Beer on the Wall

Six years ago: Grilled Mac & Cheese Sandwiches

Eight years ago: Chocolate Root Beer Bundt Cake

TART CHERRY CRANBERRY SAUCE

Makes approximately 3 cups

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) bag fresh (or frozen) cranberries

1 cup tart cherries, pitted and chopped

3/4 cups cherry juice (or preferred fruit juice)

1/2 cup honey

1/2 Tbsp lime juice, about 1/4 lime (optional)

Directions:

1. Wash the cranberries under cool water, then dump into a large saucepan. Pour in the rest of the ingredients and stir.
2. Turn the heat on high until it reaches a boil. The cranberries will begin to pop. Once at a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, or until thickened.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before serving. Or if making in advance, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Source: Adapted from my Pear-Cranberry Sauce.

Warning: If you bring these cookies to a gathering, make sure you let people know what they are or put a sign on them, especially if there are kids around. They look so much like regular chocolate chip cookies that the flavor can be very surprising if you were expecting it to be just that! I know from experience because I watched a child at a neighborhood gathering grab one from across the room. He split it in half, gave one half to his sister (who ate it gleefully mind you) while the brother took one bite and spit it out. I felt bad but also couldn’t help but laugh. I’ve been surprised by just a cherry chocolate chip cookie so I can’t imagine not knowing there was lavender in there as well. Not to say they are not delicious additions but perception and expectation do matter in situations like this!

I actually was worried the lavender wasn’t coming through enough when I first made the dough because I couldn’t really smell or taste it in the dough (yes I break my own cautionary tales), but after chilling in the fridge and subsequent baking the lavender was definitely not hiding anymore. What other ways have you used lavender? I tend to use it in cookies most but also made lemonade once and a lemon pie. But I digress, this week is supposed to be about stone fruit not lavender (maybe another time). Obviously I used dried cherries in these cookies but scroll down to see what everyone else made today. I’ll be back on Wednesday with one more stone fruit recipe this week.

Check out all the yummy recipes for Stone Fruit Week:

Cherry Lavender Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies from The Spiffy Cookie

Grilled Peaches with Blueberry Syrup from Blogghetti

Individual Plum Crisps from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Mango Pistachio Popsicles from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Peach, Bacon, and Brie Panini from Sweet Beginnings

Peach Blueberry Mini Trifles from Palatable Pastime

Peach Daiquiri from Our Good Life

Plum Picking + Plum-Rosemary Jam from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Vegan Peaches and Cream Layer Cake from The Baking Fairy

Three years ago: Blueberry-Lime Streusel Muffins

Four years ago: Chopped Village Salad

Five years ago: Fresh Peach Pie

Eight years ago: Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie

CHERRY LAVENDER DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

Makes about 3 dozen

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 Tbsp dried culinary lavender

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg + 1 yolk, room temperature

2 cups chopped dark chocolate

1 cup dried cherries

Directions:

1. Sift together the flour, lavender, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended (1-2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients in three batches until just blended. Fold in the chips and cherries by hand.
3. Rolls 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball that is slightly taller than wide and place on a plate or tray. Cover tightly and chill for at least 2 hours, but overnight for best results (I’ve refrigerated for up to a week).
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silicone baking mats (or parchment paper); set aside.
5. Place cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for 8 minutes or until edges are barely golden (will look underbaked). Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted slightly from My Favorite Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Become a fruit cake lover with these easy fruit cake 7-layer bars. With layers of candied cherries, candied pineapple, golden raisins, almonds, and coconut!

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In my family, fruit cake is rejoiced, not dreaded, because my dad makes a fruit cake that people actually want to eat.

Last year I ventured out a little bit and make fruit cake cookies and I enjoyed them so much actually made these fruit cake layer bars shortly after. But then it was past Christmas and no one wanted to hear about fruit cake anymore.

But it’s that time of year again and its okay for me to talk about fruit cake! Yes I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a year now (and it’s not the only one) and I still think a year later that it’s totally worthy.

I took all the components of my dad’s fruit cake and layered them in these bars. The only difference is the addition of coconut and the use of almonds instead of pecans. But that’s the great thing about layer bars, you can do whatever you want!

One year ago: Gluten-Free Tahini Swirled Brownies

Three years ago: Cone Head Cupcakes with Ice Cream Frosting

Four years ago: White Cheddar Mac & Cheese in a Mug

Six years ago: Toffee Apple Dip

Seven years ago: Brownie Peanut Butter Cups

FRUIT CAKE 7-LAYER BARS

Print

Yield: 2 dozen Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped candied red and green cherries (so 1/2 cup each)
• 1 cup chopped candied pineapple
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup chopped almonds
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press evenly into the bottom of prepared pan.
3. Sprinkle cherries, pineapple, raisins, almonds, and coconut over the top. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of the bars.
4. Bake for about 25 minutes, until they get golden around the edges. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

Source: Adapted from my S’mores Lucky 7-Layer Bars and my dad’s Pecan Fruit Cake.

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This cherry cobbler made with sweet cherries is topped with a savory-sweet rosemary biscuit. You can’t go wrong eating it as is or with a scoop of ice cream on top!

Today is the kickoff of #SummerDessertWeek hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife! I’m always down for a celebration that involves a lot of desserts so I’m excited to share the recipes I have made for you this week and also to see what the other 24 bloggers are dishing out!

To sweeten the deal, I just so happen to have gotten engaged over the weekend so it’s basically a party for me, right?!

Oh did I just nonchalantly drop that I got engaged? Yup! Poor Bob, I basically went catatonic when it happened out of complete shock and attempts to keep some kind of composure while sitting on the patio of one of our favorite nicer restaurants in town.

Sure I knew this day would come eventually, but I thought it would be another couple months to a year still! And it was on his freaking birthday! Guess he got a great birthday present haha.

This is how it went down. Dessert had just arrived and he asked if I wanted to take pictures of them both (duh). While I was snapping an aerial shot he said “do you want a food prop?” and in the frame of my photo pops a ring and (much to my dismay later) instead of taking the shot I immediately set my phone down and said “are you serious right now?”.

Oh the romance! Have I ever mentioned how bad I am at forming my emotions into words? Especially since the next thing I said was “are you for real?” to which he said “yes, will you marry me?”.

That’s when I went unresponsive because I was fighting the urge to squeal and cry at the same time because we were surrounded on either side by other people dining – why I care about bothering others in a time like this is beyond me.

After what felt like an eternity (likely for Bob as well because he later said he thought I looked pissed) I finally mustered out an “of course!” and promptly ruined it by saying I couldn’t look at him or else I’d start crying from emotional overload. Bob wanted surprise and he definitely scored 100% on that!

As for the ring, he said he didn’t dare try to figure out what I wanted so instead he crafted me a ring out of wood, which couldn’t have been more fitting (other than the fact that it was too big and he later had to make another) because he’s always building things out of wood.

It may just be a placeholder for now but I still think it’s freaking awesome! And of course there’s the fact that I don’t even know what kind of ring I want so this gives me some time to figure it out. There’s just too many options when you’re not really into the traditional looking kind!

Now that I’ve told you the story, I guess it’s time to talk about this cobbler? Normally I am not a fan of cherry pie, but it happens to be one of Bob’s favorites, mostly due to nostalgia because growing up his family had a tart cherry tree in the yard. One of these days I need to make him cherry hand pies or something…

…because even this cobbler isn’t made with tart cherries – haha oops!

This cherry rosemary cobbler is made with sweet cherries of which I am a huge fan. And since our garden is growing like crazy with all of the rain we’ve been getting, I was able to pluck some rosemary and work it into the biscuit topping. So much yum.

Thank you OXO for the 9-inch glass pie plate and cherry pitter, Rainier Fruit for the cherries, Dixie Crystals for the sugar and Land O’Lakes for the butter! Please don’t forget to check out the giveaway and everyone else’s recipes for today listed below. There’s also a separate giveaway from Dixie Crystals running through Wednesday.

Check out the amazing #SummerDessertWeek recipes from our bloggers today!

Ice Cream Recipes:

• No Churn Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream from Big Bear’s Wife
• No Churn Cherry Crisp Ice Cream from Miss in the Kitchen
• No-Churn Peanut Butter Lovers Ice Cream from Home Sweet Homestead
• No Churn Banana Walnut Ice Cream from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Grilled Pineapple Ring Rum Sundae from Daily Dish Recipes
• Creamy No Churn Peach Ice Cream from 4 Sons ‘R’ Us

Pies of Summer:

• Lattice Topped Blueberry Peach Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Coconut Key Lime Pie from The Domestic Kitchen
• Berry Cherry Pie from A Blender Mom

Sweet Summertime Cakes:

• Cherry Almond Cake from Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine
• Homemade Angel Food Cake with Sugared Berries from Me and My Pink Mixer
• Cherry Vanilla Poke Cake from The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Gooey Nutella Microwave Mug Cake from For the Love of Food

No Bake Treats:

• Blueberry Coconut Gelato Pie from The Whimsy One
• Blueberry Parfait from Bowl Me Over

Baked Desserts:

• Churro Bites with Mexican Chocolate Dipping Sauce from Love Bakes Good Cakes
• Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes from The JavaCupcake Blog
• Blueberry Limencello Cobbler from Sweet ReciPeas
• Blueberry Biscuits from Fake Ginger
• Blueberry Crumb Bars from Southern Plate
• Cherry Struesel Muffins from My Baking Heart
• Rustic Cherry Galette from Jen Around the World
• Roasted Cherry Meringue Fool from Cooking In Stilettos
• Cherry Rosemary Cobbler from The Spiffy Cookie
• Cherry Almond Cobbler from Southern From Scratch

One year ago: Weekly Meal Plan #22

Two years ago: Glazed Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

Three years ago: Almond-Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Lemon Neufchâtel

Four years ago: Birthday Cake S’mores Cookies

Five years ago: Corn Chowder with Zucchini and Orzo

CHERRY ROSEMARY COBBLER

Serves 8

Ingredients:

FILLING

24 oz. pitted and halved Rainier Fruit cherries

1/4 cup Dixie Crystals pure cane sugar

2 Tbsp Land O’Lakes unsalted butter

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp cornstarch

TOPPING

1/4 cup Dixie Crystals pure cane sugar

1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 Tbsp Land O’Lakes chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Make the filling: In a large bowl combine the cherries, sugar, butter, lemon, and cornstarch. Toss, pour into a deep 9-inch pie plate and set aside.
3. Make the topping: Add the sugar and rosemary to a medium bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the rosemary into the sugar until fragrant. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine.
4. Add the butter, then use a pastry cutter (or your fingertips) to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1 cup of the cream, just until the dough begins to clump together. Drop spoonfuls of batter on top of cherries.
5. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Cool at least 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Source: Adapted from Strawberry Basil Shortcakes and Peach Cobbler with Honey-Thyme Biscuits.

Do you find homemade pies intimidating? Never fear, this cobbler has everything you love about pie in an easier format. Just mix, dump, and top with crust!

As part of the Book Club Cook Book Cooking Crew, this month Ashley (Cheese Curd in Paradise) hosted with an invitation to read The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara and/or make Civil War Cherry Apple Cobbler with Sweet Vanilla Custard, or a recipe inspired by it/the story. Unfortunately, I don’t have much free time to read a new book every month but I am always down for eating!

While apples are easy to find year round, cherries are not as common. This recipe avoids that dilemma by using unsweetened canned cherries. (I  would have preferred using fresh cherries. Alas, that was not in the cards so I stuck with the can.)

The apple-cherry filling is topped with essentially a pie crust, so it’s almost like an inverted pie. You could probably use a store bought prepared pie crust if you wanted a short cut. I’ve even seen a cobbler of apple pie cinnamon rolls made with store-bought cinnamon rolls.

When it came to serving this up-side-down cherry apple cobbler pie, I did go ahead and use vanilla ice cream instead of making the vanilla custard. Even though I adore custard I already had some ice cream on hand and I have a weakness for ice cream melting over a hot dessert.

Don’t miss the giveaway at the end of this post for a chance to win your own copy of The Book Club Cook Book.

One year ago: Greek Lemon Potatoes

Two years ago: Oven-Fried Mac and Cheese Ravioli Salad

Three years ago: Baked Banana-Pecan Oatmeal

CHERRY APPLE COBBLER

Serves 10-12

CRUST

1-1/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter

1/4 cup cold milk

1/2 tsp white vinegar

1 egg, beaten

Course sugar for sprinkling

FILLING

1 (15.5 oz) can unsweetened cherries, drained

5 cups peeled and thinly sliced apples

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup black cherry preserves

Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-1/2 quart casserole dish and set aside.
2. For the crust, in a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Add butter by pulsing in a food processor or cutting in with a knife until it resembles coarse wet sand.
3. Add vinegar to milk, add to flour mixture, and mix until distributed. With hands, form dough into a round flattened disc, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
4. To make the filling, in a large bowl, stir together all of the filling ingredients. Set aside.
5. Roll out the dough 10 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin to fit your casserole dish.
6. To assemble, pour cherry-apple filling into prepared casserole dish. Cover with the crust and loosely seal the edges. Cut a steam hole in the middle and brush egg over the surface of the crust. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
7. Bake 55-60 minutes, until the crust is nicely browned and apples are tender. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

Source: Filling adapted slightly from The Book Club Cookbook. Crust from my Dad.

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Never buy processed oatmeal packets again. Get the taste of homemade oatmeal in an instant with this homemade instant oatmeal mix recipe. Just add your favorite mix-ins to individual packets!

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When I left for college (12 years ago is it now? yeesh), I bought a Sam’s club sized package of the individual microwaveable oatmeal packets in the apple cinnamon flavor thinking they would be adequate substitutes for my dad’s homemade oatmeal that I was used to. Moving away from home to another state requires some reminders of home, right?

Just when I thought I had the cure for homesickness figured out, oatmeal now cooked in the microwave/mini-fridge combo that came with my dorm room, I took a bite and immediately regretted it. After my taste buds revolted my next thought was “how the heck do people eat this!?”. 

Yes, processed oatmeal packets made for the microwave were ruined for me because I was spoiled by homemade from scratch oatmeal, made with fresh and love. Or maybe I was saved, growing up knowing what oatmeal should taste like.

But sometimes I just don’t have the 20ish minutes in the morning to make oatmeal for breakfast during the week and yet still crave a nice warm bowl of homemade oatmeal, especially now with the temperatures slowly dropping. So I decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and make homemade instant oatmeal packets made with quick cook oats which are perfect for cooking in the microwave. Then I got to play with all kinds of flavor combos! 

I took pictures of my first 5 mix-in ideas but while writing up this post I thought of a couple more. Pictured are berries and cream, apple walnut, cherry almond, peanut butter and chocolate chip (the prepared version is the first photo), and chocolate coconut. Some other ideas include pumpkin pecan, banana bread, and even s’mores if you can get your hands on those dehydrated marshmallow bits.

Whatever flavor you choose, store them in zip-top baggies to take to work or throw it in a small glass jar and nuke the oatmeal in it too! You could even add fresh fruit when you make it if you prefer. Or if you’re not a planner, you can just make one portion of oatmeal as needed.

How to make rolled oats into instant oats?

If you only have whole rolled oats on hand, all you have to do it pulse them in a food processor or blender a few times to break them down into smaller pieces. Those smaller pieces allow them to be cooked faster or in this case “instantly”!

What mix-ins will you add to your homemade instant oatmeal mix recipe?

Outstanding Oatmeal

• Baked Oatmeal with Berries from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries from Blogghetti
• Chai Tea Overnight Oats from Palatable Pastime
• Chocolate Baked Oatmeal from Jen Around the World
• Overnight Oats Lower Carb Option from Art of Natural Living
• Pebble Top Oatmeal Bread from That Recipe
• Rasmalai Oat Pancakes from Magical Ingredients

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P.S. Don’t forget to fill out the first ever reader survey to have your voice heard! To reward you, I also have it paired with a great giveaway with some of my favorites. CLICK HERE. **CLOSED**

One year ago: Pear-Cranberry Sauce

Two years ago: Gluten-Free Chipotle Cornbread Muffins

Three years ago: Streusel-Topped Milky Way Apple Butter Bread

HOMEMADE INSTANT OATMEAL

Print

Yield: 1 serving Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 3 Minutes 3 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

BASE

• 4 cup quick cooking oats
• 1/3 cup dry milk powder
• 1/3 cup ground flaxseed or oat bran
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

MIX-INS

• 1/2 cup base
• 3/4 cup water

APPLE WALNUT

• 2 Tbsp chopped dried apples
• 1 Tbsp chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg

CHERRY ALMOND

• 2 Tbsp dried cherries
• 1 Tbsp slivered or chopped almonds

PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE CHIP

• 1 Tbsp peanut butter powder (I like PB& Co mighty nut original)
• 1 Tbsp mini semisweet chocolate chips

BERRIES & CREAM

• 2 Tbsp dried strawberries/cranberries/berry mix
• 1 Tbsp chopped white chocolate

CHOCOLATE-COCONUT

• 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp toasted coconut

PUMPKIN PECAN

• 1 Tbsp chopped toasted pecans
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin spice flavored morsels
• 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice

BANANA BREAD

• 2 Tbsp chopped dried bananas, chopped
• 1 Tbsp chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

S'MORES

• 1 Tbsp graham cracker crumbs
• 1 Tbsp marshmallow bits
• 1 Tbsp mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together the base ingredients. Divide into 1/2 cup portions, storing in zip-top sandwich baggies or 8 ounce glass jars. Add desired mix ins.
2. To cook, place mixture in a microwave safe bowl with 3/4 cup water. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, and then microwave another 1-2 minutes or until desired consistency.

Source: Inspired by Half Baked Harvest.

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As usual, my time visiting family in LA went much too quickly. As much as I love being there for my nephew’s birthdays, I need to make a point to visit on non-party weekends so that we can explore the city more. Or rather I should stay for more than just a 3 day weekend. Originally I had hoped to be able to stay an extra day or two but unfortunately had not accumulated enough time off just yet and being that I just started this job in January, didn’t feel like pushing it by asking if I could take my days off early and then work those days later on. Maybe next year.

This trip was my first time flying with Southwest and I must say, I was quite pleased. I am actually not dreading jumping on another flight this Thursday to go to San Juan off the coast of Seattle with some of my childhood friends, celebrating out 30th birthday year. The best part of my return flight was being able to watch the Women’s national soccer team beat the pants off of Japan. Heck yea free live TV! Originally I wanted to post the fun birthday/Fourth of July cake I made for my nephew’s birthday today but I didn’t have time to sift through all the photos. Instead you are getting a different kind of patriotic treat in the form of a cherry and strawberry galette, made with a gluten-free pie crust.

One year ago: Single Serving Oven-Fried Onion Rings

Three years ago: Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

Four years ago: Italian Herb & Cheese Fettucine

GLUTEN-FREE CHERRY-BERRY GALETTE

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 refrigerated gluten-free pie crust (or homemade)

2 cups cherries, pitted and halved

2 cups sliced strawberries (or a mix of berries)

1-1/2 Tbsp cornstarch

1-1/2 Tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg + 1 tsp water, lightly beaten

Coarse sugar

Strawberry jam, warmed (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the cherries, strawberries, cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Set aside.
3. Roll out dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Leaving a 2-inch border of crust, layer the fruit evenly in the center. Fold the crust over the fruit on the edges. Brush the exposed crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden. Place sheet on a wire rack to cool before slicing and serving. Before serving, brush the fruit with warm jam, if desired. (Best served the same day.)

Source: Adapted from my Ginger-Nectarine Galette.

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