Kale Chips

I don’t know why I resisted making kale chips for so long.

Everyone seems to be blogging, tweeting, facebooking, and instagramming about how delicious and healthy they are. So...here I am. I'm jumping on the bandwagon and joining the kale chips CRAZE! I seem to be about two years late to the party...but better late than never, right?

Talk about a recipe that is super easy and satisfying — after only 12 minutes in the oven, the kale had reached a gorgeous dark green color, was perfectly crisp, and ready to be devoured! I read a lot of recipes where you could season them with a million different spices, but I figured since this was my first attempt I would keep it simple. 

Olive oil + salt = perfection.

These are the perfect snack. Oh, and by the way, in case you didn't know...they’re pretty good for you, too.   :-)

Kale Chips
Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh kale leaves, well-washed and dried
2 Tbsp. olive oil
coarse sea salt

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Rinse the kale leaves, then put them in a salad spinner and spin away. After it comes out, dry it even more with paper towels. You want the leaves to be very dry.
• Using a knife, chop the kale into bite-size pieces (about an inch). Place pieces in a large bowl, and drizzle with olive oil. Using your hands, massage the kale until the leaves are evenly coated with the oil.
• Lay the kale pieces out evenly on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and then sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until kale is dark green and crunchy. Remove from oven, let cool, and then serve.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

I made these last week for a little girls get together and they are seriously good. I know I say that about pretty much everything on here, but really...these are super yummy. Forget all the other things I've posted and suggested that you make, and get on these immediately!

A buttery graham cracker crust with a layer of creamy cheesecake and the chocolate-y goodness of chocolate chip cookie dough is the perfect combination

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
Recipe adapted from The Sweets Life
 
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:
10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Leave your oven on while you prepare the dough.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least a couple hours.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang and cut into squares for serving.

Baked Apple Chips

I love apples. What I love more is the fact that you can find them year round. Since apple season is in full swing now, I've been trying to put them in anything and everything. We went to Whole Foods last Sunday and their produce section was lined with every apple variety you could imagine. So naturally I bought a ton of them. As we were checking out I saw a bag of baked apple chips and I thought these would probably be pretty easy to make...and I figured they would taste even better fresh. Boy was I right. They were DELISH. This is the perfect healthy treat, and plus they make your house (or apartment) smell amazing! :)

Apple Chips

• 2 gala or granny smith apples
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees.
• Don't worry about coring the apples, just slice them super thin and remove the seeds. (A mandolin would definitely be easier to slice the apples, but I didn't have one. Patience and a steady hand are key!)
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the apple slices on the sheet. 

• Sprinkle with cinnamon, sugar, and salt.
• Bake for about an hour until the apple slices are crisp. If they are still soft after an hour, continue baking for another 30 minutes to an hour. Depending on the thickness of each slice it may take a little longer.