Baked apples are a classic American dessert, but I’ve upped the ante by coring them, filling them with a simple streusel, and drizzling (pouring, maybe?) salted caramel on top. And we can totally call this a healthy dessert because, you know, apple. Right? Hey, it’s fruit!

This is a fireside kind of dessert, the kind that you share with family members on game night or some equally idyllic situation. These are impossible not to love, unless you have no soul. I’m feeling very objective today.

This past weekend, Kenny and I had a night by the fire. It was a redo of our New Year’s Eve, the first of which crashed and burned at eight o’clock when our son’s stomach virus erupted everywhere. Yes, I’m being literal. Nobody wants a romantic dinner for two after cleaning that up.

It’s getting harder and harder to stay awake long enough to last through date night. Back in the day, I could guzzle drinks with the smug knowledge that I had nowhere to go and nothing to do in the morning. But when you have kids, that whole game changes suddenly and irrevocably.

Not only have I not owned an alarm clock since 2008, but I have also not awakened past 6:30. And that’s on the very best of days. There are too many children and even more viruses at play to count on a later wake-up time. As a result, my body is hardwired to wake up on weekends at 5:30. Any date nights need to take that little hitch into account.

Take last night, for example. Our youngest is ready for a real bed, but she really loves her crib. We’ve tried to move her out to no avail, and last night she seemed eager to move. So into her older sister’s room she went into a twin bed that swallowed her tiny body whole. Around 12:45, she freaked out because her sister went to the bathroom and she thought she would be alone forever. And at 2 A.M., she started screaming that she wanted to “go back to my room.” And back in her crib she went. I know, I know, I’m weak. But she was screeching the house down, and nobody was getting any sleep.

When Kenny is awakened by children (which happens less for him because he just doesn’t hear them), he can immediately fall back asleep. I, on the other hand, will lie awake in a state of pure tension waiting for someone to wake up again, unable to stop my mind from racing. I wish that I could make my brain stop, but it’s just not possible. So nights like that mean no sleep for Mir. And that means I don’t drink on date night, and I sure don’t stay up past 10. It’s a shame, but what are you gonna do?

Eat a healthier-than-usual dessert, that’s what. The hardest part of this recipe is coring the apples, so I’d recommend having a corer or melon baller around if you’re not handy with a knife. But once you’ve done that, the rest is easy.

The oat-based streusel in each apple takes seconds to prepare, and you drizzle prepared salted caramel topping over the baked apple. It’s such a cozy dessert. I think it’s kind of required to eat this while wrapped in a fuzzy blanket while wearing equally fuzzy slippers.

If you’re about getting healthy this season, this dessert is the one. It’s healthy with just a splash of decadence, making it a perfect choice. Whether you have an early wake-up call or a chance to sleep in late, this will make your evening worthwhile!

Apparently, it’s peach season. I had no idea. I always figured that peaches thrive best in the summertime, along with nectarines. Why is that not true? Can anyone explain it to me?

I’ll be honest. Given the choice between a peach and a nectarine, I’ll go nectarine every time. Something about that fuzzy skin throws me. I’m suspicious of it. But when I’m making a crumble and peeling the fruit anyway, it doesn’t matter!

Peach crumbles are great because you can play with the flavors. I drizzled a little almond extract over the peaches along with vanilla, which works so well. You could never pull that off with a plain ol’ apple. And instead of using flour, I used oat flour. Why not? You’ll never miss it among all the oats and brown sugary goodness!

The most labor-intensive aspect of this recipe is peeling the fruit. Oh, and cutting the butter into the crumb topping. But neither one is that bad. And you can use a pastry cutter to do the topping. If you don’t have one, I highly recommend that you get one ASAP. They have them on Amazon, and you will never dread cutting butter into crust again.

This crumble bakes up in about a half hour, and the best part about it is that you can eat it fresh from the oven! Ideally, with ice cream. And maybe some toasted almonds. And caramel. Okay, I’m gonna calm down now!

Wait. I’m confusing real life with John Hughes movies again.

Yesterday, my husband installed a much better spam filter for my site. You know, so I can stop getting comments like, “There are many women body types and depending on your shape, you will definitely get the best design that fits you perfectly.”

Say what? And that’s one that makes more sense than most. Most are not in English.

So yeah, my husband has filtered my Spam. And in return, I’ve made him another gluten-free treat. A really fun one, if I do say so myself!

These are a riff on one of the best cookies out there, the monster cookie. If you’re not familiar, a monster cookie is a peanut butter oatmeal cookie with M & Ms and chocolate chips. Sometimes people go crazy and put in more mix-ins. Nutty! Anyway, this bar is like monster cookies, but it’s a gluten-free, egg-free cookie dough made from oat flour!

And the top is made of…drum roll, please…PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE. Yep, you read that right. Cookie dough topped with fudge. Can we please have a moment of silence? Wait. I think I just heard chewing. Oh yeah, that’s me.

Oat flour tends to make recipes more moist, so the only catch to these bars is that they have to be kept chilled. Otherwise, they’ll be too sticky to handle. But they taste perfect. And there are little oats poking out of them, so you’ll feel super healthy eating them.

Remember to use gluten-free oats and oat flour. Otherwise, yeah. This recipe ceases to be gluten-free!

My husband deserves a lot more than just these bars, but they’re a start. Maybe I can find some really good seats at the next Orioles game to top it all off and win wife of the year.

Try these out! They’re no-bake and perfect for this hot weather!

Cookie Dough Layer:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups oat flour
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup mini M & Ms

Fudge Layer:

• 1 bag peanut butter chips
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and mix again. Pour in oat flour and condensed milk alternately, beating until thoroughly combined.

Stir in the mini chocolate chips and mini M & Ms. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch greased pan.

Next, make the fudge layer. Using a microwave-safe bowl, heat the condensed milk and peanut butter chips for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth, add the vanilla, and stir again. Pour the fudge layer over the cookie dough layer, being sure to spread the fudge to the edges of the pan.

Refrigerate for 2 hours. When the cookie dough fudge is firm, cut into small squares and serve! Store covered in the refrigerator for up to one week.