As Spring Quarter classes ramp up and planners fill to the brim, allowing less white space in addition to our now less-frequent grocery shopping excursions, meal options might be less diverse than before. In this current era of the COVID-19 stay-at-home lockdown orders, many have stocked their pantries with non-perishable staples. Over the past few weeks, we have collectively ridden the waves of a massive increase in yeast demand due to a surge in self-taught bread bakers. Empty produce bins stare back at us blankly and shared treasure hunts for fresh garlic bulbs, such as my dad and another shopper’s garlic hunting experience, often end with our hands still empty. In a time like now, when finding a recipe and executing it with all the ingredients originally intended is becoming more difficult, it is easy to get caught in the cycle of making and eating the same dishes with the staples you have until your taste buds know nothing else. 

Finding the little everyday joys can help you through this abnormal time, and for many, dessert begs for its well-deserved spotlight. Here, in this first edition of Quarantine Recipes, are some simple yet delicious sweet treats that are easy on time, ingredients, and effort. Whether you need a Zoom lecture baking break or a weekend kitchen field trip, you’ve come to the right place. If you are home with family in quarantine, don’t be surprised when family members come to you asking for more. Your eyes will also thank you for giving them a much-needed screen break.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies 

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar or brown sugar
1 egg or 1 flax egg (1 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal and 2 Tbsp water. Let sit for 5 minutes.)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated. Roll into 2 inch balls and place staggered on a lined cookie sheet. Using the back of a fork, press down to score each cookie with criss-cross marks. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool.

Fruit Crisp with Oatmeal Cookie Crumble

Filling:
4 apples, pears, or peaches, or 4 cups frozen blueberries or mixed berries
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Cookie Crumble:
1 cup oats
½ cup flour
½ cup brown sugar
6 Tbsp cold butter

For the filling, toss chopped fruit with flour, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a bowl. Transfer to a baking dish such as a square pan or pie pan. Set aside. For the crumble, combine oats, flour, and sugar. Add diced butter into the mixture, and use your hands to mix into a cookie dough-like texture. Next, distribute the crumble evenly on top of the fruit mixture in the pan. Press down to create a top crust. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes, or until the crust is browned and crispy. Serve on its own or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate Clusters

Ingredients:
½ cup dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, chopped apricots
½ cup nuts such as almonds, peanuts, cashews, pecans
1 cup any chocolate 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cluster handfuls of dried fruit and nuts spaced 2 inches apart. Melt chocolate in the microwave or on a double boiler until smooth. Spoon melted chocolate on top of each cluster, making sure that each one has chocolate blanketing all pieces underneath. Let sit until the chocolate has hardened. 

Pro tip: Trader Joe’s Pound Plus chocolate bars are great to have on hand. They come in 72 percent dark chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, milk chocolate with almonds, and bittersweet chocolate!

If you decide to try out any of these recipes, send us feedback to [email protected]!

Art by Susan Sun