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Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

October 9, 2013 ·

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars have the classic taste of a buttery, cinnamon-y snickerdoodle cookie in a quick and easy to make bar.

While I love to make (and eat!) cookies, the simplicity of turning a cookie recipe into a quick and easy to make bar is very attractive. Especially when life gets busy or you get a last minute request for goodies, it is so nice to be able whip the batter together, pour it into a pan and bake. No portioning, scooping, rolling required. Just bake, cut into squares and serve.

These Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars are a wonderful treat for the holidays, or any time. They are buttery and cinnamon-y, like their cookie cousins, yet can be made in minutes. I thought this recipe would be perfect for Week #3 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats. Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars offer a little variety for your holiday cookie platter and are loved by many!…

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: 12 weeks of Christmas Treats, bars, brown sugar, cookies, easy, holiday, make ahead, quick

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

September 25, 2013 ·

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars are everything delicious about a chocolate chip cookie in a quick and easy to make bar. This is the ultimate basic blondie recipe.

While I love cookies, I don’t always have the time (or patience) to portion out each individual cookie for baking. This is where the cookie bar is genius. These Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars take only 10 minutes to prepare and then just spread in the pan and bake. No rolling or cutting or shaping the dough. And the result is everything delicious about a chocolate chip cookie in a quick and easy to make bar. There are so many possibilities for variations with this recipe too, which is fun. …

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: 12 weeks of Christmas Treats, bars, brown sugar, chocolate, cookies, easy, holiday

S’mores Brownies #SundaySupper

September 1, 2013 ·

What do you get when you cross a brownie with a s’more? This easy recipe for S’mores Brownies!

As Labor Day marks the unofficial end of Summer, I am looking forward to cooler temperatures, Halloween (!) and, of course, lots of pumpkin recipes. While Fall baking is my absolute favorite, sometimes nothing hits the spot quite like a s’more. I have made several s’more-inspired recipes, including muffins, blondies, Golden Graham’s bars, even a cool and creamy pie! But these S’mores Brownies might be my favorite s’more-inspired treat. The chocolate brownie base is the perfect vehicle for all of the yummy s’more toppings, plus they take only minutes to prepare….

Filed Under: dessert, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baked, bars, brownies, chocolate, easy, graham cracker, holiday, marshmallow, quick, s'mores, snack, summer

Oatmeal Fig Bars | Homemade Fig Newtons

April 15, 2013 ·

Oatmeal Fig Bars are a chewy, fig-filled bar made on the lighter side. They taste pretty close to a Fig Newton, but homemade is always better, right? When I was researching for a healthy fig bar recipe made with oatmeal, I was surprised to find there weren’t many (or rather any that were suitable). So I decided to take the dough of a oatmeal date bar recipe and replace the date filling with a fig filling. Because I wanted these to be healthier, I reduced the amount of sugar in the dough and eliminated added sugar from the filling. In lieu of sugar, I added lemon juice and zest to the filling to brighten the flavor and also act as a thickener. The result was just what I had in mind for a healthy fig bar, and they were also really simple to make.

When I was making these Oatmeal Fig Bars, I couldn’t help but think about my grandma and grandpa and chuckle. I’ve talked many times about my grandma and what a wonderful baker she was. While I’m sure my grandpa loved all of her (delicious!) baked goodies, he always had a stash of Fig Newtons in their pantry. I really can’t blame him. Not much beats a Fig Newton (except for these bars of course!.. but I digress). I don’t think my grandma ever attempted to make a homemade variety of his beloved fig bars, but I’m sure they would have been similar to these…and my grandpa would have stashed these instead!

Oatmeal Fig Bars | Homemade Fig Newtons

Yields: 16 bars

Ingredients

1 cup chopped dried figs, stems removed (8 ounces)
½ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1½ cups rolled oats (I used quick oats)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup butter, melted (I used light butter)
1 egg white
Cooking spray

Instructions

In a small sauce pan, put figs, water, lemon juice and zest, and bring to a boil. Simmer until mixture starts to thicken (about 3 minutes). Let cool for about 5 minutes.
Put filling in food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together oats, flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
Add butter and egg white to oat mixture and stir until combined.
Press half of the oat mixture into the prepared baking pan. [Note: I used waxed paper to press and spread the mixture into the pan]. Next, carefully spread with fig mixture. Last, drop pieces of remaining oat mixture over the fig mixture so it appears crumbly and then gently pat it down [Note: I used waxed paper for this step].
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

This marks the third installment of the Eating the Alphabet Challenge, hosted by Brenda of Meal Planning Magic. This month we’re featuring healthy recipes using fruits, vegetables, grains or legumes that start with letters E or F. This was a no-brainer for me. I’ve been wanting to come up with a healthy Fig Bar recipe, so this was just the incentive I needed!

Filed Under: dessert, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: bars, brown sugar, fig, lemon, oatmeal, snack

Grandma’s Caramel Bars

November 29, 2012 ·

My grandma was always impressive in the kitchen, especially with her holiday treats. This recipe she created for Caramel Bars is no exception! Most caramel bars I’ve had have been underwhelming and have had a relatively stiff caramel layer in the center. So is not the case with these Caramel Bars. The caramel layer is gooey, melty and wonderful. The oat crust and crumbly topping are simple and delicious, and the chocolate chips add some chocolate and texture. Her recipe also includes 1 cup walnuts, which I do not use. No holiday treat platter is complete without caramel bars!

Speaking of holiday treats, we are in Week 10 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats! This recipe makes a generous amount, so is definitely a good treat to have on hand for your holiday celebrations.

Grandma’s Caramel Bars

Yields: 3 to 4 dozen bars, depending on size

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick oats work fine)
1 cup butter, softened (I use light butter)
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 14-ounce package caramels
⅓ cup evaporated skim milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts (optional)
Cooking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, put the flour, oats, butter, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Using an electric mixer on low (I use a hand mixer), slowly beat in the butter until combined, moist, and pea-sized crumbs form. Press ½ of mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, slowly melt caramels and evaporated milk over a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water), stirring frequently.
Once crust is done, pour caramel mixture over crust. Sprinkle chocolate chips (and walnuts, if using) over caramel. Crumble remaining oat mixture over caramel and chocolate chips. Bake for 12 minutes and move to a wire rack to cool completely.

We are already to week #10 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Meal Planning Magic. Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who are participating this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop. And if you’re a blogger and want to join in on the fun, check out this post for the form to fill out to start baking along with us.

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: 12 weeks of Christmas Treats, bars, caramel, chocolate, christmas, easy, entertaining, holiday, oats, snack

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

November 15, 2012 ·

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars combine pumpkin and cheesecake into a beautiful layered bar that are as delicious as they are simple to make. First you make a graham cracker crust. While that cools completely, you make the cheesecake filling, reserving a portion to add in some pumpkin. Pour the plain cheesecake layer over the crust. Dollop the pumpkin layer over the cheesecake layer and try for a swirl effect, if you desire, by running a knife through the batter. I was liking the simple layered look, so left it as is. Either way, they taste like a decadent cheesecake with a pumpkin twist.

With the holidays coming up, these Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars are a light alternative to those heavier desserts (or in addition to…I don’t judge!!) You would never guess it, but they are made on the lighter side, coming in around 115 calories per bar.

If you’re looking for other lighter dessert options, this Crustless Pumpkin Pie is my favorite pie of all time!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Yields: 16 bars

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (approx 9 sheets)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light butter, melted (regular butter would work too)
Cooking spray
11 ounces light cream cheese (Neufchatel, ⅓ less fat)
⅓ cup light sour cream
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9" square baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
CRUST: In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar; add butter and stir until moistened. Press mixture into prepared baking pan. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until set. Move to a wire rack to cool completely.
FILLING: In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, flour and vanilla until smooth. Add egg, and beat on low until just combined.
Pour ¾ cup batter into a small bowl. Add pumpkin, brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring until well blended.
Pour plain batter over cooled crust. Drop dollops of pumpkin batter over the plain batter. Cut through batter with knife to swirl.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to overnight.

Source: Taste of Home

Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who are participating this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop. And if you’re a blogger and want to join in on the fun, check out this post for the form to fill out to start baking along with us.

Filed Under: dessert, Featured, Recipes Tagged With: 12 weeks of Christmas Treats, bars, cheesecake, christmas, cream cheese, graham cracker, holiday, light, pumpkin, thanksgiving

Mounds Brownies

October 25, 2012 ·

With Halloween just around the corner, the excitement is building for fun costumes and candy. We always somehow end up with more candy than we need to give out (thanks to the person who buys the candy, *ahem* Mike). While that may be intentional, I’m always happy to try new and tasty recipes using “leftover” candy ~ these Mounds Brownies being one of them!

Mounds Brownies take a basic brownie recipe and dress it up with coconut, simply by adding Mounds candy bars. It’s amazing how such a simple addition can really transform an otherwise ordinary dessert into something unique and seemingly decadant. You get a nice-sized chunk of candy bar in each brownie, and fans of chocolate and coconut will enjoy the complementary flavors.

By the way, it’s that time of week again. We are now in Week 5 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats! While this recipe is shared in part to use up Halloween candy, these Mounds Brownies would be a super fun addition to your holiday treat platter. They’re something a little different yet delicious and very easy to make too.

Mounds Brownies

Yields: 16 brownies

Ingredients

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 snack-size Mounds candy bars
Baking spray

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8-inch square pan with baking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or a use double-boiler), stirring frequently until melted. Remove bowl from heat and let cool for a few minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until well-blended. Stir in vanilla and chocolate mixture. Fold in flour mixture until combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Place Mounds bars on top of batter, pressing down slightly. (I did 3 rows of 4).
Bake until just set, about 30 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack.

Slightly adapted from All You, October, 2012

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: 12 weeks of Christmas Treats, bars, brownies, candy, coconut, easy, halloween, holiday, make ahead, quick

Grandma’s Lemon Bars

October 4, 2012 ·

For the next 11 weeks, I am excited to join a group, hosted by Meal Planning Magic, called 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats. I missed last week due to somebody’s pesky 2 year old molars, hence 11 weeks 🙂 So every Thursday, I will be sharing a delicious Holiday-inspired treat. I know what you’re thinking…Christmas? It’s only October! It’s never too early to plan. Time to dust off those holiday cookie platters!

For my first Christmas treat post, it is only fitting that I share a favorite recipe that my Grandma used to make for the Holidays ~ Lemon Bars. There was always something extra special about her lemon bars. They had a perfect balance of tangy and sweet, they had the lovely dusting of powdered sugar on top, and they literally melted in your mouth. Of our favorites she made, my grandma’s lemon bars topped the list of many (and there definitely were many). To me, no Holiday cookie platter is complete without lemon bars. I never realized how easy they were to make, which is an added bonus!

Grandma’s Lemon Bars

Yields: 16 bars

Ingredients

½ cup butter, melted and cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup powdered sugar
Cooking spray
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
powdered sugar, for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8" square baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix together butter, 1 cup flour and ¼ cup powdered sugar. Press into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden.
In a large bowl, mix sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and baking powder. Add eggs, juice and zest, folding gently until combined.
Pour lemon mixture over baked crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool completely and then dust with powdered sugar.

Be sure to check out all the other bloggers who are participating this week in the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats blog hop. And if you’re a blogger and want to join in on the fun, check out this post for the form to fill out to start baking along with us!

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: 12 weeks of Christmas Treats, bars, christmas, easy, holiday, lemon

Peanut Butter M&M Blondies

April 26, 2012 ·

peanut butter M&Ms peanut butter blondies bars

Many months ago, I made peanut butter cup blondies. They were incredible, but also left me wondering about other candy possibilities. The options seem limitless. Since Peanut Butter M&Ms rank in my top 5 favorite candies, if not top 3 (after Nutrageous and Peanut Butter Cups, of course), Peanut Butter M&M Blondies were a logical progression.

Let’s just say the experiment was a success. I used a generous helping of M&Ms instead of peanut butter cups. I also used peanut butter chips to boost the peanut buttery goodness. The result was dangerous. Lots of tasty M&Ms in every bite, lots of good peanut butter flavor…yet they still come in around 210 calories. Gotta love it!

Peanut Butter M&M Blondies

Yields: 16 bars

Ingredients

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ brown sugar, packed
½ granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
⅓ cup natural peanut butter (chunky or creamy)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter M&M candies, divided
¼ cup peanut butter chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, stir to combine butter, peanut butter, eggs and vanilla.
Add peanut butter mixture to flour mixture, stirring until combined (do not over mix).
Fold in ½ cup peanut butter M&Ms and peanut butter chips.
Pour mixture into baking pan and spread to fill pan. Top with remaining ½ cup peanut butter M&Ms, pressing them into the batter.
Bake for 19 minutes, or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Filed Under: dessert, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: bars, blondies, brown sugar, candy, cookies, easy, peanut butter, quick

st. patrick's day brownies made with irish cream and irish cream frosting

Frosted Irish Cream Brownies

March 9, 2012 ·

Frosted Irish Cream Brownies get a double dose of Irish cream in both the brownie recipe and frosting, making this dessert festive for St. Patrick’s Day yet fun for any time!

Frosted Irish Cream Brownies | alidaskitchen.com

With Saint Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I wanted to make you something a little festive. While brownies may not be considered traditional, I figure you can never go wrong with chocolate. Add a little Bailey’s Irish Cream, and these brownies become the perfect little treat to celebrate the holiday!

This recipe combines elements from a couple “lighter” recipes. The result is a delicious, from-scratch brownie, made with Irish Cream, topped with an Irish Cream frosting. The amount of frosting yields just enough to cover the brownies, or to pipe a cute little swirl of frosting as I have pictured here. A little bit goes a long way taste-wise, but if you’re a frosting fiend, you may want to double the recipe.

Frosted Irish Cream Brownies

Author: Alida Fischbach

Yields: 16 brownies

Ingredients

Brownies:

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup butter (I used light butter)
1 cup granulated sugar
½ egg substitute (or 4 large eggs)
¼ cup Bailey's Irish Cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Irish Cream Frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, softened
¾ to 1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Bailey's Irish Cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
skim milk, as needed
green and white sprinkles (for decorating, optional)

Instructions

BROWNIES: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In a large microwavable bowl, add chocolate chips and butter. Microwave on high in 30-second increments until chocolate and butter melt. Let cool slightly and then add sugar, egg substitute, Irish Cream and vanilla extract, stirring well with a whisk. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
Add flour mixture into butter mixture, folding gently until combined. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean. (Note: The key to a fudgy brownie is to not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.
FROSTING: In a small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, Irish Cream and vanilla extract and beat until blended. Add milk by the teaspoonful, as needed, to achieve desired consistency. Spread, or pipe over, cooled brownies. Decorate with sprinkles, as desired.

Adapted from myrecipes.com and Eat Better America