Congo Bars

I know it has been a while since my last post, but it seems to have been a busy summer and it just started! I was lucky enough to have one of my best friends come visit for a few days and was busy catching up and not posting. It is so nice to have visitors, especially when this time we hung out by the pool and sunbathed and chatted as if no time had passed. Then of course it was back to reality and work.

When work stresses me out I need to find an outlet or release. Depending on the day that can be through a run, swimming or baking. Today it meant baking since it seems like I haven't done much recently. I had seen a few version of these congo bars on blogs and pinterest. I took today as a great way to not only relieve stress but to try out the recipe since I can bring them to book club tonight, another perk so I don't eat them all. They are soft , chewy and chocolatey with a sweetness from the brown sugar. I added walnuts for a small crunch.

Congo Bars

Source: Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 package milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Combine butter and sugar using a mixer until blended. Add eggs, one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition. Add vanilla and mix. Add flour and mix until combined. Stir in chips and then pecans.

Coat a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake. Let them cool before cutting and enjoy!

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

I have made these a few times and each time they were gone so quickly I wasn't able to get a picture of them so it took a while before I could publish this post. I have a huge sweet tooth and normally not a cheesecake fan but these changed that. They are a huge hit with the creamy cheesecake middle, graham cracker crust and who doesn't love chocolate chip cookie dough on top! As hard as it might be, let them cool and store in the refrigerator to harden up for the best results. I promise, they will be a huge success for dessert or any party. Just writing about it and looking at the pictures has me drooling and wanting to make them again.

Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

Yield 12 squares

Source: My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

For the 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
1 cup chocolate chips
 
For the 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 inch 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. Do not turn your oven off.

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. Flatten the clumps of dough in your palms to flatten them out a bit. Distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.

5. Bake for about 30-40 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.

6. Lift the bars out by the overhang; slice into desired size and store in the refrigerator. Serve cold or at room temperature

M&M Cookie Bars

This was our first Halloween in our new house. Most of the places we lived in the past you didn't get any trick or treaters. Here, everyone seems to live in developments full of houses. The same holds true for us, our development has tons of kids and a lot of houses there were decked out with decorations and blow ups. We had no idea how many trick-or-treaters to expect so we stocked up on candy because we didn't want to be the newbies that ran out. Boy did we misjudge. We had about 75 kids and purchased close to 10 bags of candy! Needless to say we have a ton of candy left over.

I am trying REALLY hard not to eat all of the left overs. I figured the best way would be to use some of it up baking. I had read some other blogs that turned the candy into chocolate bark which looked delicious but too sweet for me. I decided on m&m bars. It helped but didn't make a huge dent in our left overs, but I was able to bring them to my book club so not only did I use up candy, but I got other people to help me eat it! And who doesn't love a little something snack on when discussing the book ;)

M&M Cookie Bars
Source: The Sweets Life

Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar

2/3 cups un-salted butter

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

1 ½ cups M&Ms (22 fun size bags)

Directions:

1. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan (easiest to line with foil and grease!) and set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Heat butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.

3. Cool slightly before mixing in eggs and vanilla, stirring to combine. Stir in flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

4. Mix in 1 ¼ cups M&Ms. Reserve ¼ cup to press into the top of the bars. Pour batter into prepared pan and use a spatula to spread evenly (note--batter is thick and is somewhat difficult to spread--use your fingers if necessary!). Press reserved M&Ms into the top of the batter.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and bars are golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack before cutting into bars. Enjoy!

Raspberry Crumble Bars

I really like the show Dessert First on the FoodNetwork and last week’s episode had a bunch of recipes I quickly printed out to try. Tonight we are having Jason’s dad over for dinner and with only 1 oven I knew I needed a dessert I could make ahead of time. I wanted to make something fruity and not chocolaty for once, so it was a perfect opportunity to try out this new recipe. I like to make bars or cookies that can be easily cut up and into portions otherwise we end up eating it all. And with these if we don’t use them all can put some in the freezer for another night.

Raspberry Crumble Bars

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (I used ¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour)

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 cup rolled oats

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (I didn’t have this and just used table salt)

1 egg, beaten

1 cup Raspberry Preserves

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan or use cooking spray.
Add the flour, both sugars, oats and salt to a bowl in your stand mixer. Add in the butter and egg and beat at low speed. Stop the machine and scrape the bowl down a couple of times. Keep processing until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Keep 2 cups crumb mixture aside.

Press the remaining crumb mixture on the bottom the prepared pan. Spread the Raspberry Preserves over top, leaving 1/2-inch border. Crumble the rest of the oat mixture over the preserves. 

Bake until lightly browned, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

The crumble was simple to make and was perfect crunch on top with the gooey sweet inside of fruit. Next time I will be sure to wait for them to cool completely before cutting up. I was anxious to cut into them and the preserves were still gooey so make sure to wait!

Source: Anne Thornton