Category Archives: Bars and Cookies

Bars and squares, cut out cookies, drop cookies, shaped cookies, filled cookies

Raspberry Cream Cheese Brownies

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

This recipe was developed out of boredom with plain ole brownies.  Not that there’s anything wrong with a good brownie!  I’ll never turn away from one especially if served with a dab of ice cream.  But on this particular day I needed to bake something to bring to a pot-luck get-together, and since brownies are always a popular choice, I decided to dress these up  with the addition of a cheesecake swirl using cream cheese and some raspberry jam.  They turned out to be very moist and chewy, and somewhat decadent .

RASPBERRY CREAM-CHEESE BROWNIES

Servings;   16 brownie squares

FILLING INGREDIENTS

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 4 0z. 1/3 -less- fat cream cheese, softened
  • 2 teaspoons flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 large egg

BROWNIE INGREDIENTS

  • cooking spray
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/4 cup butter, melted
  • 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons raspberry preserves
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray bottom only of an 8 inch square baking pan.
  2. To prepare filling, place filling ingredients in a medium mixer bowl; beat at medium speed until well blended.  Set aside.
  3. To prepare brownies,  combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and whisk together lightly.  Combine sugar, cocoa, melted butter, water, vanilla, and eggs, and stir well with a whisk.  Add the flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
  4. Pour/spread two-thirds of batter into prepared pan.  Pour filling over batter, spreading evenly.  Carefully drop the remaining batter and preserves by spoonfuls over filling;  swirl together using the tip of a knife to marble.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean.  Cool on a wire rack.
 SOURCE:    This is the fusion of two recipes from Better Homes and Gardens The Complete Book of Baking

Mississippi Mud Bars

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies and tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

I think I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again:  I.  Love. Chocolate.  It is always my first choice in desserts.  So if there’s chocolate in it, on it, around it, or anywhere close by, you can be sure I’ll find it!   When I was asked to bring a “finger-type” dessert to an end-of-year picnic, this recipe came right to mind.  What else but chocolate could produce Mississippi Mud?  (As a food, that is.)

The recipe was published in the Winter 2012 Baking Sheet, from King Arthur Flour.  I am a faithful subscriber to this little recipe-filled periodical many of which have turned down pages for recipes I want to try.

Mention Mississippi Mud and like the ice cream, I think of chocolate chips, nuts and peanut butter.  These bars have not one, but two kinds of chocolate:  dark and white, plus pecans – a Southern touch.  Pure deliciousness in one little cookie bar.  Since they are eaten with your hands it’s OK to lick your fingers!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate, coarsely chopped, or white chips
  • 2 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips or chunks, divided
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans, divided

A word here about pan size:  You may choose a 9”x13″, a 9″x9″, or an 8″x8″ pan. The smaller pans will produce 16-20 bars that are thick with a thick layer of chocolate on top.  The 9″x13″ pan will produce 24-32 bars, but only about an inch thick.  That’s the size I used to bake the bars pictured here.

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Select your pan and grease generously with non-stick spray.
  2. Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth.  Beat in the peanut butter followed by the egg and vanilla.  Mix well; scrape the bowl.
  3. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
  4. Add the white chocolate, 1 cup of the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, and half of the pecans.
  5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.  Using a spatula works well to spread it to the edges.  Bake for 40-45 min. for 8″ or 9″ square pans;  30-35 min. for the 9″x13″ pan. The bars should be golden brown all over.
  6.   Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the top of the bars.  Return to the oven for 1 minute to soften the chocolate, then take the pan out of the oven and spread the now-melted chocolate evenly over the top.  Sprinkle with the remaining pecans, pressing them lightly into the chocolate.  Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

SOURCE:  The Baking Sheet, Winter 2012,  from King Arthur Flour

Margarita(ville) Ice-cream Sandwiches

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I found this recipe in a magazine last summer and I tucked it away in a “To Make” folder, not sure of when I would get around to making it.  Turns out this past weekend was just the right time as I made these ice-cream sandwiches for a Father’s Day family get-together.  They were a big hit with everyone.  This is definitely a Dessert for Dudes as the lime zest and coarse sea salt mimic the flavors of a margarita in this cool, refreshing, summertime dessert that kids and adults will love.

MARGARITA ICE-CREAM SANDWICHES

SERVES about 16

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 teaspoons grated lime rind, divided
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon reg. salt
  • 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 2 cups vanilla, reduced fat ice-cream, softened
  • 2 cups lime sherbet, softened

DIRECTIONS:

Place butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add the egg, 1 Tablespoon lime rind, and lime juice; beat another 2 minutes or until well combined.

Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon table salt;  stir with a whisk.  Add to butter mixture, and beat just until combined.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions.  Shape each into a 6-inch log.  Wrap individually in plastic wrap;  chill 3 hours or until firm.

.

  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Cut each log into 16 slices, ( about 1/3 inch thick), and place on prepared baking sheets.  Sprinkle evenly with a mixture of remaining lime rind, turbinado sugar, and sea salt.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Cool for 2 minutes on pans.  Remove from baking sheets , and cool completely on wire racks.

Place vanilla ice cream and sherbet in a medium bowl;  lightly fold and swirl together.  Return mixture to the freezer to firm up before putting the cookies together.  Use a cookie scoop to place ice-cream mixture onto bottom of one cookie, and top with another cookie.  Squeeze gently to spread ice-cream mixture to the edges.   Wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap;  freeze 4 hours or until firm.

SOURCE:  slightly adapted from Cooking Light

Mounds Brownie Bars

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies, Carolyn's Originals and tagged with , , , , , ,

The recipe for these rich and chewy bar cookies came about as a result of a challenge given to me by a dear friend whose  favorite candy bar is a Mounds bar.  If I remember correctly it went like this:  “I wonder if you can make a bar cookie that tastes like a Mounds bar! ” Always up for a challenge,  I replied ” Oh, of course I can!”

The first thing I did was treat myself to a Mounds candy bar in order to examine how it is made, and savor the flavors that go into the total experience of eating one.  I must say this was really hard work, but I had to do it.  What I discovered was that it had a chocolate, chewy base, a coconut layer, chocolate covering and an almond underneath the chocolate.   This will be a piece of cake, I told myself.

And so I began the process of development, which included several attempts at getting the base just right.  Mr. D. was so good about eating my experiments;  he never complained about taste testing several kinds of brownies.  Finally I was satisfied that I had the right texture for the base.  The rest was the easy part:  the coconut layer with a hint of almond flavoring, and a chocolate frosting to cover.   I decided to top each bar with an almond, instead of placing them under the frosting, so each bar would have one,  and for folks allergic to nuts, it could be easily removed.

Here then, is my interpretation of  Mounds candy in cookie bar form.

Ingredients List

Brownie Layer:

  • 1 1/2 cups butter
  • 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
  • 2 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Coconut Layer:

  • 2 cups flaked coconut
  • 14 0z. can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 teaspoon almond flavoring

Frosting:

  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa
  • pinch salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3-4 tablespoons milk
  • 20-24 whole almonds
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.  In a saucepan, over low heat, melt butter and chocolate; cool slightly.  Add sugar.  Stir in eggs, flour and vanilla.
  2. Pour into a greased  pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Center will not be firm.  Remove from the oven.
  3. Meanwhile, combine coconut with condensed milk and almond flavoring.  Gently spoon and spread over partially baked base.  Return to oven and bake another 15 minutes, or until light golden brown.  Cool slightly.
  4. Blend frosting ingredients; beating 2 minutes until fluffy.  Spread over warm bars.  Top each bar with a whole almond.
  5. Taste tested and approved!  Oh, and by the way—-I successfully met the challenge.  My friend was duly impressed.   
SOURCE:  A Carolyn Original

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies and tagged with , , , ,

OMG, I think these are the BEST chocolate cookies I have ever made!  Warm from the oven Mr.D and I ate a total of six.  Of course, as I have previously stated chocolate is my absolute favorite in any kind of dessert.  With these the addition of chunks of Peanut Butter Cup candy takes them well over the top.  The cookies are a generous size, moist and chewy, and very rich. 

The recipe predicts a yield of 16 large cookies, but I used a smaller cookie scoop, and got a total of 30 cookies that were still good sized.  Plus my conscience  is more forgiving if I have more than one of these.

Before you begin, place the peanut cup candies in the freezer for about 30 minutes.  This will make chopping them easier, and helps keep them intact while mixing into the dough.  You will need about 2 cups, chopped.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 2 large baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

  • 1 bag mini Peanut Butter Cup candies
  • 1 1/2 cups flour, plus additional 2 tablespoons
  • 6 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  •  1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 stick butter (6T) at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  1. Whisk together dry ingredients. ( flour through salt)
  2. Combine butter, peanut butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Beat at medium speed till light and fluffy. (1-2 min.)
  3. Add in egg, vanilla and milk. Blend till smooth.  ( I felt that my dough need 1 more tablespoon of milk)
  4. Mix in dry ingredients just to incorporate.
  5.  Fold in 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped peanut butter cup candies.

Use a large cookie scoop and drop mounds of dough 2–3 inches apart.  Gently press a few pieces of candy into tops of dough balls. 

Bake 12 – 14 minutes.  (They may seem too soft coming from the oven, but they will set up as they cool.) Do not over bake them!

Let cool about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.    Store airtight.

Source:  Annies Eats

Honey Bars

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies and tagged with , ,

Having made these bars several times over the past few months, I can vouch for their popularity, and delicious combination of flavors.  They have become my go-to recipe for when I or my husband need to contribute something to a pot-luck event.  We always get asked for the recipe.  Try them—and they just might become your new favorite bar cookie, too.

Dough

  • 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup honey   (hint:  measure the oil in a 1 cup measure, add the honey, then pour both out together, and the honey will slide right out.)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg

Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 10” x 15” jelly roll pan.

  1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside.
  2. With an electric mixer, combine the oil, honey, sugar, and egg until well blended.
  3. Add the dry ingredients and mix until they’re incorporated.
  4. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan (grease your hand first, then pat the dough into place).

      5.  Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the top of the center looks dry.  The bars will puff up, then fall a bit when they come out of the oven; this is how they should be.

      6.  While the bars are baking, make the glaze.  Mix all the glaze ingredients together.  When the bars come out of the oven pour the glaze over the top and spread evenly.   An off-set spatula or pastry brush will help with this.

      A note here:  Yes, the glaze really does contain mayonnaise, and nothing else will do to get that unique flavor.  If you must use a vegan version, canola, soyannaise, or Miracle Whip will do, but do not leave it out, and substitute something else.

Cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting into squares. ( 6 rows down by 9 rows across).  You can trim the outer 1/2” all the way around the pan to get a more uniform result.  Yield;  54 squares plus trimmings.

Source:  The Baking Sheet from King Arthur

Salted Butterscotch Blondies

Posted by deliciousonadollar in Bars and Cookies and tagged with , ,

I’m not much on Blondies.  Chocolate is always my first choice in desserts of any kind.  However I came across this recipe a short time ago, and just had to try it, mainly because of the addition of salt on top.  Salt and caramel, salt and butterscotch;  this combination a getting a lot of attention lately.  After making these squares, I can definitely see why.  To sum it up in one word:  HEAVENLY!

OK people,  I’ll try to be more specific.  They are chewy, buttery, melt in your mouth, and can’t-wait-for-another-one-good.  The addition of that little bit of salt on top is a suprise, yet seems so right paired with the sweetness of the butterscotch.  If, for dietary reasons you need to leave off the salt,  these squares will still be wonderful, so don’t let that stop you from making them.  Without further ado, here is the recipe.

Salted Butterscotch Blondies

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 2 cups dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla flavoring
  • 1 teaspoon Butter flavoring
  • 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 12 oz. bag butterscotch chips
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Grease well a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Melt butter and pour into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in brown sugar, Kosher salt, baking powder vanilla and butter flavorings.  Mix until well combined.

Stir in flour and mix well, then the lightly beaten eggs.  Stir until thoroughly combined.  Lastly stir in the butterscotch chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.  Sprinkle sea salt on top.  Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and edges are a little brown.  Do not overbake!  Cool completely before cutting into squares. 

Yield:  24 squares

        

Source:  Bake at 350, and King Arthur’s Baking Companion