Archive for the ‘Bars’ Category

Mint Bars

Mar 14th, 10 / 4 Comments

I have always disliked mint, I just don’t like it peppermint, ice cream, anything. Well lately I have noticed I am liking more and more mint, I have eaten my far share of thin mints this year, and have been enjoying mint flavoring in things. When I saw these were the cookie carnival recipe of the month I decided although I normally turn my head at mint I would give it a try.

Sure enough I liked these… not only liked them LOVED them, there are excellent. I want to try it with different flavoring as I think they would be just as good.

I am not a nut person and were bringing these to work and was unsure of allergies so I left out the walnuts and just used an almost full box of nilla wafers, I took about 5 out, as of course I had to make sure they were edible. Everyone at work enjoyed these as well and Adam and I fought over who would get the last one.

These would be the perfect dessert for St. Pattys day this week.

Walnut Mint Bars (From: Hersheys)

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick)plus 2 tablespoons margarine, divided
  • 1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 wafers, crushed)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
  • 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract OR 1 tablespoon green creme de menthe
  • Green food color(optional)
  • Chocolate Drizzle (recipe to follow)

Heat oven to 350°F. Melt 1/2 cup margarine in medium saucepan; stir in crumbs, walnuts, sugar and cocoa. Press firmly on bottom of ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

Beat cream cheese, remaining 2 tablespoons margarine and cornstarch in small bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk then egg, peppermint extract and food color, if desired. Pour evenly into prepared pan.

Bake 25 minutes or until center is set. Cool. Drizzle chocolate drizzle over top. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Cut into bars. Store covered in refrigerator. 24 to 36 bars. bars.

Chocolate Drizzle: Melt 1 cup Chocolate Chips with 1-1/2 teaspoons shortening (do not use butter, margarine or oil).

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Pumpkin 7 Layer Bars

Nov 8th, 09 / 2 Comments

It’s been a boring few weeks in our kitchen. No baby yet but just not big desire to cook, I can’t seem to stand for as long before I get really sore, I am counting down the time until I get back into the kitchen, for now we have been living off of kraft mac and cheese, pancakes, frozen pizza, and take out.

I made these for a Halloween potluck at work, I made them in a cake pan and cut them figuring it would be easier then doing individual for work. These were excellent, they had a slight pumpkin flavor but not over pumpkiny. I have changed the recipe to a 9 X 13 pan, if you want to make them individually go to Pick Palates blog.

Pumpkin Magic Bars (From: Picky Palate)

  • Pumpkin 7 Layer Bars1/2 Cup melted butter
  • 1 1/2  Cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 4 oz softened cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 Cups pumpkin puree
  • 6 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 Cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 Cup coarsely chopped cashews (I omitted)
  • 1 1/2 Cups sweetened shredded coconut
  • 8 oz sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Place melted butter and graham cracker crumbs into a bowl; mix to combine.  Press into the bottom of  pan.  Bake for 12 minutes then remove from oven.

In a bowl beat the pumpkin, softened cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon until smooth.  Spoon evenly over each graham cracker crust, about 2 small spoonfuls.  Next layer chocolate chips evenly over pumpkin layer following with cashews, coconut and condensed milk.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until top is golden brown.  Remove and let cool.

Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Blueberry Swirl

Aug 4th, 09 / 3 Comments

The Whats Cooking board on the Nest that I like to post on had a new challenge, it was an ingredient challenge, this weeks challenge was blueberries. I don’t like blueberries so I was not very excited about the challenge, but then realized that it would be a good experience to try something I don’t normally use. And Adam likes blueberries so I ran with it, and started browsing for ideas.

While getting a pedicure last week I was reading the newest issue of Gourmet, this recipe was on the cover, they looked to die for. So I decided that would be my blueberry recipe.

These sandwiches were pretty easy to make, Adam and I both felt the ice cream layer was a little too thick, I think otherwise they were very good. And simple treat to make.

Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Blueberry Swirl (From: Gourmet)

Lemon Ice Cream Sandwiches with Blueberry Swirl

For lemon ice cream

  • 2 pints premium vanilla ice cream
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

For blueberry compote

  • 2 cups blueberries (10 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 (3- by 21/2-inch) strips lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For sandwich layers

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • Equipment:

    2 (8-inch) square baking pans (2 inches deep); a small offset spatula

Make lemon ice cream:

  • Transfer ice cream to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at 30 percent power in 10-second intervals, stirring, until softened, about 50 seconds total (see cooks’ note, below).
  • Stir in lemon zest and juice. Spread ice cream thinly in a 13- by 9-inch baking dish and freeze while making compote and sandwich layers.

Make blueberry compote:

  • Cook blueberries, sugar, and zest in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, thoroughly crushing blueberries with a potato masher, until juices are released and sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
  • Stir together lemon juice and cornstarch, then stir into blueberry mixture. Boil, stirring, 1 minute (mixture will thicken).
  • Transfer blueberry compote to a bowl and chill until cold, about 1 hour. Discard lemon zest.

Make sandwich layers While compote chills:

  • Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter baking pans and line with foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang on each side, then butter foil.
  • Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter and brown sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. At low speed, add flour mixture in 2 batches, mixing until just combined.
  • Divide batter between baking pans and spread into thin, even layers with offset spatula. Bake until golden-brown but still tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely in pans, about 30 minutes.

Assemble sandwiches:

  • Dollop tablespoons of blueberry compote all over ice cream, then swirl it gently through ice cream with a spoon. Spoon all of ice cream over 1 sandwich layer (in pan) and spread evenly using clean offset spatula. Invert second sandwich layer over ice cream, pressing gently to form an even sandwich. Wrap baking pan in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.
  • Transfer sandwich to a cutting board using overhang. Trim edges if desired, then cut into 8 pieces.
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Sugar Cookie Bar

Apr 15th, 09 / 2 Comments

As soon as I saw these in my reader I knew I had to make them as I love sugar cookies but HATE rolling the dough and cutting the shapes.

Sadly I was a little disappointment with them, the cookie part was almost too thick, making it dry. They also seem to get dryer after only a day being stored. I doubt I will make them again, as they had good flavor just didn’t like how dry they were.

Sugar Cookie Bars (From : Beantown Baker)

 

  • 1 cup butter; room temp.
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 5 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined.

Spread on a greased baking sheet

Bake for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Frosting

  • 1/2 cup butter at room temp
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 5 Tbsp milk
  • food coloring (optional)

For frosting combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy.

Add vanilla and salt.

Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency.

Spread over cooled cookie, add sprinkles, then cut into bars.

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Applesauce Spice Bars with Maple Frosting

Oct 11th, 08 / 3 Comments

I had a bunch of Maple frosting left over from the Pumpkin Cupcakes, I knew I wanted to make something I would eat as I don’t like pumpkin. I saw these apple bars on a few blogs and decided to pull out my cookbook and make them.

I loved these bars, they have so much flavor and I really like the frosting with them, the recipe calls for a carmel glaze but I did the maple frosting.

Applesauce Spice Bars (From: Baking From Your Home To Mine, B: Dorie Greenspan)

  • 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp applejack, brandy, or dark rum (optional)
  • 1 baking apple, such as Rome or Cortland, peeled, cored and finely diced or chopped
  • 1/2 cup plump, moist raisins (dark or golden) (I omitted) 
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans (I omitted)

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust the inside of the pan with flour. Tap out the excess flour and put the pan on a baking sheet.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir with a whisk until it is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Still working in the saucepan, whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until they are well blended. Add the applesauce, vanilla and applejack, if you’re using it, and whisk until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is once again smooth. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear, then mix in the apple, raisins and nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the bars just start to pull away from the sides of the pan and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and let the cake cool while you make the glaze.

Maple Frosting (From: Culinary Concoctions by Peabody)

  • 4 tbsp butter, softened
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
With the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese. 
 
Add maple syrup and beat on medium until combined.
 
Mix in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, then mix on medium-high until smooth.
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