Category Archives: Brownies and Bars

Dec 9

Rolo-Stuffed Brownies

I love brownies for a number of reasons, one of which is the fact that they’re just so easy to whip up. I was having company yesterday and needed something quick to throw together. Enter these brownies. I used my go-to brownie recipe but decided to throw in some chopped Rolo candies for added flavor. I love the way the caramel melts into the brownies during the baking process. Of course, you really could substitute any other candy and these would still come out great. Next time around I may opt to chop up some Heath bars for a toffee-flavored spin.

Rolo-Stuffed Brownies

rolobrownies

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup Rolos, chopped (I cut each individual Rolo candy into 4 pieces)

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
  4. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined; then stir in the chopped Rolos.
  5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the brownies cool in the pan for at least an hour before slicing and serving.
Dec 6

Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Looking for a fun and simple kid-friendly recipe? These gooey chocolate chip cookie bars easily fit the bill.

The great thing about this recipe is that it gives you a huge batch of cookie bars with minimal work. If you have a stand mixer, the dough is really a snap. And because these babies are really sweet, you can cut them into small pieces and serve a decent-sized crowd.

gooeyccbars

Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Recipe from RecipeGirl

Ingredients:

For the filling:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the cookie dough:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper, allowing enough overhang to lift the bars from the pan.
  2. Prepare the filling by placing the chocolate chips and condensed milk in a small saucepan over the lowest possible heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture has thickened. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla, and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
  3. Prepare the cookie dough by combining the butter and sugars in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, and beat well.
  4. Whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add to the butter mixture and beat until well-incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Stir in chocolate chips.
  5. Pour half of the cookie dough into your prepared pan. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the dough and then add small dollops of the remaining cookie dough on top. Don’t worry if the dollops don’t completely cover the chocolate mixture; just spread it together as much as you can, and let some chocolate peek through.
  6. Bake for about 25 minutes, at which point the tops should be lightly browned. (The toothpick method won’t really work here because the gooey chocolate layer will still come out pretty runny even once the bars are done.)
  7. Let the bars cool for at least two hours before cutting and serving. I recommend sticking them in the fridge for 30 minutes or so – they’ll be much easier to slice that way.

 

Dec 4

Smores Bars

I know a lot of people like to eat smores during the summer. But for me, smores are a cooler weather type of snack. Don’t ask me why. I served these bars at my Thanksgiving dinner, and everybody gobbled them up. I like them best when they’re slightly warmed but not super gooey (otherwise the filling starts to ooze out and get everywhere). And they’re great on their own or with some vanilla ice cream to top them off.

smoresbars

Smores Bars

Recipe from The Gingered Whisk

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 ounces chocolate, chopped (I used semisweet chocolate chips)
1 and 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the wet batter and mix well. Then divide the batter in half.
  4. Press half of the batter into the bottom of your pan.
  5. Spread the marshmallow fluff on top of the dough. This is easiest if you spray the spatula (or whatever utensil you’re using) with cooking spray.
  6. Spread the chocolate on top.
  7. Use your fingers to spread the remaining batter on top. (Coat your fingers with cooking spray to make this easier.)
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Let the bars cool in the pan before slicing and serving.

 

 

 

Dec 2

Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan pie is one of those classic Thanksgiving desserts that never seems to go out of style. This dessert is basically the same concept, but in bar form. I forget where I got the original recipe from, but I’ve tweaked it slightly throughout the years to create a bar that’s just a bit less sweet than your typical pecan pie.

Preparing this dessert in bar form makes it easier to dish out when you’ve got a large crowd, as you don’t have to wait for the server to cut each slice individually. And while you do lose the elegance of presenting a whole pie, you don’t have to deal with the politics of who’s going to be first to cut into said pie. Plus, it’s easier to cut smaller portions when you’re working with bars, which is a good thing when you’re at Thanksgiving dinner and this dessert is only one of seven…

pecanbars

Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup light brown sugar

For the topping:

2 large eggs
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 baking pan and set aside.
  2. To make the crust, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pecans in a small bowl.
  3. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla.
  4. Pour the dry mixture into the wet and stir until it forms course crumbs. Press the mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Let the bottom layer cool for 10 minutes while you make the topping.
  5. To make the topping, whisk together the eggs, brown sugar, corn syrup, flour, salt, and vanilla until well-combined.
  6. Pour the mixture over the crust, using a spatula as needed to spread evenly.
  7. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the bars.
  8. Bake for 27-32 minutes, or until the tops start to brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Let the bars cool in the pan completely (at least one hour, preferably two) before slicing and serving.
Nov 25

Peanut Butter Blondies

Sometimes I just really find myself in the mood for peanut butter. Does that ever happen to you? And when I find myself craving peanut butter, it’s like there’s nothing else in the world that could possibly take its place.

I had one of these cravings sneak up on me the other day, and so I decided to whip up some easy peanut butter blondies. This recipe can be thrown together really quickly, and it’s one of those that you can seamlessly double to feed a larger crowd. I love the contrast of the crunchy peanuts and chocolate chips against the perfectly soft blondie base. And while milk chocolate chips worked great in the batch I made, next time I may go for dark chocolate for a slightly different taste. And yes, there will have to be a next time. These blondies are just that good.

pbblondies

Peanut Butter Blondies

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1/4 cup peanut butter (I used smooth but chunky will work as well)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanuts (I used roasted), chopped
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar until well-combined.
  3. Beat in the egg (you can use a whisk or a fork for this) and vanilla; mix until well-incorporated.
  4. Stir in the flour and salt, mixing well.
  5. Stir in the peanuts, milk chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips.
  6. Pour your batter into the prepared pan and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Try to be careful not to overbake these – you want them nice and soft.
  7. Let the blondies cool in the pan (at least one hour) before slicing and serving.
Nov 24

Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies

Okay folks, we’re just about reaching that point where even I’m ready to give the pumpkin thing a rest. This year I think I made almost every pumpkin treat imaginable, not to mention the many savory pumpkin dishes I’ve whipped up but haven’t written about.

Now when I say I’ll be taking a break from pumpkin, in reality we may be talking a week or two, tops. But still, to avoid separation anxiety, I decided to make one more batch of pumpkin deliciousness, this time in the form of butterscotch blondies.

As is the case with most blondie recipes, this one is really easy to put together, and it’s also a great way to use up any leftover canned pumpkin you might have. Unlike the pumpkin pecan bars I made a little while back, these blondies are much sweeter and definitely less suitable for breakfast (though I of course wouldn’t judge you if you were to have them with your morning coffee). And if you’re not a fan of butterscotch, you could easily substitute chocolate chips or even cinnamon chips, which are a little harder to find but work really well with the pumpkin base.

pumpbscotch

Pumpkin Butterscotch Blondies

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups AP flour
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugars until well-combined. Beat in the egg.
  4. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until well-incorporated.
  5. Stir in the flour mixture until well-combined. Then, stir in the butterscotch and white chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top.
  6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Nov 21

Pecan Pumpkin Bars

At some point I do realize this pumpkin fixation is going to have to start. After all, the holidays are almost here, at which point I may have to shift my attention toward my beloved peppermint bark. But until then, I will continue to be all about the pumpkin.

These pumpkin bars are super moist and very dense. One of the things I like about them is that they’re not super sweet – you can eat them for breakfast and not feel like you’re starting your day off with junk food. At the same time, if you prefer a sweeter bar, it’s easy enough to kick up the sugar factor by adding more white chocolate chips, and well, more sugar. Best of all, these bars are super easy to prepare, so if you’re short on time, as I tend to be, they’re a good snack to quickly throw together.

pecpumpbars

Pecan Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups AP flour
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugars until well-combined. Beat in the egg.
  4. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until well-incorporated.
  5. Stir in the flour mixture until well-combined. Then, stir in the pecans and white chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top if desired.
  6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Nov 17

Brownies With Pumpkin Caramel Sauce and White Chocolate Chips

Looking for a pumpkin-infused twist on a simple, classic brownie? Try this recipe. It’s quick, easy, and very, very tasty. Plus, you can use any leftover pumpkin-caramel sauce as a topping for your next ice cream sundae. (Or, you know, just eat the remains with a spoon…)

browniespumpkincaramel

Brownies With Pumpkin Caramel Sauce and White Chocolate Chips

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup AP flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup caramel candies (I used Kraft)
1 tbsp milk

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
  2. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the caramel candies with the tablespoon of milk at 30-second intervals, stopping to stir in between. Once melted, stir in the pumpkin, and then set aside to cool to room temperature.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.
  5. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined.
  6. Stir in chocolate chips.
  7. Pour the brownie batter into your prepared pan and then use a spatula to evenly spread the pumpkin caramel sauce on top.
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the brownies cool in the pan for two hours before slicing and serving.
Nov 16

Pumpkin Oatmeal Crumb Bars

Can you tell that I’m pretty much obsessed with pumpkin?

Over the past few weeks, I’ve made pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin brownies, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin whoopie pies, and pumpkin cake. Incidentally, I’ve also made pumpkin butter, pumpkin soup, pumpkin stew, and a host of other savory items featuring my favorite fall ingredient. But the one thing that was missing from the lineup until recently was the classic pumpkin pie.

Now don’t get me wrong – I like pumpkin pie. Love it, in fact. But this year I kind of wanted to do something different. Enter these pumpkin pie bars, which are essentially pumpkin pie taken up a notch, and in a very good way.

At a recent get-together at my place, I served these bars cold and topped them off with homemade whipped cream, and they were a huge hit. If you’re seriously into pumpkin like I am, go make these bars as soon as you have a chance.

pumpkinpiebars

Pumpkin Oatmeal Crumb Bars

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

For the Oatmeal Crumb:

1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 cups quick oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin Pie Filling:

1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup evaporated milk

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the excess to hang over the sides.

2. To make the crust, in a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Add both the granulated sugar and brown sugar and mix until no clumps remain. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract, then stir with a fork until the mixture is evenly moistened. Press half of the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.

3. To make the filling, whisk together the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla, and whisk until well blended. Whisk in the pumpkin and then the evaporated milk until the mixture is smooth and thoroughly combined.

4. When the crust has finished baking, pour the filling over the bottom crust and return it to the oven for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven, pinch the remaining oatmeal crumb mixture into small pieces, and sprinkle it over the top of the filling.

5. Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes until the top starts to brown and the center jiggles only slightly.

6. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the bars to cool to room temperature for at least 1 to 2 hours. Then, transfer the pan to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours. Store leftovers covered in the fridge – they’ll keep for a few days, assuming they don’t get gobbled up first.

Nov 15

Seven Layer Bars

In my household, the colder the weather, the more frequently baked goods tend to come out of my kitchen. For a recent gathering, I whipped up these seven layer bars in addition to a host of pumpkin treats. In fact, I specifically made these so that the non-pumpkin fans in the group (blasphemy) would have something to snack on.

There are many different recipes out there for seven layer bars, and mine is probably a little different than most of the ones you’ll see.  I’ve actually done the more “classic” seven layer bar in the past and specifically wanted to try something different this time around. I think the chocolate and gingerbread crust gives these bars more of a holiday/wintertime feel. If you really want to make things interesting, you could substitute the butterscotch chips with cinnamon chips. Or, use both and call them eight layer bars.

Although these bars are quite tasty, they’re also really, really sweet. I can only eat a small piece at a time, which is saying a lot. But if you’re looking for a fun, easy recipe to try, go ahead and give this one a shot.

7layerbars

Seven Layer Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup gingerbread cookie crumbs
1 stick of butter, melted
1 can (14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk, divided
1 cup chopped walnuts nuts
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened coconut, toasted

Method:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter with the chocolate graham cracker and gingerbread cookie crumbs. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan.
  3. Pour 1/3 cup of condensed milk over the crumb mixture, using a spatula to spread it evenly.
  4. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts on top of the soaked crumb mixture. Then, add the butterscotch, semisweet, and white chocolate chips in layers one at a time.
  5. Spread the toasted coconut on top of the chocolate chips.
  6. Pour the remaining condensed milk over the entire mixture.
  7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned.
  8. Cool the bars in the pan completely (at least two hours) before slicing and serving.