More than just Brownies.. Bar Cookies

 

 

MMMMMM Bar Cookies.....YUM YUM YUM... How can you not love bar cookies...now I know you all make brownies..this will expand your horizons.... these are great for desserts, but also for holiday cookie trays..home made gifts

Maple Pecan Blondies

Makes one 9x13 pan blondies (about 30 2x2 servings).
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 cup grade B maple syrup
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ounces maple sugar candy, chopped
Maple Butter Glaze
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with parchment paper so that the ends fall over the long sides of the pan. Grease very lightly with butter or baking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, chopped pecans, brown sugar, salt, and baking soda. In a separate bowl or large measuring pitcher, whisk together the melted butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients, and fold together quickly and firmly until completely combined. Fold in the chopped maple sugar candy.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan. It will be quite thick and sticky. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the center is just barely cooked and set. The blondies should be very soft still.
While the blondies are baking, make the maple butter glaze: Melt the butter in a small saucepan then stir in the maple syrup and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat (watch out that it doesn't boil over) and cook at a full boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Drizzle the warm glaze over the blondies. Reserve any leftover glaze and refrigerate, well covered. It will last for at least a week in the refrigerator, and can be used for serving the blondies, or drizzled over ice cream.
Set the blondies aside to cool for at least a full hour. Lift out of the pan using the parchment to lift them straight up. Cut into small squares to serve.

Irish Shortbread Toffee Bars

(also...called Millionaire's Bars)
Adapted from Notably Nashville
Yields 12 bars
For the shortbread:
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
For the toffee:
2 sticks salted butter
1 cup sugar
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 (10 ounce bag) good-quality bittersweet chocolate chips
Sea salt (optional)
For the shortbread, preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a beater blade (or with an electric mixer), cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the flour and beat on low speed until crumbly, making sure not to over-mix the dough. Press into the bottom of an 8 x 11-inch baking dish and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, or until light golden brown.
For the toffee, combine the butter, sugar, condensed milk, and maple syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once the mixture is boiling, continue to stir until it is thick and golden brown (but not burned), about 5-7 minutes. Pour over the cooked shortbread and allow to set at least an hour or as long as overnight. (If you love caramel flavor, use all of the sauce, or use less for a thinner layer.)
Melt the chocolate chips in a small saucepan over low heat. Spread over the cooled caramel layer, sprinkle with sea salt (if using), and cool completely. Cut into squares before serving.

Halfway Cookies

Chewy cookie on the bottom, marshmallow-like meringue on top, and a rich layer of chocolate sandwiched in between - these halfway cookies have got to be one of the best inventions ever! The recipe has been around for decades and we often find it in old church and community cookbooks.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, separated
2 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks
Equipment
9x13 baking dish
aluminum foil
parchment or wax paper

1. Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut two pieces of aluminum foil and fold them to match the width of the pan. Press one piece into the pan lengthwise and the other into the pan crosswise with the ends hanging over the sides of the pan. This makes it easy to lift the bars out of the pan once they're cooled. Spray the foil with nonstick coating.
2. Make the Cookie Dough: Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Using a standing mixer, a hand mixer, or by hand, cream together the butter, the granulated sugar and just 1/2 cup of the brown sugar until this looks like smooth frosting.
Separate the eggs, reserving the whites. Mix the yolks into the butter-sugar mixture one at a time until they are completely absorbed, then mix in the water and vanilla. With the mixer at a low speed, add the flour mixture and beat gently until all the flour has been absorbed and the dough looks crumbly.
3. Add the Cookie Layer: Press the cookie dough gently into the pan with your hands, making sure the surface is even.
4. Add the Chocolate Layer: Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough and use your palms to press them slightly into the dough. This will help keep them from moving when you add the meringue.
5. Make the Meringue: Using a stand or hand mixer with a clean bowl and a clean whisk attachment, start whisking the egg whites. Gradually increase your speed to medium-high. When the egg whites are very frothy and look like loose foam, start adding the remaining cup of brown sugar a little at a time. Continue increasing your speed to the highest setting. When all the sugar has been added, continue whipping the meringue until it holds a soft peak. It should look like glossy, soft-serve ice cream.
6. Spread the Meringue on Top: Scoop the meringue down the middle of the pan. It will be very sticky! Use a spatula to gently spread the meringue from the middle to the edges. We found it helpful to skim meringue from the top and gradually push it outward.
7. Bake the Bars: Lightly press a piece of parchment or wax paper on the top of the meringue (this makes an even layer and protects the meringue from scorching). Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment. Continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the edges look toasted and are pulling away from the sides of the pan.
8. Allow to Cool: Wait until the pan is completely cook before lifting out the bars and cutting them into pieces.
Additional Notes:
• To make a crunchier meringue layer, use granulated white sugar instead of brown sugar and beat the meringue until it forms firm peaks.
• You can also reduce the amount of sugar in the meringue down to 1/2 cup (minimum) if desired.
• Other ingredients can be used in place of or in addition to the chocolate chip layer! Consider things like butterscotch chips, nuts, toffee bits, dried fruit, and fruit preserves.

Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, sugars, vanilla, salt and vinegar. Beat in the egg, then the baking soda and flour. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide the dough into two equal portions and set aside.
2. In a medium mixing bowl cream the cream cheese with the sugar until thoroughly combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. In a 9x13 pan, spread 1/2 of the cookie dough mixture evenly across the bottom. (This is somewhat tricky to do. I find it easier to add dollops of cookie dough throughout the pan and then spread all the dollops together. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the top of the cookie dough. With the remaining cookie dough, flatten chunks of dough between your hands into discs, and then place on top of the cream cheese mixture. (The dough discs don't have to touch, just place them near each other so they cover the surface as well as possible.)
4. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is brown and cooked through. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator.

(To make this in a sheet pan like pictured in this post, double the recipe and press into a 12x17" sheet pan. The cooking time is slightly shorter.)

Snickerdoodle Blondies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon sugar & 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, mixed together


Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in salt, egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in flour until combined, and then stir in white chocolate chips. Batter will be very thick like cookie dough.

Spread and press batter evenly into pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top.
Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until bars are set and edges are lightly browned. Let cool completely before cutting.

M&M Samoa Blondies


Ingredients:
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/4 cups mini M&M’s
a few extra M&M’s

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8x8-inch pan with nonstick spray and then line the bottom with parchment paper
2. Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch it closely so it doesn’t burn). Let the butter cool for a few minutes, until just barely warm.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars. With a wooden spoon, stir in egg, vanilla and salt. Stir in flour, coconut and M&M’s until batter is blended.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle a few additional M&M’s on top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Let the blondies cool before turning them out onto a cutting board and slicing into squares (chilling them will make that process even easier).

Side Notes:
*Use chocolate chips in place of M&M’s if you’d like.
*For slightly gooey, underbaked blondies, bake for 25 minutes. For fully baked blondies, bake the entire 30 minutes (I baked mine for about 27 minutes and I thought that they were perfect!).