Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

I have been searching for a great peanut butter bar recipe. In college I remember having a few black sharpie fights in order to either confiscate or claim my friend Erica's peanut butter bars. They were usually being held hostage by Dave. I still haven't found a recipe that requires sharpie fighting, but this one is close.

Adapted from Once Upon a Plate

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats (regular or old fashioned)

Topping:

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk

5 tablespoons butter

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Position oven rack to center position. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 x 15 inch baking pan, set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and peanut butter in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla to butter mixture; beat until combined. Add flour in 2 additions, mix well but do not over-beat. Stir in oats by hand until evenly distributed.

Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and slightly firm. Remove from oven and quickly place spoonfuls of the 3/4 cup peanut butter on the surface. As the peanut butter melts, spread evenly with a knife. Allow to cool completely. When cool, make the chocolate topping.

Bring sugar, cream and butter to a full rolling boil. Boil for 45 seconds. Remove pan from heat and add the chocolate chips. Whisk gently or stir until chocolate mixture is smooth. As soon as mixture is smooth, pour evenly over the cooled cookie and peanut butter base. Allow chocolate to set up and harden. When set, cut into squares and serve.

Chewy Chocolate Brownies

I'm always a little skeptical of recipes labeled "light" or "healthy," especially when it comes to treats like brownies or cake or cookies. I mean, really? Can they actually be as good as the full-fat version? Well in this case, they are! These brownies turned out delicious, and you'd never know they are lightened up a bit. Chewy Chocolate Brownies
from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking 2009

3 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 c. packed brown sugar
3 Tbs. unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
1 egg white
2 Tbs. canola oil
4 1/2 tsp. light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt

In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat the brown sugar, applesauce, egg, egg white, oil, corn syrup and vanilla. Beat in chocolate until blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; beat into brown sugar mixture just until blended.

Pour into a 9x13 baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 18 brownies.

*I will admit that I fattened up my batch of brownies a bit with about 1/2 cup of Andes mint baking chips that were left over from Christmas. Yum.

(For those of you interested, each brownie has 125 calories and 4 g of fat. Without the addition of the mint chips, of course.)

Frosted Banana Bars

This is one of my favorite dessert recipes. They're really easy to make and a great way to use over-ripe bananas, which to me is any banana with even a single brown spot.

Frosted Banana Bars
(from Allrecipes.com)

Bars:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. sour cream (or plain yogurt)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. mashed ripe bananas (2-3 bananas)

Frosting:
1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.

4. For frosting, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar.

Store bars in the refrigerator.

Lemon Bars

I remember Mom making lemon bars and taking them to Aunt Blodwyn's house when we were little. I must have breathed in while taking a bite, because I got a nose full of powdered sugar. Have you ever done that? I'm sure I nearly died on that occasion, because I can't eat a lemon bar without thinking about it. Anyway, I've been saving this post for Spring. Lemon bars seem like something to make when it's nice and warm outside when we're all gearing up for lemonade stands and lemonade ice cream pie. But it has been in the 80s this week here in Texas. It feels like Spring to me. I love the shortbread crust to lemony goodness ratio in these lemon bars. I cut them a couple hours after making them, so they were still a little gooey. I'd let them set up for at least six hours. They were actually perfect the second day.

Recipe from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

For the crust:

1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 cubes), at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup flour

Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 pan, building up a 1/2 inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut and dust with confectioner's sugar.

Chocolate Caramel Bars

I got this recipe from the Taste of Home Cookbook and everyone loves it. How can anything go wrong with chocolate and caramel.

1 C. flour
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. butter
2 C. coarsely chopped pecans
1 C. flaked coconut
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla
20 vanilla caramels
2 tbs. milk
1 C. chocolate chips

Crust:
Stir together flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender. Press into a greased 9X13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle pecans and coconut over hot crust.

Filling:
Combine sweetened condensed milk and vanilla; pour over pecans and coconut. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in saucepan, mix caramels and milk. Cook and stir over med. heat just till melted (I use the microwave). Drizzle over the top and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Cool and cut. Yum!

Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars

Cookies are not my favorite thing to bake. I'd much rather spread the dough all out in one pan and set one timer than cook multiple batches of cookies. I convinced Dave that these bars are better than cookies. Never thought I'd find a recipe good enough for that!

For the oatmeal layer:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups (packed) brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned (rolled) oats

1 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Beat the butter on medium speed in a mixer until it is soft and creamy. Add the brown sugar and beat for 2 minutes, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating for a minute after each egg goes in. Beat in the vanilla. The mixture should be light and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear. Still on low speed, or working by hand with a rubber spatula, stir in the oats and chopped peanuts.

Set aside 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the mixture, then press the remaining dough into a greased 9 by 13 inch baking pan.

For the chocolate layer:

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts

Melt the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave, stirring often. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.

Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the oatmeal crust, then scatter the remaining oatmeal mixture over the top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the chocolate layer is dull and starting to come away from the sides of the pan. Cool for about 2 hours. Cut into bars and serve at room temperature or refrigerate and serve cold.

Recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter Bars
These were so good, and so fast to make because you don't have to bake them. They taste like peanut butter cups. Even Chad liked them.

Ingredients

* 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
* 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
* 2 cups confectioners' sugar
* 1 cup peanut butter
* 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
* 4 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.