Browned Butter Blondies

Truckin' Man is back to work already, thankfully a very short layoff this season. But, my break from packing lunches is over. Time to get that oven cranked up, and some tasty treats packed to keep him fueled up and trucking... Lol... That turned out a little funnier than I meant it too!

I know I was supposed to be sharing some cookie recipes, but for some reason cookies and I are having a rough go of it so far this year. Bars though? We are doing fabulous! So, onward to what is working for me!

I've been making these lovely chewy blondies for years, and they never let me down. With just a few ingredients, this is a recipe I can pull off in a pinch if I need something fast. Truth be told, I've even skipped browning the butter if I really needed to move fast! But the browned butter really adds that something special, so I do recommend taking the time to do that.

Browned Butter Blondies
1/2 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray, set aside.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir often, until butter turns brown. It will turn brown after it has foamed, and it will turn a golden brown. Remove from heat immediately. Let set until butter has cooled to room temperature. Add brown sugar, stirring until blended.  Stir in eggs, mix well.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing just until combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Be careful to not overbake.

Enjoy!

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Triple Citrus Bars - #foodbloggers4fl

It's hard to believe all the damage that has been occurring in the past couple weeks. From Hurricane Harvey, to the wild fires out west, to Hurricane Irma. I'm sure many people are now having a watchful eye on Hurricane Maria. 

I have several online friends in Florida, and reading about their preparation for Irma was absolutely nerve wracking. Thankfully, they all came through with minimal damage. My family and friends in South Carolina, are all safe as well. 

The group of bloggers I met up with to show our support for Hurricane Harvey, is meeting up again in support of those impacted by Hurricane Irma.  Sharing food is what we do, so this time sharing a recipe inspired by the Southeastern part of the U.S. or the Caribbean.  Please be sure to scroll all the way to the links after the recipe to see what everyone else is sharing!

With Florida being in the news so much, I immediately thought "Citrus". And, while these bars are very close to a traditional lemon bar, the variety of citrus flavor coming from Limes, Oranges and Lemons, makes these so much brighter in flavor, and the perfect bar to take on a summer picnic or to a potluck. Or maybe even pack some up in a lunch which is what we are doing this week!

For your consideration, here are some reputable charities: 

Volunteer Florida
Miami Diaper Bank

Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida
South Florida Wildlife Center 

Heart of Florida United Way
All Faiths Food Bank 

Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency

Fondos Unidos 

Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands

St. John Community Foundation
Anguilla Beaches

Triple Citrus Bars

Crust
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest, divided
1 teaspoon lime zest, divided

1 teaspoon orange zest, divided

Filling
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tablespoons orange juice, fresh squeezed
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh squeezed
2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed

Glaze
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons citrus juice (lemon, lime, or orange)
Zest, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.  In medium bowl, mix melted butter, 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon each of lime, lemon, and orange zest.  Once combined, press into prepared baking pan. With fork, poke holes throughout crust. Bake for 20 minutes.

In large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, flour, and baking powder. Once well combined, add remaining zest, and 2 tablespoons each of lime, lemon, and orange zest. Mix well.

When crust is done. Remove from oven. Pour filling over baked crust. Bake for 20 minutes, or until set.

Once bars have cooled to room temperature, stir together powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon citrus juice (use whatever juice you have on hand). Add remaining juice as necessary until desired consistency is reached.  Pour glaze over cooled bars, let set for 30 minutes before cutting.

Store covered in refrigerator.

Adapted from: Real Food Girl:Unmodified

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Mom's Lemon Bars

Happy May, my friends! I am happy to say the sun is finally shining, and things are looking more and more spring like here in Wisconsin. 

I missed out on last months Fill the Cookie Jar, and absolutely could not miss again. The theme for this month is Mother's Day. So, I was thinking about my mom and what cookie or bar she was famous for. Two came to mind that are what I would say were always "her bars", that my sister and I always looked forward to back in the day, and still do!

  

Mom's Lemon Bar recipe is what I decided to share with you today.  She even had the recipe in our local church cookbook from 1975!  Now, that being said, I have tweaked one aspect of my mom's recipe. I always loved this bar, but in today's world where bigger is better, I just need more filling in the bar! You can certainly make these to my mom's liking, which are completely delicious. But, I find with lemon bars, I just want more, so I keep her crust recipe as is, but I double the filling. 

If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.

We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

Lemon Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup lemon juice
Additional powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Mix together butter, powdered sugar, and 1 cup of all-purpose flour.  Press into 9x13 pan.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix together eggs and granulated sugar.  Blend well. Add baking powder, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, and lemon juice.  Mix until completely combined.

When crust is done. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Pour filling over baked crust. Bake for 25 minutes, or until set.  Cool completely, lightly dust with powdered sugar.

Store in airtight container for one to two days.

Below are the other #FillTheCookieJar Bakers who baked delicious treats this Month. 

Stop by, say hello and pick up a new recipe or two.

Jumbo Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies by Cookaholic Wife

Mexican Chocolate Bizcochitos by Palatable Pastime

Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Healthy Oatmeal Coffee Cookies by This and That

Black Pepper Shortbread by Feeding Big

Almond Orange Cookie by A Day In The Life on The Farm

Galaxy & Nebula Cookies by Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Mom's Lemon Bars by Big Rigs 'N Lil' Cookies

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Spring Confetti Cookie Bars

I missed this month's Fill the Cookie Jar, with everything we had going on.  I was going to let it go and jump back in next month. But, when I heard my young foodie friend "Up North" was looking for the cookie of the month, I knew I had to get back to the kitchen!  

These bars are going to be a house favorite here. They are perfect for Easter, or any potluck you want to take a fun dessert bar to. You could change this up seasonally with sprinkles and M & M's for whatever the holiday or season is. 

This is a soft chewy bar topped with the soft layer of puffed marshmallows, your sweet lovers will be asking for one more bar!

Spring Confetti Cookie Bars

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, divided

3 cups miniature marshmallows

1 cup M&M's

3-4 tablespoons sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking power, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside. 

In large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Mix until light and creamy. Add egg and vanilla. Mix just until combined.  Add dry ingredients, mixing only until combined. Add 1 cup of white chocolate chips, mixing until evenly distributed.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread as needed to have mixture even through pan. Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until edges are just turning golden.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with miniature marshmallows, and then M&M's. Return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes, or until marshmallows are puffed. Removed from oven and sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and sprinkles evenly over top. Let cool completely.  

Cut into bars and store in air tight container. 

Adapted from: Chelsea's Messy Apron

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Valentine's Day Treats

Looking for some sweet treats to make for Valentine's Day?  Here are some ideas for you!!

Cranberry Valentine's Cookies 

White Chocolate Dipped Cherry Cookies

M & M Chocolate Pudding Bars

Cherry Kiss Cookies 

Chocolate Waffle Cookies

Sugar Cookie Bars

Overloaded Rice Krispie Bars

Chocolatey Rice Krispie Bars

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Butterfinger Blondies

Welcome to October's "Fill the Cookie Jar"! This months theme is Halloween/Pumpkin. Instead of a spooky treat this year, I went with a bar featuring my all time favorite Halloween candy treat. Butterfingers. I always loved finding the houses with Butterfingers, and truth be told I would have traded every candy bar I had for a Butterfinger! 

You do have to realize at the age I was trick or treating, it was many many moons ago and times were different. Plus we lived in the middle of farm country, so you didn't make it to a lot of houses, and the parents had to drive us to all both one of the houses we went to. So, my version of a "lot" of candy is less than most!

Enough about trick or treating, and back to the bar. I won some of these Butterfinger Baking Bits in a basket at a fund raiser. I was so happy to find goodies in the basket I had never used, and knew exactly how to enjoy them. This is such a simple bar to pull together. Peanut butter mixed with Butterfinger Bits? Oh yes... Perfection!  Want to use up some Halloween candy instead? Just smash up 1 1/2 cups of Butterfinger Candy Bars, and you are good to go!

If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.

We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

Butterfinger Blondies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup ligh brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
10 oz bag Butterfinger Baking Bits, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray, set aside.  In large mixing bowl, combine butter and both sugars with electric mixer.  Mix until butter is completely incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add peanut butter and vanilla, mixing until smooth and creamy. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, mixing well. Add Butterfinger Baking Bits, reserving 3/4 cup. Stir until the bits are evenly distributed

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread as needed to have mixture even through pan. Sprinkle remaining Butterfinger Baking Bits over top and lightly press into the cookie mixture.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until edges are turning golden. Remove from oven and let cool completely.  Cut into bars, and store in air tight container.

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The Other Rice Krispie Bar

I try to keep the amount of sweets and carbs I eat to a minimum. But, sometimes things get out of control and my "minimum" just goes flying out the door. That's what's been happening lately with anything Rice Krispie based. 

When I had half a box or so of Rice Krispies left, I wanted to make something different where I wouldn't devour the whole pan. I remembered those "Other Rice Krispie Bars" my mom, or grandmother's would make once in a great while, back in the day. 

BUT, only make a small pan, that way things won't get out of control!

If you are feeding a family, you can definitely double this recipe and make it in a 9x13, or if you just want to indulge yourself, go ahead and do it that way too! 

These are a great chewy no-bake treat, that will satisfy your chocolate and peanut butter cravings!

The Other Rice Krispie Bar

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups Rice Krispies
12 oz. milk chocolate chips (use half butterscotch chips if you like)

Butter 9x9 baking pan. Set aside.

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, light corn syrup, and peanut butter.  Heat over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until boiling. Remove from heat and stir in Rice Krispies until completely mixed.  Lightly press into prepared pan.

In microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips following package instructions.  Pour melted chocolate over top bars.  Let cool. Cut into bars.

Store in airtight container.

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Caramel Irish Cream Cookie Bars

I've led a very sheltered life when it comes to booze. I am by no means against booze or drinking, I am just not knowledgeable on different liquors and what to do with them. So, when I have a drink, or make a marinade, it's typically whiskey or beer based. Once in a great while a bottle of vodka gets in the house, but it's rare.

For quite a while I have been wanting to try Irish Cream, as a drink, and to bake with. I finally picked some up, and oh yeah... That's good stuff! Not something I would drink often, but I would definitely enjoy having it in the house on occasion, and I am definitely going to try baking more recipes with it.

These bars were outstanding. The first pan did not last long. Normally, I have one or two bars, and the rest go on to Truckin' Man and the guys. But these bars? They stayed here, and I ate more than I care to admit.

These are a nice sugar cookie bar, with a kick for your St. Patrick's Day Menu. They aren't overly sweet, one of the many reasons I enjoyed them so much.

If you want a non-alcoholic version to try, my suggestion would be to try the Irish Cream coffee creamer.

If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.

We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

Caramel Irish Cream Cookie Bars

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, and 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup Caramel Irish Cream
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 T. light brown sugar
2 T. Caramel Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 8x8 pan with parchment paper, set aside.  In large mixing bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar, brown sugar, and salt. Add egg, egg yolk, and Caramel Irish Cream, mixing until combined. Gradually add flour, mixing until flour is completely incorporated.

Press dough into prepared pan.  Bake for 30 minutes, until edges are light golden. Let cool completely.

Once bars are cooled, beat butter in large mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar. Add brown sugar and Irish Cream as needed to reach spreading consistency. 


Enjoy :)
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M & M Chocolate Pudding Bars

My baking has been at a strange level lately. With Truckin' Man laid off for the winter, he has been home lots and working on home based projects. That means I don't pack lunches for him 5 days a week. When I am not packing lunches, I tend to loose track of what sweets we have on hand.  If we go without for too long, he lets me know. The drivers at my job let me know too. 

A couple weeks ago, I was noticing I was getting the evil eye around every corner. Before I got a complex over the evil eye, I realized it was due to my lack of baking. As a quick remedy to those with the sweet tooth, I pulled out this recipe I have had in my collection for years. Since we were near Valentine's Day, I changed up the standard vanilla pudding with chocolate pudding. 

These bars are always a hit. Quick and easy to prepare, makes me happy. Not as rich as a brownie, yet nice and chocolaty from the pudding. The perfect snack.

M & M Chocolate Pudding Bars

1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 - 3.9 oz box instant chocolate pudding
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup M & M's, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugars, pudding, and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.  Gradually add flour and baking soda, mixing well. Add 3/4 cup M & M's. Stir until combined.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread as needed to have mixture even through pan. Sprinkle remaining M & M's over top and lightly press into cookie mixture.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until edges are just pulling back from pan, and center is set.  Remove from oven and let cool completely. Cut into bars, and store in air tight container.

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Sugar Cookie Bars

Want to treat your sweetie, your children, or yourself for Valentine's?? Sugar Cookie Bars are the way! I've seen this recipe floating around pinterest, and many blogs for years, and I have always wanted to try them. So, just in time for Fill the Cookie Jar's February edition, I made a batch, and I am so glad I did!

Sometime's this recipe is called Lofthouse Sugar Cookie Bars.  I didn't even know what that meant until I googled it. Apparently, Lofthouse is a brand of packaged cookies you would buy at the store. Am I the only one that didn't know this? I will have to watch for them, just so I can taste one. 

This recipe has been featured on so many blogs, so I was curious where it orignated, and while I can't say for sure, I followed it all the way back to 2010 at Today's Mama. 

But, these bars... Oh my gosh. Ridiculously Delicious. Soft. Chewy. Darn near perfect in my opinion. The frosting I used, was a bit to sweet for me, but got really high marks from everyone else.

If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.

We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

Sugar Cookie Bars

1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda


Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
4-5 tbsp milk
Food coloring (optional)
sprinkles (optional, but recommend!)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 15 x 10 baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.  In large mixing bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, sugar and mix well.  Add egg, and continue mixing for about four minutes.  Add vanilla, and mix until well combined.

In small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated.

Press dough into prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes, just until edges are a very light golden.

Cool completely.

While Sugar Cookie Bars are cooling, beat butter in large mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar. Blend in vanilla and salt. Add milk as needed to reach spreading consistency.

Enjoy!

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Caramel Apple Bars

Sometimes the area we live in truly amazes me. We are so fortunate to live near many apple orchards. The variety of apples we have available to us within an hours drive has me completely spoiled. It makes for a fun weekend drive to head to the orchard, get some apples, 

and maybe even a baked good.

On our last apple outing, we went to an orchard we hadn't been to before. Why? Because my mother was RAVING about the cookies she had at the bakery of this orchard. Well, that's a tease if I ever heard one, so we had to go. Once we got there, and were waiting in line, I am peeking at the bakery case and already disappointed because I don't see any of these cookies. Not a one. We finally get our turn, and I ask the lady about these cookies... Oh yes, they have them, they are already bagged and ready to go. Apparently so popular, they don't bother to put them in the display case! 

They were  soooo good!

I wanted to try and replicate this cookie! I couldn't get the cookie the way I wanted it to be, but I was able to get it into a bar! Just in time for Fill the Cookie Jar!

If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.

We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

Caramel Apple Bars

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp apple pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 large apple, peeled and diced

11 ounces Caramel Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 9x13 pan with parchment paper, set aside. 

In large bowl, cream butter until light and creamy. Add both sugars, beating until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mix well.  In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, apple pie spice, and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, mixing until fully incorporated. Add oatmeal, mix well. Fold in diced apple and caramel bits. 

Press into prepared pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until light golden and set. Once cooled, cut into bars. Store in airtight container.

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Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sometimes there are recipes you just don't mess with. They are the ones you grew up with, and are the traditional go to recipe. Like my Pumpkin Bars. The recipe was in the first cookbook my grandmother got me many many moons ago. On rare occasion, I have tried other recipes, but I always end up back here with my never fail, delicious every time, crowd pleasing Pumpkin Bars. 

Fill the Cookie Jar was open for Halloween or Pumpkin bars/cookies this month, so I thought it was high time I share this, and get this recipe added to my blog. Some day my poor cookbook is going to fall apart, and I certainly don't want to ever lose this recipe.

If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.

We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

Pumpkin Bars

2 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
4 eggs
15 oz can pumpkin
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 x 15 pan, set aside.  In large bowl, beat sugar and oil until smooth.  Add eggs, and pumpkin, mix until well blended. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix until completely combined. Add nuts if desired.

Bake for 30 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Set aside to cool.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 tsp cream, as needed

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar. Add vanilla. Add cream as needed to reach spreading consistency. When bars are completely cooled, spread with frosting.

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Man Bars

The theme for June's "Fill the Cookie Jar" is cookies that our dad would love. I was running REALLY far behind this month, and when I needed to decide on a recipe, my dad was out of town.... Ooops! So, I turned the decision making over to Truckin' Man. His suggestion was "chocolate chip". While chocolate chips are the best cookies,  it wasn't one I felt inspired to bake recently.

Then I had a memory.... A bar I had pinned several years ago. Apparently almost 4 years ago. Has pinterest really been around that long? Wow time flies..! 

Anyways.... I found the pin, and the link was dead. I was heartbroken. Don't tell me I can't have this recipe.  Nothing like a dead end to get me obsessed with finding the recipe.

It took a bit. I ended up having to get creative on my surfing abilities, but I found the blog, and the recipe. Thank goodness!

Man Bars. Doesn't that sound like the perfect bar for celebrating Father's Day? From all the guys that sampled this bar today, the name fits. It's sweet and chocolaty, with the perfect graham cracker goodness that everyone loves!

If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.

We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

Man Bars (Adapted from: Delightful Country Cookin via Gooseberry Patch)

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 cup miniature chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 -2 cups powdered sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper, set aside. In large bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, cocoa, chocolate chips, walnuts, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Stir until all ingredients are combined.  Press into prepared pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool. Remove bars from pan, and cut into small squares. Add powdered sugar to small bowl, and roll bars in sugar before serving.

Enjoy!

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Say G'Day

Toffee Triangles

Several months ago, my wonderful friend Donika from Mom! What's for Dinner?, sent a care package full of wonderful treats to try. These were a bit different, as they were Canadian. Some things are the same brand as what we have in the U.S., but they are made a little bit different. And let me tell you, we loved each and every bit of chocolaty goodness!

My package arrived just as we were starting our remodeling projects, which was perfect as I wasn't able to do much in the kitchen. Smarties are my favorite out of everything... If you have a chance, do try them!  Before we ate our way through the entire care package,  I stashed away the the Chipits!  I wanted to bake at least one recipe with my Canadian treats.

I didn't go crazy and experiment since I had a limited supply. I used the recipe on the bag. These were such a hit. Delicious cookie crust, with toffee goodness everywhere! So, even if you get some U.S. toffee bits, this is a great recipe and makes for a very happy husband!

Toffee Triangles  (Source: Hershey)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
7 ounce toffee bits, divided
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 15x10 sheet with parchment paper. I like to have a couple extra inches of paper hanging over the edge so you can remove the bars to cut.  Set aside

In large mixing bowl, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla, stir until combined.  Add flour, one cup at a time, until combined. Add 1 cup of toffee bits, stirring until they are evenly distributed through the dough.

Press dough evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 18 minutes, or just until beginning to turn golden. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over the hot cookie "crust". Let stand for 3-5 minutes, or until chocolate chips are softened. Spread chocolate evenly over top. Sprinkle remaining toffee chips over top of melted chocolate.

Let cool for several hours. When bars have cooled and chocolate is set, remove from pan. Cut bars into squares, then cut each square in half diagonally.

Enjoy!

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Mounds Bars

It's time to Fill the Cookie Jar! The theme for December is Christmas/Hanukah. When it came time to bake for this month, I immediately thought of the bars my friend Terra, over at Cafe Terra, had shared a while ago on facebook. These bars were a family recipe that Terra's mom has been making for years. I knew that her bars were going to be in my holiday baking line up, so what better time to try them out?! 

Do to the fact that I live a bazillion miles from the grocery store, I have to improvise one ingredient with what I had on hand. Terra's original recipe used Hershey bars, and I didn't have any and wasn't about to drive back to town for candy bars, so I tweaked her chocolate layer a bit to be just chocolate chips.

These bars immediately got Truckin' Man's seal of approval! Even though we were testing them before they were completely set, and had to use forks! The perfect balance in each layer. I really need to bake with coconut more than once a year!

If you are interested in joining Fill The Cookie Jar group on facebook, fill out the form that can be found at Fill The Cookie Jar. Each month we bake a different theme for the cookie.

We bake, we share and we enjoy our cookies!

Mounds Bars (Source: Cafe Terra)

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and melted butter. Mix until completely combined. Press evenly into 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

While crust is cooling, mix together coconut and sweetened condensed milk. Stir well. Pour over cooled crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

When cooled slightly, melt chocolate chips following directions on package. Spread melted chocolate over top coconut layer. 

Let cool and set for a couple hours. Cut into squares. Store in airtight container.

Enjoy! 

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