Banana Bread Snack Bars*

I was looking for a healthier kind of "early morning" snack-- something to get our little guy from 5:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. when he gets to school for his Monday-Friday breakfast.   I wanted something not toooooooo loaded with sugar.  First off, I hope you understand that he doesn't eat breakfast at school because of there not being a breakfast option right here at home--  it is because the school offers the breakfast program and students are encouraged to take part in it, so he does. 

My "google-search" took me to these Chocolate Chip Banana Bars--  BUT!, because I think they taste more like a slice of banana bread, that is what I am naming them.    (IF these were just for me, I'd load them up with nuts!  The way it is, I did change the original recipe just a bit--  the first time I made these, I used all coconut oil; this time I used butter as the shortening, and I added three tablespoons of ground flax seeds.)  

 Since our little one gives me a "thumbs up" on these, I am posting this recipe here so that I don't lose it.

INGREDIENTS: 

• 5-6 very ripe bananas (1 and 2/3 cup mashed banana, total).  RIPE bananas add more        flavor and sweetness.
• 3/4 cup brown sugar (I used dark)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted  (OR 1/4 cup warmed coconut oil; OR 2 Tbsp warmed coconut oil/2 Tbsp applesauce; OR 1/4 cup all applesauce.)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 and 3/4 cup flour (or substitute with whole wheat flour if you don't mind these ending up a little "heavier")
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp. ground flax seed (optional)
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips (put half in batter, spread other half on top just before baking).

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 350-degrees.  Spray a 15x10.5" pan with non-stick spray.
2. Peel bananas and mash well.  Stir in brown sugar, oil, milk and eggs until combined.
3. Add in dry ingredients and stir.  Stir in the ground flax seed (optional.  Fold in 1/2 of the             mini chocolate chips.
4. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top.  Bake 18-              22 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
5. Cool completely, and cut into squares.

*Adapted from a recipe from the recipes posted at butterwithasideofbread.com

RHUBARB CUSTARD BARS*

PREP; 25 MIN. + CHILLING + BAKE: 50 MIN. + MAKES: 3 DOZEN

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST--

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup cold butter

FILLING--

2 cups sugar

7 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 large eggs, beaten

5 cups finely chopped fresh, or frozen rhubarb that's been thawed and drained

TOPPING-- (I do NOT make and add this to the bars-- I say they are good "as is".)

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (I used the food processor for this).   Press into a greased 9x13" baking pan/dish.  Bake at 350-degrees for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for filling, combine sugar and flour in a bowl.  Whisk in cream and eggs.  Stir in rhubarb.  Pour over baked crust.  Bake at 350-degrees for 40-45 minutes OR until the custard is set.  Cool.
3. For topping (If you choose to add it)--  Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth; fold in whipped cream.  Spread over the top.  Cover and chill.  Cut into bars.  Store in the refrigerator.

Per Bar:  198 cal., 11 g fat (7 g sat. fat), 52 mg chol., 70 mg. sodium, 23 g carb., 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.* Once I tried these creamy bars, I had to make them for family and friends.  the fruit and custard layers inspire people to go find rhubarb-- Shari Roach, South Milwaukee, WI (Taste of Home, April/May 1998 Issue.)

Brownies (These were my 'go to' in the 70's and 80's)

I know this recipe is a bit 'labor intensive', but,.........before I needed to spend more time milking cows and ending up making 'brownies from a box', this was my very best recipe.  It was given to me by Dolores (my aunt-in-law).  I'd get those little marshmallows put on the hot brownies, stick the pan 'into the cold' until they got firm before spreading the frosting on.  After that, I'd again put them 'back into the cold' until they were getting close to 'solid' before lifting that 'chocolate slab of goodness' out of the pan and, using my longest knife, cutting them on my cutting board-- being cold, their cut edges were so clean/sharp/pretty (party perfect)!    Seeing this recipe again is making me 'miss' them-- I'll have to do a re-run of these and find out if they taste as good as I remember! 
(Smiling!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz. block of unsweetened chocolate*

2/3 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oven to 350-degrees

2.  Grease/spray 9x13-inch pan, or line with aluminum foil with leaving 'lift out tabs' on edges.

3.  Melt shortening and chocolate over low heat.

4.  Mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla.

5.  Stir in remaining ingredients.

6.  Spread in greased pan, or on 'greased foil' liner.

7.  Bake about 30-min. (or until sides begin to pull away from the pan).

8.  When 'done', I immediately place a layer of miniature marshmallows over top

 of hot brownies (you can use large marshmallows if you snip them into thirds).

9.  I stick the pan back into the oven that's already been turned off-- I leave it in there

 only long enough for the marshmallows to get soft enough for me to spread them.  (If you leave them 'unspread', their layer will just be quite a bit higher.)

10.  I spread out the marshmallow layer and then stick the pan into the refrigerator (or freezer) just long enough for the marshmallow layer to get 'cold/stiff'.  Once that happens, I add a thin layer of butter/chocolate/powdered sugar frosting.

11. Sometimes, after the previous step, when I wanted 'party perfect' brownies, I'd lift the brownie slab out the pan by holding the foil "lift tabs" I'd left when I lined the pan and, atop their inverted pan, put them back into the freezer so that I could cut them after they were very cold/firm.  By cutting the cold brownies on my cutting board with my longest knife,  they really did look 'party perfect'!

* An extra HINT!  For rich chocolate desserts try Hershey's cocoa in recipes calling for baking chocolate by substituting 3 level tablespoons of cocoa + 1 tablespoon shortening or oil for 1 square (1 oz.) unsweetened baking chocolate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who'd have guessed anyone could/would make 'brownies' sound this complicated to make, huh!  (It's not really that bad, though.)  I'll post a picture of these when I make them.

Caramel Nut Chocolate Squares

When my sister was down-sizing in preparation to move from a large home to a small apartment, she gave me a whole BUNCH of cookbooks.  One was entitled Our Mom's Best Recipes (and Dad's) Vol. II.  It was... "Dedicated to the Best Moms and Dads in the World!" and sponsored by the First United Methodist Youth in December of 1994.   I found this particular recipe, submitted by Carolyn Whisenant, inside of that booklet.  After they were baked, my "taste tester" said he approved of their moistness, chewiness, and... TASTE!

INGREDIENTS:

• 14 oz. package of light caramels (or approximately 50), UNwrapped. (P.S.  I do NOT like the job of UNwrapping caramels!  Usually, IF any children are around, they more than gladly do it for me just so they can have some of the "extras".  There were no children here today.)
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk (I found that, by using a small 5 oz. can of evaporated milk, I had  enough for the two separate amounts called for in this recipe without having any left over to "waste"?)

......................................

• 1 package German Chocolate cake mix (as is)
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup chopped nuts (Today, I used pecans)
• 1 cup (or 6 oz.) chocolate chips-- you can choose between the semi-sweet or milk chocolate variety.  (Personally, I think they end up being toooooooooo sweet with milk chocolate chips.)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a saucepan, heat UNwrapped caramels with 1/3 cup evaporated milk.  Heat over low/medium heat until caramels are melted.  Stir until smooth and set aside.
2. Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.  (I lined a pan with foil, and then used non-stick spray on that. This way I could lift them out of the pan for easier cutting after they cooled and the caramel firmed up.)
3. In a larger bowl, combine dry cake mix, melted butter, the other 1/3 cup evaporated milk and the chopped nuts.   (Just because it's something I choose to do, I first rub the dry cake mix through a mesh screen-type strainer to get rid of any dry lumps.)
4. By hand, stir until dough holds together.
5. Press 1/2 of the dough into the baking pan, saving the rest for topping to be added later.
6. Bake at 350-degrees for 6 minutes.
7. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the baked/hot crust.  Spread caramel mixture over the chips.
8. Crumble the remaining dough over the caramel/chips layer.  (In order to accomplish this, I dropped very LITTLE dabs of dough on the caramel layer until I had "most" of the surface covered by little bits of dough.)
9. Return to oven and bake 15 to 18 minutes more, depending on how your own oven heats.
10. Cool slightly.
11. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the caramel layer set before cutting.

I often bake things like this and then put them into 

the freezer for sharing when others stop in.

(Caramalized) Browned Butter Krispie Treats

 My new FAVORITE "way" 

for making Krispie Treats...

As of right now, I am all done with making Krispie Treats the "regular way".  I'm all over the taste that comes from making one little change to the original recipe-- that "little change" is letting the butter brown a bit before adding the marshmallows!

Makes:  1  of 9x13" pan, plus 1 of 8x8" pan.  Perfect sized batch for pot luck affairs-- take the 9x13-inch, and keep the 9x9-inch for "future use"--and, I think we all know what THAT "future use" means!   (BUT!,... if you DO only want to make a small batch, use the ingredient number that is printed in blue.)

☺

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 oz. (or 3 sticks) unsalted butter, plus a little extra for greasing the pan. (4 oz. or 1 stick)
• 3 bags of 10.5 oz. mini-marshmallows (1 of 10.5 oz. mini-marshmallows)
• Optional, a dash of vanilla?
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt-- omit this if you used salted butter.  (1/4 teaspoon salt)
• 18 cups of dry Krispie cereal.  (6 cups dry Krispie cereal)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Butter the pan(s) you plan to use.
2. Measure the cereal into a large bowl right now so that it's ready at the end.
3. In a large pot-- preferably one with a thicker kind of bottom, melt butter over medium-low heat.  It will first melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty.  Watch VERY closely-- stirring all the while, and scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan as it starts to darken.  This butter can go from "light brown" to burnt in a hurry--  so watch it closely to prevent that from happening.
4. When butter is evenly browned (or turns a nutty color), turn off the heat, remove from burner and quickly stir in the marshmallows to keep the butter from continuing to darken with its own heat. 
5. Turn heat back on to LOW and keep stirring the marshmallows into the butter mixture until all is smoooooooooooooth.
6. Turn off the heat, again. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt.  OPTIONAL:  You could also also add a scant teaspoon of vanilla (1/4 teaspoon) at this point. 
7. Dump this hot mixture over the Krispie cereal and mix well, very gently working the cereal up from the bottom of the bowl and to the top until all is coated.  
8. Scrape this coated cereal mixture into the prepared pan(s) and press down lightly.  If necessary, butter hands to gently press mixture flat. Let cool, and cut into squares or bars.

My interest in making these treats like this started a few months ago. Both my daughter and I were asked to take something to church for a funeral dinner-- me, a casserole; her, some bars.   She made these.   Well, after all was over, she asked me to take her container home with me.  Since there were a few Krispie Treats left in her very large pan, I.................... helped myself.  I immediately concluded they tasted better than any I'd ever made.  I asked her what she did differently.   At first, she couldn't think of anything-- then, she asked, "I wonder if it is because I let the butter brown a little bit before adding the marshmallows?"  YES!, that had to be it.    After that, while checking around on the Internet, I found actual recipes calling for doing that-- yes, letting the butter brown before continuing with the recipe!!!  From now on, I will always be making these  like this!

Zucchini Brownies

It is not a mistake that this recipe does not call for eggs.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• ....
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  
2. Grease and flour a 9 x 13" baking pan/dish.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and the 2 cups shredded zucchini until well blended.
4. Combine the 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Stir into the sugar mixture.
5. Fold in the walnuts (optional).  Instead of folding the walnuts into the stiff batter, I just sprinkled them on top before baking and then gently pressed them in a little bit with the back of a spatula.
6. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the pre-heated oven until brownies spring back when gently touched, OR until a toothpick comes out clean.  Do not over bake.

FROSTING?????  IF you want to put a frosting on these, melt together 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter. Set aside and let this cool.  In a medium bowl, blend together 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  Add this to the melted and cooled cocoa/butter mixture.  Mix/beat well until very smooth.  Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Rhubarb Cream Cheese Squares

I was having "RHUBARB moments" yesterday...

Above:  Yes, yesterday was a "Rhubarb Day"-- 
sort of.  I made two kinds of Rhubarb 
desserts, not all for me/us, though!   
First, I made my family's favorite Rhubarb 
Custard Dessert (shown in the back) and, 
then,  something I'd never made before--  
Rhubarb Cream Cheese Squares 
(shown in the front).  

The recipe for the dessert below is one 
that's "around" on the Internet...

For this, I followed a recipe found in 
a blog entitled "a farmgirl's dabbles"*--   
except that I doubled it to make a 
9x13 dish of this.

Below:   After it cooled overnight, I 

drizzled caramel sauce over 

the top to make it "different"...

These are quite "rich" and quite "sweet"--  I think

a "not big" piece (half the size shown?) is best.

INGREDIENTS: 

• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups finely chopped rhubarb (chopped to little 1/4" pieces)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In my food processor, I combined the flour, brown sugar, cold butter and pulsed it until I had what looked like a crumb mixture.  At that point, I added the old-fashioned oats and hit "pulse" ONLY a couple of times so as to not totally break up the flakes of oats.
2. Remove 2 cups of this crumb mixture and set aside for the topping.
3. Gently press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased or sprayed 9x13" baking pan.  Set aside.
4. For the filling: In a small bowl, beat softened cream cheese and sugar until very smooth.  
5. Beat in salt, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
6. Add eggs, beat on low speed just until combined.
7. Stir in finely chopped rhubarb.  Pour mixture over crust.
8. Sprinkle batter with reserved crumb mixture, and very gently press down.
9. Bake at 350-degrees for about 50 minutes or until set/very light brown (check after 45 minutes).  Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour.  The baking time for just 1/2 this recipe baked in a 9x9" pan was listed at 35-40 minutes.
10. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Cut into squares (or bars).

*http://www.afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2013/05/31/moms-rhubarb-cream-cheese-bars/

Special CEREAL Bars

I think I first had these at some R.S. doing many, MANY years ago, but they remind me most of our daughter Paula and the 'maker/baker' she is when visiting here, or the other way around. ♥

Heat until mixture begins to boil:
1 cup light corn syrup (Karo)  I like the corn syrup that is NOT the "high fructose" variety.
1 cup white granulated sugar

Remove from heat, and stir in:
1 and 1/2 cups chunky peanut butter (I like the 'natural' kind)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Add the above mixture to:
6 cups of Rice Krispie (or Special K) cereal, and stir carefully so as NOT to break the cereal into "crumbs".

Pat this into a buttered 9x13" pan.  Cool. 
Enjoy them 'as is', or top with the following:

CHOCOLATE 'FROSTING' (optional):
Melt together 1/2 bag of semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips and 1/2 bag of butterscotch chips.  Mix well and spread onto bars.  Let chocolate frosting cool/harden BEFORE cutting.

Man-Catcher Brownies*

Oh, WAIT!!!-- I do not think these "Man-Catcher Brownies" are going to work for me, nor do I want them to!  Why?  I already have the man I want-- and have for almost 51 years, already!!!  

(Way back when, I didn't have nor need "magic brownies", but,... I, a 100% country girl, was born and raised on a working dairy farm and, even if he wasn't farm-born/raised, he... LIKED farms/farming!!!  So,... I guess,... my country way of life was "all the brownie" I needed!  ☺ )

Below:  Here he is (was) on his 67th birthday--  

looking darned good, I say!

I think the "country life" treated him quite well!

(Under that cap is a full head of "naturally" brown hair.)

Anyhow,... this recipe comes from Amy Westerman*.  She and her husband, Drew, live in Maumelle (just north of Little Rock), Arkansas.  She teaches high school Spanish and spends her free time cooking, baking and playing Roller Derby.  Seriously, ...this IS the name these brownies come with!!  And, there is a story* connected to this recipe, too-- I will put that story at the bottom of this post.  ☺

INGREDIENTS:

30 Kraft caramels, unwrapped
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
1 of 15.25-oz. box German chocolate cake mix (For a deeper/darker chocolate brownie, I may try a fudge chocolate cake mix the next time I make these!)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans OR walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1.   Heat oven to 350-degrees and line the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2.   Melt caramels with only 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk in a small saucepan, stirring mixture occasionally; set sauce aside.
3.   Stir together cake mix, melted butter and the remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk to form a dough.
4.  Put 1 and 1/3 cups of the dough into the pan by putting dabs of this all over the parchment paper like this and then, with dampened fingers, gently press dough clumps down until entire pan bottom is evenly covered...

Yes, press it down into an even layer like this...

5.  Bake until puffed but not cooked through-- about 7 minutes, like this...

6.   Remove from oven and pour the slightly cooled and set aside "melty" caramel sauce evenly over the top, like this...

7.   Sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel in an even layer...

8.   Top with remaining dough, crumbled into bits and scattered evenly like this...

9.   Sprinkle with chopped nuts...

10. Return to oven.
11. Bake until brownies are puffy and set-- 11-12 minutes more (or, according to how your oven bakes)...

12. Cool completely.
13. Then lift out of pan by holding the edges of the parchment paper... 

Cut into squares...

SERVES 16 

(These are not a thick/puffy kind of brownie.)

Because of the caramel layer in these bars, they will be less sticky and more chewy if kept a little on the "cool" side.

+ + + + + + + +

Below is the word-for-word description and the accompanying story that goes with the above  recipe.  It comes from Pages 82 and 84 of The Ladies Home Journal / February 2014.

* "'This dessert is so good that it's prompted at least two proposals.  I can't promise a wedding, but y'all be careful.  Don't give these to just anyone.'-- Amy Westerman.  (Amy admits, "I make one addition to my mom's famous recipe: extra caramel.")

"When I was 7 my mother Susan, met my future stepfather, Larry.  They had been dating for about a month when she made him a batch of caramel nut brownies-- a recipe she'd come up with herself.  Larry took one bite and blurted, 'Oh my gosh, I love you!'  It was the first time he'd said anything like that, and it was sort of a joke-- but then he followed up with, 'Actually, I really do love you, and I've been wanting to tell you that.'  After they got engaged, Larry renamed the recipe 'Man-Catcher Brownies'.

"Mom taught me how to bake when I was 12, and these brownies were one of the first recipes she shared with me.  'Remember, Amy, whoever eats these will fall in love with you,' she said.  I knew she was teasing, but the brownies still took on magical properties in my mind.  My friends and I would have sleepovers and bake batches of them for boys we had crushes on.  Sometimes we'd be sneaky about it and bring the brownies to the whole class, just so that a particular guy would be sure to eat one.  When one of us had a steady boyfriend, we'd make up a nice little bag for him and tie it with a boy.  Larry was on to our schemes.  'Those man-catcher brownies work, so y'all be careful,' he'd say.  'Don't give 'em to anyone who won't treat you right for the rest of your life.'

"In fact, there was one boyfriend of mine in junior high who wasn't so nice to me, so I dumped him.  The next day he came up to me and said, 'I know we broke up, but my mom really wants the recipe for those brownies.'  I told him, 'Nope.  That's for boyfriends only.'

"I made these brownies for my husband, Drew, early in our relationship.  I'd say the recipe definitely worked its magic, since we've been together for 11 years.  He'll never admit it was the brownies.  But I know better."

+ + + + + +

My husband's comments, with a smile, after he read this story?  "Hm-m-m-m,...tricky women!"

Carrot and Zucchini Bars* w/Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe is a KEEEEEEEEPER!!  
I think this is more like a snack cake than a bar.
It is moist AND ... SO good!

INGREDIENTS for the Bars:
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 small pinches of salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (some may prefer to use cinnamon in place of the ginger)
...
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used Smart Balance blend of oils)
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
...
1 and 1/2 cups finely shredded  carrots (I used a "fine grate" disc on my food processor to get this done.)
1 cup finely shredded zucchini (If using larger zucchini, cut in half and remove seeds/dry stuff.  I do not peel it.)
1/2 cups chopped walnuts (or pecans?), optional

INGREDIENTS for the Cream Cheese Icing:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

..........................................................................................

DIRECTIONS for making the bars:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground ginger).  Set aside.

In a "quite large" mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Whisk until well mixed.  Set aside so the sugar granules can better dissolve while you grate the carrots and zucchini.

Grate the carrots and the zucchini.

Dump the well-whisked dry ingredients AND the grated carrots AND the grated zucchini AND the chopped nuts to the "wet ingredients" in the large mixing bowl.  Using a wide spatula or wooden spoon, GENTLY stir or fold these ingredients evenly into the wet ingredients-- to have the finished product end up lighter, do NOT over-mix/stir.

Dump finished batter into the prepared pan/dish, like this... 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, which is about 25 minutes.  Coming out of the oven, mine looked like this... 

Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely.

DIRECTIONS for making the icing:
Using an electric mixer, beat the softened cream cheese until it's smooth.  Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract.  Beat together until all is VERY smooth and creamy-like (2-3 minutes?).  Spread evenly over the cooled bars.  

The bars can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature OR in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.  These also FREEZE very well!

*Recipe, with a different kind of icing, was adapted from website of 
http://realmomkitchen.com  And, before that, it came from  the
Better Homes and Gardens website at
 http://www.bhg.com/recipe/bars/carrot-and-zucchini-bars/

Fudge Nut Bars (Fudge Jumble Bars?)

Goin' to a potluck picnic today, and these are going with me!

If you like cookies and fudge, you will like this bar recipe.  It's a little "putzy" to make, but it's a favorite!  (And, ...it makes a WHOLE LOT of bars!!!)

Originally, and many years ago,  I clipped this recipe from the Agri-View farm paper.  It was submitted by a mother who was planning to sell a "family cookbook" in memory of her daughter who was killed while driving "back to college".  It was such a sad story, but I loved how the mother said they'd had so many special times while cooking and baking together.



INGREDIENTS for the bottom 'cookie dough' layer--

• 1 cup butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (I use old-fashioned oats)
• 2 and 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS for making the bottom 'cookie dough' layer:

Cream together the cup of butter and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs (one at a time) and the 2 teaspoons vanilla.  Sift together four, baking soda and salt; stir in rolled oats.  Now add the sifted mixture of flour, baking soda and salt.  Stir only long enough to incorporate.  SET  THIS ASIDE while you prepare the 'fudge filling' below.
~~~~

INGREDIENTS for fudge filling:

• 1 of 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped nuts 

DIRECTIONS for making the fudge filling:

In a saucepan over boiling water (or in microwavable bowl), mix together chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, butter and salt.  Stir until chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in the vanilla and chopped nuts* (see my note at the bottom).  IF you do use the microwave for this, please check and stir after each ONE-minute of time.

~~~~

Now!!! ...The instructions for putting it all together:

Spread about 2/3 of the 'cookie dough' batter in bottom of a generously greased or sprayed 15.5 x 10.5-inch jelly roll pan. (It won't seem like there's enough dough to cover the pan, but eventually it's accomplished.  In fact, I have better luck if I begin by dropping very little globs of this dough in all different areas of the greased pan before starting to spread it out with my "wetted" fingers.)

Carefully cover that layer with the fudge filling.  Now, using the remaining 1/3 of the 'cookie dough', take tiny pieces (1/2" size?) of it and drop it on the fudge layer as evenly as you can.  Once I put the little dabs of reserved "cookie dough" mixture on top, I use two little "pointy" kinds of things and gently spread the "dabs" out... just a little... it will end up looking a lot like this, and have SOME "bare spots" showing the fudge layer...

Bake in 350-degree oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until the top 'droppings' are lightly browned.  In my oven, it took just 25 minutes and came out looking like this...

Cool completely before cutting.  

Makes almost 6 dozen bars.

Below:   I put a sheet of parchment paper between each layer of bars.  Cover 'em up...these are all ready to go to today's potluck picnic!

* I like to keep the nuts out when I'm making the fudge layer and then gently press them evenly into the fudge layer once that layer is spread onto the "cookie dough" layer.  AFTER the nuts are "in place", I add the dabs of dough over all.)  

Toffee Bars

M-m-m-m-m, ...after combining relatively few ingredients and then adding some heat, just look... what... happened!

The taste of these baked squares remind me a little of the soda cracker/chocolate treat which I've listed in this blog's CANDY section.  That, or the toffee candy that is made by so many around Christmastime.  

Above: This Toffee Bars recipe comes from my 

very old and much used Betty Crocker cookbook.

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Line a 10x15" baking pan with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with non-stick oil.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed  (light brown sugar, or dark brown  sugar)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 of 1.65 oz.Hershey milk chocolate candy bars, broken into 1" pieces  (I used 18-19 of the miniature Hershey bars which I bought in a 10.78 oz. bag on '50% off clearance' after trick or treat season).  
  You can also use milk chocolate chips sprinkled over the top.
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans, optional 

DIRECTIONS:

• Cream together the butter and brown sugar (beat for at least 2 minutes to better dissolve the sugar).
• Stir in egg yolk and vanilla, and beat for a few seconds.
• Add the flour and stir only until it is evenly combined.  Dough will be thick.
• Using a spoon, drop little 'splotches' of dough all over on your foiled/sprayed baking pan.  Now, with the back of a dampened spoon,  spread the dough into an even layer. 
  
  Before you start spreading these 'splotches' out, you'll have this... 

• Below:  Bake at 350-degrees for about 15 minutes, OR until it is just a light golden brown.

• Below: Arrange chocolate pieces on hot layer.  Set aside for 5 minutes, while chocolate softens/melts.

• Below: With the back of a spoon, spread the melted chocolate to cover the baked bars. (I use the end of a wooden dowel or handle of a wooden spoon to make swirly designs in the soft chocolate.)

• Below: Sprinkle with some finely chopped pecans, optional.

Let bars cool until chocolate is 'firmed up' (on a cold porch, or in a refrigerator, etc.)  When firm, using the edges of the foil lining, lift the whole slab from the pan.  Remove the foil, put 'the slab' onto a cutting board and cut into squares. I have found that IF my 'slab' is TOO cold/hard when I first try to cut them, they will crack into irregular shapes.  Some people don't mind, but,................since I want neatly cut squares, I let the 'slab' sit at room temperature for maybe 10 minutes before cutting away with a knife (carver's type knife) which is long enough to reach across the pan.

 ♥▼♥

 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies*

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cheesecake part of this recipe--

• 2 (8 oz.) packages (full-fat variety) cream cheese, at room temp.
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 cup (regular, not light) sour cream
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork

For the Brownie part of this recipe--

• 3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar (I used 1 and 2/3 cups sugar today, and that was enough.)
• 1 cup cocoa (I used Hershey's).  I always sift cocoa, or run it through a screen to eliminate any lumps.
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (I prefer to use the aluminum-free kind)
• 1 TABLESPOON vanilla
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten 
• 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325.  Lightly butter a 9x13" pan.  Set aside.

First, make the cheesecake mixture: 

1. With the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it's 'smooooooth'.  
2. Add the pumpkin, sugar, vanilla and spices; beat until smooth. 
3. On low speed, add in the sour cream and eggs until well combined.  Set aside.

Now, make the brownie part:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.  Add the sugar and stir (or whisk) over medium to low heat just until butter and sugar are combined and hot, but not bubbly.  You'll only need to heat it for a couple of minutes; until the mixture looks shiny.
2. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla.  Let cool for about five minutes so it won't be as hot for the addition of the eggs as in the next step.  
3. Whisk in the eggs until smooth.  Stir in the flour.
4. Pour about 3/4 of the brownie mixture into the prepared pan.  Spread out smoothly.  
5. Pour the cheesecake batter over the brownie layer and spread evenly.
6. Drop the remaining brownie batter by dollops on top of the cheesecake layer. 
7.  Use the blade of a kitchen knife to swirl the brownie dollops into the cheesecake, making a pretty, swirly pattern.
8. Sprinkle the top of the swirled pattern with the chocolate chips.  Like this...

                             

Bake for 35 minutes or so, until the cheesecake layer is set.  Let cool completely on a wire rack, then chill and store in the refrigerator.  

Below:  Baked, mine looked like this...

                               

Below:  Cut, they looked like this...

* Today's version (recipe) of/for these bars was adapted (with very minor changes) from Bridget's recipe/post at:  http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2012/11/pumpkin-cheesecake-brownies.html     There, I read that the 'brownie layer' for this came from the  King Arthur Cookie Companion   (THANKS, Bridget!!!)