Blondie Bars

 

Blondies are one of my favorite bar cookies. Rich, chewy, chocked full of chocolate chips, toffee bits, and nuts.  Happiness in every bite.  The perfect bar cookie in my book.  Yes, they are a step above brownies.  These Blondies are easy to make and you can whip up some quickly for dessert, snack, or just to enjoy.  The house smells wonderful as they are baking. Every time I make them, I wonder why it takes me so long to make them again. 

This recipe is from Dories Greenspan which I found on the Epicurious website

Blondie Bars

Blondie Bars

INGREDIENTS

2 c. flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temp

1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate

1 c. butterscotch chips or toffee bits

1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 325 and butter a 9x13 pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, or until well-incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing until they just disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chips, nuts, or anything else you're adding. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to even the top. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. They should pull away from the sides of the pan and the top should be a nice honey brown. Cool to room temperature before cutting into bars.

Yield 24 bars

 

Cookie Butter Brownies

One of my favorite things is Cookie Butter.  I can eat it by the spoonfuls.  When I saw this recipe for Cookie Butter Brownies  - I thought it doesn't get any better than this.  Rich fudge like brownies with delicious bites flavored with Cookie Butter.  Love it.  These brownies did not disappoint.  They were fantastic.  Some of the best brownies I have ever eaten.

It was a bit difficult to get pictures because the brownies disappeared.  Everyone loved them.  Just need to make some more.

Cookie Butter Brownies
Olive and Tate Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) melted butter
1 1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
2 big spoonfuls of Cookie Butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
2. In a stand mixer, mix eggs on medium speed. Once eggs are light yellow in color, add in both sugars and continue mixing at medium speed.
3. Add melted butter, cocoa, salt, vanilla and flour. Mix until fully combined, making sure to scrape flour off of the sides of your bowl so that it can all be incorporated. Turn off mixer and fold in chocolate chips.
4.Pour mix into pan and spread it evenly. Drop small blobs of Cookie Butter all around the pan, gently blend in to the batter, using a fork.

5. Bake 50 mins or until cooked through.

Christmas: German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

These cookies are Scrumpdillyicious:)  I love em. I could have sat down and eaten all of them by myself. What makes them soo good is this rich German Chocolate filling in every bite.  Think of pecan pie filling with coconut and chocolate.  This delicious filling is  spread over a chocolate shortbread crust.  MMM gooey, chocolaty goodness.   These cookies are not that hard to make.  The crust is made in a food processor and then patted down in a foil lined baking dish.  You bake the crust and then sprinkle chocolate chips over the crust.  Let the crust cool.  You then make your filling - brown sugar, eggs, light corn syrup, butter coconut, and toasted pecans.  Spoon the filling over the crust and bake.  Cool,  refrigerate and eat. The family loved these cookies, except for the child who HATES coconut.  I do not know where the child got this hatred of coconut. After devouring these cookies the   majority of the family agreed on two main things.  Instead of having both Pumpkin and Pecan pies for Thanksgiving,  we will have Pumpkin Pie and our German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars. Second,  this cookie will be the main focus of our Christmas Cookie Neighborhood Exchange.  Now to share this recipe with you.

German Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars
From Southern Living Magazine

Ingredients:

3 cups pecan halves and pieces
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Getting Ready To Toast Pecans

2. Line bottom and sides of a 13-x9-inch pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides.  Lightly grease foil.
3. Pulse flour and next 3 ingredients in a food processor 5 to 6 times or until mixture resembles coarse meal.  Press mixture on bottom and 3/4 inch up sides of prepared pan.

4. Bake crust at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate morsels over crust.  Cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).

5. Whisk together brown sugar and next 3 ingredients until smooth.  Stir in coconut and toasted pecans, and spoon into prepared crust.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden and set.  Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour).  Chill 1 hour.  Lift baked bars from pan using foil sides as handles.  Transfer to a cutting board; cut into bars.

Yummy Goodness:)

 Makes about 24 bars