Christmas Cookie Bars

 Christmas Cookie Bars

My son found this recipe on  this is not diet food.

The recipe was easy to follow and was very good.

 

 Ingredient

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 large eggs

3.4oz vanilla pudding mix

17.5oz. Betty crocker sugar cookie mix  

1 cup milk cocolate christmas M&M's

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F

Place softened butter, eggs and pudding mix into a large mixing bowl, beat until smooth.

Add sugar cookie mix to bowl, continue to mix until a sticky dough forms.

Place dough into a greased 10X15 baking sheet, I used a 10X13 baking dish.

Press dough out evenly to cover entire pan.

Sprinkle M&M's on the top of the dough.

Bake in overn until a toothpick inserted comes out clean about 10-12 minutes.

Remove pan from oven allow to cool before slicing and serve. 

Peanut Butter and Cornflake Squares

I changed these bars up a bit, added honey nut cheerios. Also added the ganache from the Chocolate Chip Cookies with Ganache Stuffing on top. Loved the additions would make them again for sure.

I have decided to start adding a Photo A Week with my recipe. Hope you all enjoy them.

Peanut Butter and Cornflake Squares

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup corn syrup
3 cup corn flakes
2 cups honey nut cheerios

Ganache:

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
5 tbsp. heavy cream
2 1/2 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 tbsp. crème fraîche or sour cream

Directions:

Combine sugar and syrup in saucepan.
Heat mixture on stove until mixture slightly boils up once.
Remove from stove and add peanut butter, cornflakes, honey nut cheerios.
Mix well, working quickly.
Put into a 9x12-inch pan and press down.
Cut into squares before completely cooled.

Ganache Directions:

Put chocolate in medium bowl.
In a small sauce pan bring cream and corn syrup to a boil; pour over chocolate and let stand for 1 minute.
Whisk until smooth.
Whisk in crème fraîche or sour cream.
Refrigerate for about 1 hour and stir occasionally until thick and spreadable.

♥

Swan baby on Hamilton Harbour

Oatmeal Bars

I get emails from Mr. Food. When I saw this recipe I decided to try it and loved it. I added raisins both dark and light, toffee bits with the chocolate chips. These would be great for kids lunches and to take for snack on any outing.

Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. allspice
2 cups large flake oats
1 cup unnbleached flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup each of chocolate chips, raisins, toffee bits and golden raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven 350º.
Lightly grease 9 X 13" baking dish
In small sauce pan melt butter and syrup over low heat.
In large bowl, combine butter mixture, baking soda and allspice; mix well and let cool.
In medium bowl combine flour, oats, sugar and chocolate chips, raisins, toffee bits.
Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix well.
Press dough into prepared baking dish.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes then immediately cut into bars; then let cool completely then cut again.
Do not miss this step as they will be to hard to cut after.

♥

Dolly Squares

I bought this cookbook Burlington Welsh Male Chorus at the book fair I told you about it few posts ago. You are able to buy this cookbook from them, look under merchandise. There are a number of very interesting recipes in this cookbook. I will be making another one today. These squares were great.

Dolly Squares

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut
1 can condensed milk
3/4 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet or milk chocolate
1 cup nuts of your chose

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.
Melt butter and pour into 9" square baking pan.
Sprinkle crumbs over bottom.
Sprinkle coconut over crumbs.
Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts.
Pour condensed milk over all layers.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Cool on rack.
Cut into squares store in air tight container in frig.

Cherry Almond Bars

Another library cookbook; rustic fruit desserts. I had cherries I needed to eat up and this recipe seem to fit the bill. Any fruit would be good in this bar, Rhubarb will be next.

Cherry Almond Bars

Ingredients:

3 cups cherries, pitted and halfed
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. fine salt
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Crust and topping:

2 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup slivered almonds
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.
Grease a 9" square baking pan.

Fruit filling:

Combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch, salt, lemon zest and juice in a sauce pan over medium high heat.
Bring to boil, stirring occasionally and boil for 1 minute to thicken.

Crust and topping:

Combine flour, brown sugar, almonds and salt in food processor.
Add butter and process until crumbly.
Add egg and vanilla and pulse just until the mixture comes together.
Take out 1/3 of this mixture for topping.
Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking pan.
Then add the cherry mixture.
Add the crumbly topping over the cherry mixture.

Bake on middle rack for 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool for at least 1 hour before cutting into squares.
Store in an airtight container.
Keeps for up to 4 days.

Serves 12

Blueberry cheesecake Shortbread Bars

Once again I have picked a recipe from 1500 Best Bars, Cookies, Muffins, Cakes & More. This cookbook by Esther Brody is great, every time you look through it you find another recipe you would like to try. These bars were very good. We made the preserves with fresh (well frozen from last year) blueberries. They were cooked down to a jam like consistency .

Blueberry Cheesecake Shortbread Bars

Ingredients:

Base:

2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter

Topping:

2 pkg. (8oz./250g) cream cheese, softened
3/4 sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup blueberry preserves

Crumble Topping

Reserve about 1/4 cup of base.

Directions:

Preheat oven 350º
Grease 9 X 13" baking pan

Prepare base:

Reserve about 1/4 cup for crumble topping.

In a medium bowl combine flour, brown sugar and salt.
Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles course crumbs.

Press this mixture into prepared baking pan, evenly.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Prepare topping:

In your mixer bowl beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Add eggs one at a time until light and creamy.
Stir in vanilla.

Spread blueberry preserves over hot base.
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the blueberry preserves.
Add reserved crumble base to top of blueberry preserves.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Place on rack to cool completely.
Cut into bars.
Cover and keep in frig.

Makes 36 bars.

Viennese Chocolate Bars

I went to the library and took out 1500 Best Bars, Cookies, Muffins, Cakes, And More by Esther Brody. From this cookbook I made Raspberry Coconut Bars and Krispie Toffee Triangles
both were great. When I saw this Bar I had to try it as well. And we were not disappointed. They are delicious.

Viennese Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:

Base:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour

Filling:

1 10 oz. jar of raspberry jam or jelly
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping:

4 egg whites (I used only 2)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup white sugar
2 cups toasted, chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.
Grease a 9" X 13" baking pan.

Prepare Base:

Beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.
Beat in the egg yolks until well mixed.
Add flour slowly and mix until incorporated.
Shape dough into a ball and knead lightly.
Press into bottom of prepared baking pan.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Place pan on cooling rack until it cools slightly.

Prepare Filling:

Stir jam or jelly until it is smooth, then spread evenly over base.
Sprinkle chocolate chips over the jam.
Set aside.

Prepare Topping:

In your mixing bowl whip egg whites with salt until frothy.
Gradually beat in sugar until stiff peaks form.
Fold in toasted pecans.
Spread gently over the chocolate chips.
Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Place on cooling rack to cool completely.
Cut into bars
Makes 36 Bars

Oatmeal Apple Pie Bars

In surfing around I came across these bars at Cookie Pie's blog. They are well worth making.

Oatmeal Apple Pie Bars

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3 large apples, Mac's, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans, or halves
pinch of salt

Crust:

1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup large flake oats
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven 350º.
Prepare a 9 X 9" baking pan. Line with parchment on bottom and butter the pan well.

Filling:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, add pecans and toast until golden.
Add apples, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt cook, stirring often.
When the apples are golden and tender and caramelize, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Put in a small bowl and let cool.

Crust:

In mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar and oats.
Stir in melted butter.
Take 1 1/2 cups of oat mixture and press evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
Spoon filling over crust, spreading evenly.
Crumble remaining oat mixture over filling.

Bake bars for 30 to 35 minutes, until topping is golden brown.
Let cool on a wire rack to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Remove bars from baking pan, and cut into bars.
Keep bars in an airtight container in the fridge.

S'More Bars

S'more Bars are an interesting combination. I found this recipe at Nosh and Tell. They looked so good.

S'more Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cup all purpose flour (next time 1 1/2 cups)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs(next time 2 1/2 cups)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 giant sized milk chocolate bars (Jersey Milk Bar)(next time milk chocolate chips 2 cups)
1 7.5 oz jar of marshmallow fluff (use two jars)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º.
Grease a 9 X 13" baking dish.
In your mixture cream butter and sugars together until light and smooth. Add eggs one at a time and vanilla.
In a medium bowl combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Whisk this together.
Add the flour mixture to the butter slowly until just mixed.
Divide the mixture in two.
Place half the mixture in bottom of baking dish and pat down.
Place the bars side by side on top of this.
Then spread the marshmallow fluff over the chocolate bars.
Crumble the rest of the batter mixture over the marshmallow fluff.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. Let cool before cutting into bars.

Raspberry Coconut Bars

I found another recipe from the 1500 Best Bars, Cookies, Muffins, Cakes 7 More. It is actually on the cover of the book. This is a very tasty bar. I think you could make a rhubarb filling for it and a lemon and pineapple filling, even raisin. The sky would be the limit I would think.

Raspberry Coconut Bars

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup shortening (I used butter)
2 egg yolks
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Topping:

1 cup raspberry jam (used our jam)
1/2 cup flaked coconut, sweetened
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven 350ºF.
9 X 13 baking dish ungreased

Base:
In small bowl mix flour and salt together with whisk.
In mixer bowl beat sugar and shortening(butter) until smooth and creamy. Add egg yolks and beat until combined. Add almond extract. Blend in flour mixture until combined. Take this mixture and spread evenly into baking pan. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

2nd Layer:

In small bowl stir jam until smooth. Then spread evenly over hot base and top with coconut. Set aside.

Topping:

In your mixing bowl add your egg whites and whisk until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and until stiff peaks are foamed. Spread this over the 2nd layer evenly and return to oven to bake for 25 minutes, or until top is lightly golden brown. Place on rack to cool cut into bars and store in fridge.

Makes 36 bars.

Krispie Toffee Triangles

While at the library 1500 Best Bars, Cookies, Muffins, Cakes & More by Esther Brody caught my eye. This book is great, there are so many good recipes in it I am going to buy the book. The Krispie Toffee Triangles is the first recipe I decided to try. The rice krispies with the chocolate was a great combo on the top. We are thinking of where else you could use this in a recipe. It is a very nice bar. Would be a nice addition to your Christmas baking.

Krispie Toffee Triangles

Ingredients

Base:
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1/3 cup butter melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rice krispies

Filling:
1/2 cup butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Topping:
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup rice krispies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º .

Prepare base: In a bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt. Make a well in center and add melted butter, brown sugar and rice krispies. Mix until blended. Press evenly into greased 8"X8" baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Cool on rack.

Prepare filling: In a saucepan add butter, condensed milk and brown sugar over low heat. When sugar is dissolved increase heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly; boil for 5 minutes. Spoon this mixture over the base evenly.

Prepare topping: In another saucepan over low heat add chocolate chips and melt. Add rice krispies and mix until well coated. Spread this mixture over filling, evenly. Chill for 3 hours. To make the triangles cut into 16 squares and then cut these in half diagonally to form 2 trinangles.

Reeses Squares

I found this recipe on Bakespace(Krrispy). I really enjoy Reeses Peanut Butter Cups so I decided to try them out. They are very good and really easy to prepare.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 1 lb confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 (12 ounces) bag milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Combine graham crumbs, sugar and peanut butter and mix well.

Blend in melted butter until well combined.

Press mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in double boiler.

Spread over peanut butter mixture.

Chill until firm and cut into bars.

Double Good Raisin Bars

I have been making these bars for years. They have a great flavour and texture. I would have to say a bit like date bars. Easy to put together. It is great for lunches.

Double Good Raisin Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups raisins
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp. grated lemon rind
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cups large flaked oatmeal

Directions:

Combine first 4 ingredients in medium sauce pan, cook and stir over medium heat until mixture bubbles. Take off heat and cool.

Cream butter, brown sugar and vanilla until fluffy.

Stir in flour and baking soda. Add oatmeal and blend until crumbly.

Reserve 2 cups of this mixture.

Take remaining crumbly mixture and press into a 9" X 13" baking dish.

Take the raisin mixture and spread over the oat mixture to within 1" of sides of pan.

Then take the reserved 2 cups of crumbly mixture and and crumble of the top.

Put in preheated oven 375F. and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Cook on rack. Cut into Bars or squares.

Deluxe Marshmallow Bars

When I saw these on Good Eats 'n Treats I knew I had to try them. They are worth making. Next time I will add more peanut butter to them.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all purpose flour
3 tbsp baking cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional (I omitted these)
4 cups miniature marshmallows

Topping:
1-1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter (1 1/2 cups peanut butter)
3 tbsp butter
2 cups crisp rice cereal

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts if desired. Spread in a greased 15 x 10 x 1" pan.

Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over cake; return to oven for 2-3 minutes. Using a knife dipped in water, spread the melted marshmallows evenly over cake. Cool. (I did not spread them, when I took them out of the oven they seemed fine the way they were. )

For topping, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and well blended. Remove from heat; stir in cereal. Immediately spread over bars. Chill.

Yield: 3 dozen

Applesauce Spice Bars

This recipe comes from Baking: From my Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. It is easy to assemble. The only thing I think the next time I make them I would add more cinnamon and a bit more allspice. I also made my own applesauce, which I add cinnamon to.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup(packed) brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla
1 tbsp. rum
1 baking apple, finely diced or chopped
1/2 cup plump, moist raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans, (optional)

Preheat Oven to 350 °. Butter a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, dust inside with flour. Tap out excess flour and put the pan on a baking sheet.

Directions:

In medium bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt, whisk these together.

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add brown sugar and stir with a whisk until it is melted and mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.

Still working in saucepan, whisk in eggs one at a time, mixing until well blended. Add applesauce, vanilla, and rum. Whisk these ingredients until well blended and smooth. With a rubber spatula gently stir in dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Then mix in chopped apple, raisins and nuts. Scrap the batter into prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula.

Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until bars just start to pull away from the baking pan and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Transfer pan to cooling rack. While bars are cooling prepare glaze.

Glaze:

2 1/2 tbsp. heavy cream
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 1/2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla

In small saucepan combine above ingredients and cook until combined. I boiled this a bit until it looses some of the liquid. Then let it simmer until the cake cooled. Then pour glaze over cake spread with spatula and put in frig. to set. When set cut into squares and store in covered container in frig. It does say in the recipe they will store at room temperature for 3 days.