Baking Junkie

Bars Category

Sunday, July 31st, 2011

Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

Even though I haven’t been posting as often as I would like, it doesn’t mean I haven’t been baking. In fact, I have been baking up a storm this summer, and numerous times I have said the words “this is the best thing I have ever made”.

These, my friends, may just take that ultimate prize.

As soon as I saw the recipe from Amanda I knew it was a genius idea. Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies right? Stuffed chocolate chip cookies are a big rage right now, and then you add in a brownie to the mix….fantabulous!

I could feel my arteries clogging just thinking about these bars, but that didn’t stop me from trying them.

I made them with Oreos like the original recipe calls for. While I thought they were fantastic, my first thought was that using peanut butter cups would make them even better.

I was right.

By using less flour than in a typical cookie dough recipe you ensure that the dough doesn’t become too hard and crunchy with the long baking time. Then you get the incredible flavor of the peanut butter cup, topped with gooey, delicious brownie. Seriously people, you can’t go wrong! I have made this new version twice already and I’m sure I will make them again in the future. They actually won a “bars bake-off” contest at Derek’s office, so I guess these are my first “prize winning” dessert (hopefully not the last)!

I’m telling you, drop what you are doing and make these. Right. Now. You won’t be disappointed. Hopefully your willpower doesn’t crumble like mine. Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Brownie Bars
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1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups milk chocolate chips
18 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
1 box family size brownie mix (9 x 13)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt, then add dry ingredients to dough. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread dough into a well greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Place the Reese’s peanut butter cups on top of dough (3 rows of 6). In a separate bowl make brownie mix according to package directions. Pour over peanut butter cups, making sure that all candy and dough is covered. Place in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes (I usually end up baking mine closer to 55 minutes, sometimes even a little longer). Cool completely before cutting and serving.

Tags: Bars, Brownies, Candy, chocolate, Cookies, peanut butter

Posted in Bars | 10 Comments »

Monday, May 16th, 2011

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats

Recipe adapted from Annie’s Eats

Hello everyone! I am certainly well aware that it has been 3 (three!) weeks since my last post, and I honestly apologize. We spent a long weekend visiting some of our best friends in South Carolina, and ever since we got back life has been nothing but crazy. I decided that in order for me to keep my sanity I needed to take a little break from both baking and blogging, and I am starting to feel refreshed again! My other problem has been a decreased appetite that has been keeping baked goods as one of the last things on my mind (I know, I’m shocked too). That seems to be slowly improving, so hopefully I will be baking more soon!

I also feel the need to mention that life’s craziness doesn’t show signs of letting up soon, so while I am hoping to post more often than once every three weeks, it won’t be back to twice weekly posts until probably August. I do hope you’ll stick around, because I have some fantastic recipes to share with you…starting with this one!

Derek requested Rice Krispie bars last summer when I started the blog, but I felt they were too “boring” to post about. When I saw these bars in Annie’s archives I jumped at the chance to make them.

Confession: These were the first Rice Krispie Bars I have ever made. Ever.

They are a dessert I could usually care less about. These, however, have changed my thinking. Cookies and cream anything ranks way up there with chocolate and peanut butter for me, and these certainly don’t disappoint. Annie added some bittersweet chocolate to the bars, but I preferred them without. While I think these would be great without any topping, that’s what puts them over the edge. Derek likes his Rice Krispie bars huge, so I made a full batch pressed into an 8×8 inch pan. If you like them smaller or are feeding a crowd you could easily use a 9×13 inch pan instead. Enjoy!

Cookies and Cream Rice Krispie Treats
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5 Tbsp butter
1 (10 oz) bag mini marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups coarsely chopped Oreos
1 cup finely chopped Oreos
1 ¼ cups white chocolate chips

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Once butter is melted add marshmallows and stir until combined. Remove pan from heat and gently stir in Rice Krispies and coarsely chopped Oreos. Mixture will be thick. Press into a greased 8×8 inch pan (for thicker bars) or 9×13 inch pan (for thinner bars).

Cut bars into squares once they have completely cooled. Place chocolate chips into a glass bowl and set on top of a small pot of boiling water to create a double boiler. Stir chocolate frequently until melted and smooth. Dip the top of each bar into the white chocolate and then immediately into the finely crushed oreos. Set aside and let chocolate set before eating.

Tags: Bars, chocolate, No Bake, Oreo, White chocolate

Posted in Bars | 7 Comments »

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Peanut Butter Bars

It’s amazing how the simple things in life make me happy.

Like a 12 week old puppy who hasn’t had in accident in 4 days (not that I’m counting or anything).

Or ordering new bedding that I’ve been dying to get. And getting free shipping on a down comforter.

And also the combination of anything chocolate and peanut butter. I have said it before and I know I will continue saying it, but desserts just don’t get any better than chocolate and peanut butter. I first had these bars at a bridal shower a few years ago. After ~~devouring~~ consuming about six of them I asked for the recipe because I knew I had to make them myself.

There are a handful of recipes that I don’t tend to make very often. Not because they aren’t good, but just the opposite. They are too good. I eat them all and very fast. This is one of those recipes (here is another).

The best part about these is that they are no bake. It takes about 10 minutes to throw everything together, and if you want to eat them quickly just pop them in the freezer for about 20 minutes. The original recipe called for making the chocolate frosting with chocolate chips, but I decided to use the frosting recipe from these fudge brownies (it was too good not to make again).

The result…it’s like eating homemade Reese’s peanut butter cups, and you just can’t beat that! I actually already have more plans for the peanut butter filling.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Bars
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1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar

Frosting:
¼ cup (1/2 stick) salted butter
¼ cup milk
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar

Put butter and peanut and butter in a 2 quart glass bowl. Microwave for approximately 90 seconds or until melted. Stir together.

Add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar and mix together (will get thick). Spread mixture into a greased 9 x 9 inch baking pan.

To make frosting, heat butter, milk and cocoa over medium high heat. Stir constantly and bring to a boil. Add in powdered sugar and stir until smooth. Pour over peanut butter mixture. Cool completely before serving.

Tags: Bars, chocolate, No Bake, peanut butter

Posted in Bars | 6 Comments »

Monday, December 20th, 2010

Peppermint Cheesecake Bars

Oreo crust recipe from Recipe Girl

Can you guys really believe that Christmas is this weekend? Are you all ready? Do you have all of your baking done? I am so glad to be able to say that I am.

A few years ago I put cheesecake bars on my holiday trays and they went over really well. Cheesecake can be such a rich dessert that sometimes it’s nice to have just a small bar instead of an entire piece. Since I have been on a big peppermint kick this year I decided to continue by making a peppermint cheesecake. I went back and forth on whether or not I should do a classic round cheesecake or the bars, but I am glad i settled on the bars. I think a graham cracker crust would work well with these bars, but the oreo cookie crust really makes them delicious. I used my basic cheesecake recipe, and if you have a favorite recipe you could certainly use that. I honestly found myself craving these bars the more and more I ate them, so hopefully they will end up as part of your Christmas celebration this weekend. Enjoy!

Peppermint Cheesecake Bars
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20 Oreo cookies, crushed
¼ cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp sugar
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
¼ tsp peppermint extract
½ cup peppermint baking chips
3-4 drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine crushed cookies, melted butter and sugar. Press into bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Place in oven and bake for 8 minutes to set crust. In a medium sized bowl beat together cream cheese and sugar. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl with a spoon or spatula to fully incorporate all of the ingredients. Add peppermint extract. Pour out ¾ cup of batter and add 3-4 drops of red food coloring. Add peppermint baking chips to the remaining (white) batter. Pour over crust and spread out to the edges. Drop pink batter onto white batter by spoonfuls, then run a knife through batter to get a marbled effect (be careful to not go too deep and disturb the crust). Place in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.

Tags: Bars, Cheesecake, chocolate, Christmas, Oreo, Peppermint

Posted in Bars, Cheesecake | 1 Comment »

Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010

Apple Butterscotch Bars

I hope you guys aren’t getting sick of apple recipes yet! And don’t worry, there are still more pumpkin recipes to come yet too. I have been trying to post only Fall related recipes, and when I started planning out my posts I knew these bars would make the list. A coworker of mine brought these to a potluck a few years ago, and I must have had five they were so delicious! I immediately asked for the recipe and made them right away. I am not exactly sure where she got the recipe, but there is a very similar one on AllRecipes. I apparently didn’t see the step that said grease the pan, because they ended up being scraped out and eaten in pieces (you all have done that before, right? anyone?) Let’s just say I make sure I don’t skip that step anymore. The apple and butterscotch combination in these bars is quite addicting, and I think I might look for more recipes with these ingredients. The recipe is a very basic and simple, with the most time consuming step being peeling, coring, and cutting the apples. At least it’s not so bad when I snack on the extra apple pieces though! Enjoy!

Apple Butterscotch Bars
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2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups flour
3 3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 cups peeled, cored and diced apples
3/4 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine sugar, eggs and oil. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to mixture to liquid ingredients and stir until combine (it will get thick). Add apples. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 in pan. Sprinkle with the butterscotch chips. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool completely.

~I’m sharing this recipe at Delicious Dishes~

Tags: Apple, Bars, Butterscotch, Fall recipes

Posted in Bars | 9 Comments »