Baking Junkie

Tag: Bars

Sunday, November 27th, 2011

Apple Toffee Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting

Recipe adapted from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen and Cookies and Cups

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I certainly did. I don’t want to see any ham, stuffing or mashed potatoes for a while though! With Christmas right around the corner I am sure many of you are busy decorating and planning out your holiday baking. While these may not be a very traditional holiday treat, they are certainly a very delicious one! I have actually made these three times already, which rarely ever happens for me anymore. The first time I made them without the frosting (mainly to save time), and they were fabulous by themselves. The second (and third) time I added the frosting, and it takes them to a whole new level. They are by far the the most moist and chewy blondies I have ever eaten. The apple and toffee combination is fantastic, and I would love to try it again with other recipes. Enjoy!

Apple Toffee Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting
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Blondies:
⅔ cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 medium apple, peeled and chopped
¾ cup toffee bits

Frosting:
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the butter and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add to liquid ingredients. Add chopped apple and toffee pieces. Spread into a well greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes.

To make the frosting combine butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar and milk. Spread over cooled bars.

Tags: Apple, Bars, Blondies, Buttercream, Cinnamon, Fall recipes

Posted in Blondies | 2 Comments »

Sunday, July 31st, 2011

Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Brownie Bars

Recipe adapted from Kevin and Amanda

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, March 7th, 2011

Whopper Blondies

Recipe adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

Right now I have 166 recipes saved in my Google Reader. Add in various different recipes I have bookmarked from all over the internet and the number is over 200. Also add in recipes that I have archived in FoodBuzz and have printed or pulled out from magazines and the list approaches 300 (and I add to it everyday)!

Even if I stopped blogging I would still be collecting all of these recipes because they all look and sound so amazing that I can’t wait to try them! Instead of finding a new recipe and making it right away I am really making a conscious effort to plow through some of the recipes that I have saved from almost a year ago now, starting with these blondies.

Growing up I remember Whoppers being one of my favorite candies, and still ranks up there today. A few years ago I started adding the candy to cookies and I was thrilled with the result, so I knew that adding them to blondies would be excellent as well. The malted milk powder and dark brown sugar give these an amazing taste and perfectly chewy texture. I now have an entire container of malted milk powder that I can’t wait to use up.

I did find that after several days these became hard and dry, so I would recommend a) bringing them to your friends/neighbors/coworkers, b) cutting the recipe in half and making a smaller pan, or c) eating them all yourself!

Enjoy!

Whopper Blondies
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1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1 ¾ cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp malted milk powder
1 ½ cups Whoppers candy (or any other malted milk ball candy)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and malted milk powder. Set aside.

With an electric mixer beat together the butter and brown sugar until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix just until combined.

Chop the malted milk balls with a food processor (leaving some large pieces). You can also place the candy in a gallon size plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin. Pour candy into batter and stir until combined.

Place batter into a greased 9 x 13 pan and smooth until spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Tags: Bars, Blondies, Candy

Posted in Blondies | 9 Comments »