Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

These banana bars are so simple, so moist and with a little effort (not much) they transform into beautiful, elegant treats. I love how a little swirl of frosting here, a carefully placed walnut there and ... tada... the humble banana bar is transformed!



I like this recipe because it only uses 2 bananas so it is perfect for those times when you only have a couple overripe bananas which isn't quite enough for a loaf of banana bread. The crunchy walnut, smooth cream cheese frosting and moist bar are an amazing combination. In my opinion, a splash of maple flavoring to the frosting truly elevates the taste by adding another dimension of flavor. Yum!



Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
9 x 13 pan | adapted from Betty Crocker

1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 brick cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp maple flavoring (or vanilla)
1 cup powdered sugar (may need more to achieve desired consistency)
walnuts, for decoration

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of rectangular pan, 9 x 13 pan with shortening. In large bowl, mix granulated sugar, bananas, oil and eggs with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Spread in pan.
2. Bake bars 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
3. Meanwhile, with a hand mixer, mix cream cheese, butter and maple flavoring (or vanilla) on medium speed until blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, scraping bowl occasionally, until smooth and spreadable.
4. Cut cooled bars before frosting them. Put frosting in a piping bag and pipe a robust cream cheese frosting rosette on each bar. There is a fair bit of frosting, so you can be generous. Top with a walnut and serve.

Rocky Road Fudge Brownies

I can hardly believe it has been over a year since I last posted. Each month has gone by so quickly, it's hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner. I haven't been baking as much as I would like, but I hope to change that next year! So anyways, on to these bars!
These rocky road brownies are fudgy, dense, moist and packed with chocolate flavor. The peanuts added a delicious crunch and that hint of salt that pairs and contrasts so perfectly with chocolate. I was really skeptical about their consistency even after taking them out of the oven. It seemed like they were severely underbaked and I doubted that they would even hold together as squares but once they cooled fully, overnight, they were amazing! If you make this recipe, bake it with faith that they will set up in the end :)



Rocky Road Fudge Brownies
9 x 13" pan | adapted from King Arthur Flour Cookie Compation

1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened at room temp
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup salted peanuts
1 - 2 cups miniature marshmallows

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 9×13 inch pan (or line with parchment).
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Cream butter and both sugars until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture, 2 cups chocolate chips and peanuts.
3. Pat the dough into your prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are set but still soft in the center. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and then marshmallows. Bake about 5-10 minutes more. Allow bars to cool completely before cutting. This is very important as they will be too gooey to cut if not cooled completely first. Ovenight is best I have found.

Caramel Cashew Bars

We are only 4 days away from Christmas!!! Where did the time go. Seems like every year goes by faster and faster!

These bars are great to make in a pinch for time. They start out with crushed shortbread cookies - storebought or homemade. Perfect recipes to use up crumbled shortbread cookies. You could also substitute crushed graham crackers for the shortbread. I chose to omit the marshmallows and to reserve some crushed shortbread to sprinkle on top of the caramel mixture.



Caramel Cashew Bars
Makes 9 x 13" pan | adapted from BH&G

3 cups finely crushed shortbread cookies
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
36 vanilla caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 cups coarsely chopped cashews
2 cups tiny marshmallows

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over the edges of the pan. Lightly grease foil; set pan aside.

2. In a large bowl stir together crushed shortbread cookies, butter, and sugar. Press cookie mixture firmly and evenly in prepared pan. Bake about 15 minutes or until crust is golden and dried around edges. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium heavy saucepan heat and stir caramels and cream over medium-low heat until melted and smooth. Stir in cashews. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over baked shortbread crust. Pour caramel mixture over marshmallows; carefully spread evenly.

4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until caramel is set and bubbly around edges. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Use foil to lift uncut bars out of pan. Place on cutting board; cut into bars.

Nutella Cheesecake Brownies

Exactly 1 year ago today my life changed. On March 31, 2011 I walked into the bank to apply for a Visa card and unexpectedly met my future husband. He was the personal banker helping me with my Visa application. I knew right away - sitting across from him at the desk - that there was something special between us. That day I got so much more than I ever could have imagined. He is now my fiancé and I am the happiest girl in the world.

This triple-threat dessert is just the thing to celebrate with. He loves Nutella, I love Cheesecake. Who doesn't love brownies!? Happy 1 year to Banker Boy and Canada Girl!





Nutella Cheesecake Brownies
9" square pan

Brownie Layer
1/2 cup melted butter, allow to cool
1/2 cup Nutella
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa

Cheesecake Layer
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup hazelnuts skinned, chopped (optional)
3/4 cup Nutella

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 9" square pan. Mix together the wet ingredients for the brownie until well combined. You can just used a wooden spoon.

2. Mix in the dry ingredients until well incorporated. Spread brownie mixture evenly in prepared tin. Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla together until smooth, light and fluffy. Add the eggs gradually until well incorporated and the mixture is smooth and fluffy again.

3. Gently mix in the flour until well combined, but don't over beat at this point. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the brownie mixture and spread evenly on top. Drop spoonfuls of Nutella over the cheesecake layer then marble gently by drawing a knife through the top layer. Sprinkle hazelnuts on top.

4. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Baked Bars

The last weekend was so relaxing. We spent it at my future parents in law's place discussing wedding themes, colors and centerpieces. It was a lot of fun looking at wedding blogs and on pinterest. I also feel a lot better now having made some decisions about what direction we want to go with decorations.



Ok, now let's talk about these yummy bars! Sweetened condensed milk is an amazing and vesatile ingredient. I love it in all forms: straight out of the can or caramellized into dulce de leche or baked into a gooey topping like in these bars from the "Baked" cookbook by the guys from the famous NYC Bakery: "Baked". They are so good that they are even named after the bakery itself!

Cut these bars into small squares as they are extremely rich and so so good. When I brought these to work the entire tray disappeared almost as soon as it was wet out.



"Baked" Bars
9x13 inch pan | "Baked"

Crust
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
2 1/2 cups ground graham cracker crumbs (about 20 crackers)
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 1/3 cup walnut halves, toasted and chopped
1 1/2 cup (9 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
2 cans (8 oz each) sweetened condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13" baking pan. Line with Parchment.

2. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and toasted coconut. Add the melted butter. Combine the mixture, then turn it out into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the crust into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to create a perfectly even crust.

3. Refrigerate the crust for 15 minutes, then bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool completely.

4. To make the filling, increase the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Evenly spread the walnuts onto the bottom of the crust. Spread the chocolate chips over the walnuts, followed by the white chocolate, followed by the butterscotch chips.

6.In a steady stream, pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the filling. Shake the pan very gently to make sure the sweetened condensed milk is evenly distributed.

7.Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan every 10 minutes, until golden brown and bubbly. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.

Hazelnut Cream Cheese Brownies - Fat Witch Bakery

Fat Witch Bakery is in the lovely Chelsea Market in New York City. I have previously mentioned how wonderful that trip was with my then boyfriend, now fiance. It was on that vacation that we knew we were meant to be. Through the overwhelming humidity and frustration of navigating the subway system, we grew closer and learned to laugh at ourselves and enjoy the time together even when we got lost for 3 hours trying to get back to our accommodation.

When we finally found our way to Chelsea Market, my face lit up. I'd heard so much about it before. To be there in person was unreal! So many delicious treats, I didn't know where to turn my attention. These brownies feature Chocolate, Hazelnuts and Cream Cheese. They are not overly rich nor sweet. I like the simplicity of this amazing combination. If you like Nutella and cheesecake you will definitely enjoy these brownies.



Fat Witch Bakery Hazelnut Cream Cheese Brownies
Makes 9" square | Fat Witch Bakery Cookbook

Filling:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

Brownies:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts

1. Filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, beating until well-blended. Stir in hazelnuts. Cover bowl and refrigerate.

2. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan. Melt chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat to cool.

3. Beat sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add cooled chocolate mixture. Beat until well-combined. Gradually add flour and salt, mixing just until combined. Stir in hazelnuts. Spread half of the brownie batter into prepared pan, just covering the bottom. Spread chilled filling over brownie batter. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread remaining brownie batter on top of the filling. (This is far easier said than done.) Swirl the layers with a butter knife.

5. Bake 30-33 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean or with dry crumbs. Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour. Brownies should be covered and stored in the refrigerator.

Caramel Filled Shortbread Bars

Happy Valentine's Day!!! I feel incredibly loved today. I curled up under a comfy blanket on the couch and watched the Magic Schoolbus with my son this morning before sending him to preschool. Later tonight I am seeing my wonderful fiancé! A nice treat since he lives across the border and we only usually see each other on weekends. Wishing everyone a fantastic Valentine's Day! If nothing else it is a good excuse to induge in lots of sugar!



These bars combine a crumbly shortbread base with a soft, decadent caramel filling. Then they are topped off with a thin layer of chocolate. I love love love the filling. Made with sweetened condensed milk, it is very dulce de leche-ish. Firm enough to hold its shape when cut but soft enough to melt on your tongue.

I have heard of a variation of these called "Millionnaire's Shortbread" because they are so rich. They are also incredibly addictive.





Caramel Filled Shortbread Bars
9" Square Pan

Base:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, cold

Filling:
1 can (approx 1 cup) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
2 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a 9" square pan. Make base by combining flour and sugar. Cut in butter until pea-sized. Press the crumbly base mixture into the prepared pan to form an even layer. Bake this for 20-25 until golden brown.

2. Filling: In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk, sugar, butter and cornsyrup over medium-high heat. Stir constantly. When butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, bring to a boil then reduce and simmer, stirring often, until it carmellizes and turns golden brown. Stir in vanilla and pecans (if using. Pour the filling over the base and spread to cover base evenly. Let cool and set fully, at least 1 hour. [I left mine overnight].

3. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the filling. It will be a thin layer. Let stand to set fully (another hour or so) before cutting and serving.

Coconut Butter Bars

These look more difficult to make than they really are. The recipe was from Gourmet Magazine (December 1993). Oh, the 90's. They don't even seem that long ago but the recipe was printed almost 20 years ago! Wow, I sound old... reminiscing about days gone by and I'm only 27! They are a traditional recipe that was once known as "London Bars" although I'm not sure why.
Not only are they easy to make, they are different from other bars, don't require a lot of ingredients, and are delish. They are dense without being tough. They are also versatile. Try them with pecans and milk chocolate or macadamia nuts and dried pineapple.



If you let them sit for at least a day or two, the flavor improves greatly. They are a thinner bar, so if you like a thicker bar, consider using a 9" square baking pan instead of the 9x13" one.

Buttery Coconut Bars
9x13" pan | Gourmet, Dec. 1993

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped blanched almonds
2 large eggs, beaten lightly
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. reheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup of the flour, and the butter until the mixture is combined well.

2. Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan, and bake for 10 minutes.

3. Combine the remaining 1 cup brown sugar, the remaining 3 tablespoons flour, the coconut, the almonds, the eggs, the vanilla, and the salt and blend the mixture well. Spread the coconut mixture evenly over the crust and bake the mixture for 20 minutes, or until it is pale golden. Cool completely in the pan on a rack. If time allows, let these stand a day or two before serving in order to let the flavors develop. ***May be made 1 month in advance and kept frozen airtight.

S'mores Brownies

These brownies are the perfect embodiment of s'mores. A graham cracker crumb base is covered with a layer of brownie batter followed by another layer of graham crumbs then baked. Mini marshmallows get sprinkled on top and broiled then the whole thing gets sprinkled with a covering of chocolate chips. They look fantastic and taste even better. They are chewy, crispy and gooey all at the same time.

My words of advice are to be really watchful during the marshmallow broiling stage. They go from toasty brown to charred black in seconds!



S'mores Brownies
8" Pan | adapted from Marcy Goldman

Bottom Layer:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 tbsp butter, melted
Brownie Layer:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
pinch of salt

Top Layer:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Topping:
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 - 2 cups chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8" square pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang with which to lift the brownies.

2. For the bottom layer, combine the cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Refrigerate while you prepare the brownie layer.

3. Brownie layer: Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate; stir until chocolate is melted. Stir in the sugar. Whisk in the eggs, vanilla, flour and salt. Spread the mixture over the bottom layer in the pan.

4. For the top layer, toss the cracker crumbs with the melted butter. Sprinkle over the brownie batter. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until just set. Remove the pan from the oven and preheat the broiler.

5. For the final topping, sprinkle the marshmallows on top of the baked brownies. Place under the broiler for 20-60 seconds, or until the marshmallows start to brown. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with chopped chocolate bars. Let cool fully before cutting into bars.

Copycat Blueberry Nutrigrain Bars

I am a lover of blueberries when when they are sandwiched between delicious buttery base and sweet crumbly topping like in this bar. Funny how I prefer banana bread to fresh bananas and that I love blueberries in pies and pastries but not so much when they are freshly picked.

These bars taste like the Nutrigrain Bars you can get from the grocery store. They freeze well and are perfect for breakfasts, afternoon snacks or even dessert when served with ice cream! I imagine you could use jam or other fruits for fillings and make your own clone of a Nutrigrain Bar in your favorite flavor.

Copycat Blueberry Nutrigrain Bars
9 x 13" pan

1 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground cinnamon
4 cups blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons cornstarch
zest of 1 lemon (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and cinnamon. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the blueberries and zest (if using). Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Butterscotch Blondies with Peanut Pretzel Caramel

There are two camps of people: vanilla people and chocolate people. I am most definitely a vanilla person. I prefer white chocolate over dark, angel food over devil's food cake, vanilla bean ice cream over double fudge and of course BLONDIES over brownies.

I made these blondies for an office cookie exchange. I can't say enough how wonderful cookie exchanges are. You get a whole array of cookies for the effort of making only one. Plus, you get to sample your friends' favorites and find new favorites of your own. Thanks to all the ladies I exchanged cookies with this year!

This recipe came from the December 2011 issue of Bon Appétit. It has a nice salty-sweet flavor from the pretzels contrasted against the homemade caramel. The blondie beneath the topping is chewy and filled with brown sugary goodness. I doubled the recipe and baked it in a jelly roll pan below to make 72 - 1" x 2" bars.



Butterscotch Blondies with Peanut Pretzel Caramel
9 x 13 pan | Bon Appétit, Dec/11

Blondie
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teapsoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peanut-pretzel caramel
4 cups roasted unsalted peanuts
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups thin twisted pretzels, coarsely crushed

1. Blondie: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1" overhang on long sides of pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Stir butter in a medium skillet over medium heat until browned bits form at bottom of pan, 7–8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add brown sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat until well combined and mixture resembles wet sand, 2–3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy and well combined, about 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients; beat until smooth (batter will be thick). Using an offset or regular spatula, evenly spread batter in prepared pan.

2. Bake blondie until golden brown, edges pull away from sides of pan, and a tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 20–25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

3. Peanut-pretzel caramel: Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until caramel is deep amber, 12–15 minutes. Add honey; return to a boil, stirring often, about 1 minute longer. Add butter; stir until blended. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously); whisk until smooth. Stir in peanuts and pretzels. Pour over cooled blondie. Chill until cool, about 30 minutes.
DO AHEAD: Chill for up to 1 week in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Oh. My. God. These brownies are the epitome of decadence. First you start with a dense, chewy, fudgy brownie base. Next you layer on a tangy, creamy, layer of cheesecake. Then you drop dollops of brownie batter on top of the cheesecake, run a knife through it to marble and bake for what will seem like the longest half hour of your life.



To test your patience further, these taste best fully cooled. I like them best after they have been in the fridge overnight s the flavors have a chance to meld together and the cheesecake filling has a chance to set. These are as pretty to look at as they are to eat.



Cheesecake Brownies
9" square pan | adapted from Ready for Dessert

6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (115g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup (130g) sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (70g) flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (80g) chocolate chips

8 ounces (200g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk
5 tablespoons (75g) sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line a 9" square pan with foil, making sure it goes up all four sides. Use two sheets if necessary. Mist with non-stick spray or grease lightly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the 2/3 cup (130g) sugar, then the eggs.

3. Mix in the flour, cocoa powder and salt, then the vanilla and chocolate chips. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

4. In a separate bowl, beat together the cream cheese, the yolk, 5 tablespoons (75g) of sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Distribute the cream cheese mixture in eight dollops across the top of the brownie mixture, then take a dull knife or spatula and swirl the cream cheese mixture with the chocolate batter.

6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the batter in the center of the pan feels just set. Let cool, then lift out the foil and peel it away. Cut the brownies into squares.

Storage: These will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days. They also freeze well.

Fat Witch's Cherry Oatmeal Bars

Where did the summer go? Has Labor day really come and gone already? Seems like July and August went by in the blink of an eye. Every weekend has been so fun and activity-filled that I have not noticed the time passing. Time to pack away the ice-cream maker and start looking towards autumn-inspired baked goods.

This is my son's last year in preschool before he goes to Kindergarten. He wants so much to go to school like the big kids. Letting him help me in the kitchen and help pack his own lunch makes him feel more grown-up. We had fun making these one-bowl bar cookies together. They are like overstuffed oatmeal cookies. Not quite as oat-y as granola bars but contain many of the same ingredients: oats, dried cherries, coconut. These will be a welcome treat for back-to-school or breakfast on the run.

Fat Witch's Cherry Oatmeal Bars
Makes 9" Pan | adapted from Fat Witch Brownies Cookbook

3/4 cup + 1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups quick oats
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried coconut
1/3 cup chopped nuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9" pan.

2.Melt butter and stir in vanilla. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl then add melted butter. Stir to combine fully.

3. Press into greased pan and bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and edges start to pull away from the pan.

Sugar Cookie Streusel Bars

These bars start out with a sugar cookie mix. They are so quick and easy to throw together. I am not usually one to use cookie mixes since cookies are so easy to make from scratch. I made these one morning when I was at my boyfriend's house. I was in a baking mood and he didn't have any baking stuff beyond a package of cookie mix and some jam. My bf likes to sleep in while I'm used to getting up at 6:30 AM! Total time: 35 mins including baking. Total dishes used : 1 bowl, 1 wooden spoon.

They turned out looking really pretty and tasted deceivingly homemade. The sweet jam layer added a burst of color as it peeked out from between the sturdy cookie base and crumbly topping. One of my bf's friends said it reminded him of a fruit pizza.



Sugar Cookie Streusel Bars
8-9" square pan

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) sugar cookie mix
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 egg
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (or any fruit jam)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom of 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, flour, almond extract and egg until dough forms. Press half of dough into bottom of pan; bake 15 minutes. Spread jam over base. Crumble remaining dough over jam.

3 Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 5 rows by 5 rows.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

These bars are definitely worth the few extra steps it takes to put together. The creamy cheesecake contrasts with the tender cookie dough all held together by a crumbly graham crust. This recipe was adapted from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookbook. It is a delicious combination of the yummiest, classic flavors - graham cracker crust, chocolate chip cookie and New York cheesecake.

I don't think it would be possible to pack more goodness into a bar, but for a finishing touch or to dress these up a bit you could drizzle melted chocolate on top. This idea of mixing cheesecake with cookie dough opens up a whole new world of combinations for me: Peanut butter cookie cheesecake bars? Snickerdoodle cheesecake bars? Blondie Cheesecake? mmmm...



Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
9" pan | adapted from The Essential Chocolate Chip Cookkbook

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:
5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9″ square baking pan. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving enough to extend over the sides. Butter the parchment paper.

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter until crumbs are moistened. Make sure you mix it well so that the crust isn't too crumbly. Press crust mixture into bottom of pan and 1 inch up sides.

3. Prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Using your hand to form clumps, distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough. You will cover most of the cheesecake batter.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Store in refrigerator.

Cornflake Candy Bars

Chewy, crispy, crunchy base topped with a thin layer of chocolate and crowned with pillowy marshmallows. The peanut butter flavor is subtle but excellent.

The special ingredient here is cornflakes for crunch. No need to turn your oven on for these, so feel free to make them even on a hot and sunny day. Just pop them in the fridge to set the chocolate at the end.



1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
6 cup corn flakes
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

In medium pot mix sugar, brown sugar and syrup over medium-low heat. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Take off the heat and add peanut butter. Stir well. Measure the corn flakes into a large bowl.

Add the sugar mixture and mix. Press firmly into a 9" x 13" greased pan. Melt chips in double boiler and pour over the pressed mixture. Sprinkle evenly with mini marshmallows and press down gently to adhere to the chocolate.

Graham Cracker Bars

This chewy, chocolatey bar is so easy and so fast because it uses purchased Graham crackers. Buy the graham cracker crumbs if you want to save yourself the work of crushing them. I don't mind crushing them myself. It takes seconds in the food processor or take out your frustrations by putting the crackers in a ziplock bag and pounding them with a rolling pin.

I don't have words to describe the amazingly medley of flavors bound together by rich, caramelly sweetened condensed milk. Even if you don't like coconut (I am not usually a coconut fan), I still strongly recommend these bars.

I had such an awesome weekend. As I type this the sun is setting and making me sad that it's Sunday night, meaning that Monday is just around the corner. I tried riding a tandem bike for the first time around Stanley Park. I also slept in my new condo for the first time on Saturday night. Life is good. So are these bars.

Graham Cracker Bars
8" pan | adapted from allrecipes.com

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups flaked coconut
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3 oz. milk chocolate chunks
3 oz. white chocolate chunks

1.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease an 8" square baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and coconut. Pour in the condensed milk and melted margarine, mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chunks. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven or until baked through. Chill and cut into squares.

Marmalade Crumb Bars

These bars are packed with sweet orange flavor from the orange juice concentrate, zest and marmalade mixed right into the batter. Chewy and crumbly all at once. I would like to try making these with different jams or marmalades next time. I bet a strawberry jam would be pretty with a little hint of pink in the batter.

Marmalade Crumb Bars
9 x 13 inch pan | 400 Sensational Cookies

Topping:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp orange zest
1/3 cup butter

Bars
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp orange zest
2/3 cup orange marmalade

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Topping: Whisk together flour, sugar adn zest then cut in butter until evenly combined and resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

3. Bars: Whish together flour, powder, soda and salt. In a separate bowl cream butter, sugar, powdered sugar until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Beat in concentrate and zest. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring until just blended then stir in marmalade. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Crumble topping over batter.

4. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely in baking pan.

Sour Cream Lemon Squares

These squares are tangy and sweet, smooth and crisp all at the same time. 3 layers of lemony bliss. The top layer is a silky sour cream topping. Beneath that is a classically tart citrusy filling atop a tender, flaky shortbread crust. These beauties are well worth the effort - and trust me, it's not that much effort.

They are one of the prettier squares out there. Perfect for pot-lucks. I don't know many people who don't like a good lemon square. Taste of Home may not be as "gourmet" as Bon Appétit or as fun as the Food Network Magazine, but I still enjoy it, especially since it is only $13 for a year's subscription! I'm a self-proclaimed magazine junkie... I think I almost need a whole room to house my food magazines. If anybody has any good tips for magazine storage and organization, please let me know, I will be forever grateful.

Sour Cream Lemon Squares
9"x13" pan | Taste of Home Dec/Jan 2000

BASE:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed

FILLING:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 teaspoons orange zest
1 teaspoon baking powder

TOPPING:
2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, and lemon and orange peel. Add butter; cover and process until mixture forms a ball. Pat into a greased 13" x 9" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-14 minutes or until set and the edges are lightly browned.

2. In a large bowl,combine all the filling ingredients. Pour over hot crust. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until set and lightly browned.

3. In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients. Spread over hot filling. Bake 7-9 minutes longer or until set. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate overnight and cut into bars just before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

TWD: Walnut Brownie Tart

Jessica of Domestic Deep Thought chose the Coffee Ice Cream Tart for this week's TWD recipe.

I made the crust as directed using walnuts instead of almonds. I didn't use ice-cream because even though it sounded delicious, I needed something to bring to work that didn't have to be frozen. So... instead of filling it with the tweaked ice-cream mixture, I made a chocolate syrup brownie and baked it in Dorie's crust.



Note: The crust was delicious enough to eat on its own. I may even make sable-like cookies from the crust dough next time and skip the filling altogether!

I have included my version of the tart shell and chocolate syrup brownie, but check out Jessica's website for the original recipe.

Walnut Brownie Tart
1- 10" tart | adapted from Dorie

For the Crust
1 cup (4 ounces) walnuts
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
pinch of salt
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces)
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Brownie Filling
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
2 eggs
pinch salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Crust: Lightly butter a 10-inch fluted tart pan and line a baking sheet with parchment. Put the walnuts, flour, sugar, nutmeg and salt in a food processor and pulse for about 10 seconds, or until the nuts are coarsely chopped. Toss in the pieces of butter and pulse until the dough resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and extract and continue to pulse until the dough forms clumps and large curds, about 10 seconds. Turn the dough out into the tart pan and press the dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Freeze for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bake crust for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees F. While crust is baking, make filling.

3. Filling: Cream butter, sugar and eggs until creamy and well blended. Add salt. Stir in flour and blend thoroughly. Add chocolate syrup, vanilla and chocolate chips. Stir. Pour over semi-baked walnut crust. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out almost clean. Loosen around edges and allow to cool in the pan.