Seven Layer Bars

These bars were all Randal's idea.  I had never tried a seven layer bar before, but I guess the husband just got a craving because out of no where he decided I should make some.  I really had no expectations for these bars, but I do like everything that goes into them and Randal took the rest to work and I got some nice compliments!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cups shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350.

 Pour melted better into a 13x9 baking dish.  Add the graham cracker crumbs on top of the melted butter, followed by the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and walnuts.  Sprinkle on the coconut and pour the milk over top.  Bake for 25 minutes, cut into squares.

Banana Caramel Bars

The amount of bananas I buy every week is kind of ridiculous, but I look after three two year olds who all could happily eat bananas all day long, however quite often I end up with a few over ripe bananas and that's when I go looking for new recipes to bake.  I found the recipe for these bars over at Yammie's Noshery and while the original recipe has walnuts on top of the frosting I decided to add them into the cake batter for texture.

 2 cups cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup mashed bananas
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 9x13 pan

In a large bowl, add the flour, baking soda and powder, salt and softened butter.  Mix together well. 

In a small bowl, mix together the egg, mashed banana, buttermilk and vanilla.  Add to the flour mixture and mix in the walnuts.  Pour into greased pan and bake for 25 minutes.

Caramel Frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
2 tbsp heavy cream
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

In a small pan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup and sugar, heat until caramel coloured. Add the heavy cream and half the butter, salt and vanilla, mix together and let cool.

Once cool, beat the caramel in the bowl of a stand mixer, adding the remaining butter a tablespoon at a time.  Slowly add the icing sugar followed by the milk and beat until smooth. 

Frost the cake with the caramel icing and cut into bars.

2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick)
1 egg
1 cup mashed bananas (3 to 4 very ripe bananas)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Read more at http://www.yammiesnoshery.com/2013/05/aunt-pats-banana-cake-with-caramel.html#8yU91A3YCsS0zXhO.9

Buttermilk Pie Bars

Time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal. This month I was assigned the blog Smells Like Brownies. Another great blog with so many delicious looking recipes, although my search for what to make was cut short as soon as Randal saw these Buttermilk Pie Bars.  He really loves buttermilk pie and I never make it, so I think this was his chance to get his fix and a new take on one of his favourites at the same time.  The recipe calls for it to be served cold, but Randal liked it better warmed slightly.

Crust
1 stick salted butter, softened
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup icing sugar

Custard filling
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp salted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk


Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8 inch pan.

To make the crust, in the bowl of an electric mixer combine the butter and icing sugar and beat together.  Add in the flour and mix well.  Press into the pan, prick the crust all over with a fork and bake for 20 minutes.

To make the custard filling, in the bowl of an electric mixer whisk the eggs and sugar until pale yellow.  Add in the butter, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour and mix together, finally mix in the buttermilk.

Pour the filling over the crust and bake for 30 minutes.  Leave to cool on a cooling rack then refrigerate for an hour before serving.

Peanut Butter Crispy Bars

One of the presents Randal got me for Christmas, was the Baked: New Frontiers In Baking cookbook.  After flipping through it I immediately had to make these crispy peanut butter bars.  I loved the look of them in the book and I had everything on hand to make them, and I loved that they were a rice crispy bar that did not use marshmallows.

Crispy Crust:
1 3/4 cups crisped rice cereal
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer:
5 ounces milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Chocolate Icing:
3 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Lightly spray a paper towel with nonstick cooking spray and use it to rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan.

Put the cereal in a large bowl and set aside.

Pour 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan. Gently add the sugar and corn syrup (do not let any sugar or syrup get on the sides of the pan) and use a small wooden spoon to stir the mixture until just combined. Put a candy thermometer in the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage, 235 degrees.

Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and pour the mixture over the cereal. Working quickly, stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, then pour it into the prepared pan. Using your hands, press the mixture into the bottom of the pan (do not press up the sides). Let the crust cool to room temperature while you make the next layer.

In a large nonreactive metal bowl, stir together the chocolate and the peanut butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the cooled crust. Put the pan in the fridge for 1 hour, or until the top layer hardens.

In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter.

Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled milk chocolate peanut butter layer and spread (actually, I found it easier to just roll it around until it coated smoothly, avoiding the risk of picking up any of the peanut butter layer with it) into an even layer. Put the pan into the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the topping hardens.

Cut into 9 squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 4 days.

  Linked to: A Pinch of Joy, Addicted to Recipes, I Should Be Mopping The Floor,

Apple Pie Bars

It's time for another Crazy Cooking Challenge.  I didn't take part in last months, because the theme was Ranch dressing and neither Randal or I like ranch, so I am happy to get back to the challenge this month. 


The theme for October is apple pie, which was a little scary for me at first, because I don't really make apple pies (or any kind of pie really!) so after looking around at many other food blogs, I decided on the apple pie bars from Cooking Classy.  These bars were really easy to make, the pastry came together in just a few minutes and I made the apple filling while the pastry rested in the fridge.  Randal and I both really liked these apple pie bars, especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Pastry:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
12 tbsp salted butter, cubed
1/4 cup +2 tbsp buttermilk
1 egg yolk

Filling:
6 granny smith apples
2 1/2 tbsp orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 egg white
1 1/2 tbsp  sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Vanilla Glaze:
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Cut butter into flour, add the buttermilk and egg and mix together until it forms a ball.  Cover and refrigerate while you make the apple filling.

Peel, core and dice the apples, add to a large mixing bowl along with the orange juice and vanilla.  In a small bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Mix flour mixture with the apples and set aside.

Divide the pastry dough in half and roll out both pieces to a 13x9 rectangle.  Place one piece of dough in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish, top with the apple mixture and cover with the second piece of dough.  Brush the top with the egg white and sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and the apples are tender.  Remove from oven and leave to cool.

To make the vanilla glaze, combine the icing sugar, milk and vanilla in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

Once the bars have cooled, slice into squares and drizzle with the vanilla glaze.

Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

There will probably be a lot of dessert recipes posted here in the next few weeks, as I have to decide what I will be making for the United Way 2012 bake sale at Randal's office. These raspberry bars from Ginger Berry were one of the first recipes I tried this year and we both liked it, but if I made this for the bake sale I would make a few changes. The raspberries really make this and there just wasn't enough of them, so next time I would make a raspberry puree and swirl that into the cheesecake rather than some of the brownie batter.

Brownie layer

200 g dark chocolate

200 g unsalted butter or margarine, softened

250 g caster sugar

3 eggs

1/2 C plus 1.5 Tbs plain flour

3 Tbs cocoa

Cheesecake layer

400 g cream cheese

150 g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

120 g raspberries

 

Preheat the oven to 350.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, then set aside to cool slightly.

Cream the butter and sugar for the brownies together until pale, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in the chocolate, then the flour and cocoa. Spread most of the batter into the pan, reserving a few tablespoons. 

For the cheesecake, beat all of the ingredients, except the raspberries, together until smooth, then pour all of the batter over the brownie base. 

Dollop the extra brownie mixture over the top, then use a knife to swirl the layers together. Top with raspberries and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

I have been wanting to make this recipe which is a copy of those yummy Starbucks cranberry bliss bars for over a year now. I finally got around to it this week, and I am really glad that I did, they are really good, not exactly the same as those Starbucks bars, but close enough!




3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 Tbsp. minced crystallized ginger
3/4 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries
4 oz. white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 tsp. lemon juice

Drizzled Icing
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vegetable shortening

Make cake by beating the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs, ginger, vanilla, and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in the flour and baking powder until smooth. Mix the chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks into the batter by hand. Pour the batter into a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned on top. Allow the cake to cool.

Make the frosting by combining the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake has cooled, use a spatula to spread the frosting over the top of the cake.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of chopped dried cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

Make the drizzled icing by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, and shortening. Drizzle this icing over the cranberries.

Cover the cake and let it chill out in the fridge for a couple hours, then slice the cake lengthwise through the middle. Slice the cake across the width three times, making a total of eight rectangular slices. Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

Salted Caramel Mocha Brownie Cups

Another item I made for the bake sale. As soon as I saw these brownie cups made to be like the starbucks salted caramel mocha drinks, I knew I had to make them. I found this recipe on pinterest (is anyone else addicted to pinterest?)


1 brownie mix
4 tsp instant coffee
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
caramel kisses

Preheat oven to 350.
Dissolve the coffee in the water.
Combine the dissolved coffe with the brownie mix, eggs and oil.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 22-24 minutes.
Let cool for 2 minutes, then press a caramel kiss into the center of each brownie cup, move to a wire rack and let cool completely.
When cold, frost and drizzle with caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Salted caramel swiss meringue buttercream
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup heavy cream
pinch of sea salt
2 cups unsalted butter cubed, at room temperature
5 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

First make the caramel sauce by placing 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the
water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stop stirring and cook until caramel is amber. Remove from heat, and slowly add cream, whisking until smooth. Whisk in sea salt and let cool.

To make the frosting, put a few inches of water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Put the egg whites and sugar into a bowl that will fit over the pan of water and whick until it reaches 150 degrees and the sugar has all melted. Transfer mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on medium speed until the bowl feels cold (this can take up to 10 minutes) add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time, then add the vanilla, a pinch of salt and the caramel sauce.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Another recipe I made for the party...


3 tablespoons butter
1 (10 ounce) package regular marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice krispies Cereal

In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter until smooth.
Add the cereal. Stir until well coated.
Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.

Samoa Bars

I absolutely love the samoa girl scout cookies, so when I saw this recipe for homemade samoa bars at Baking Bites I knew I had to give it a try, and the neighbourhood party gave me the perfect opportunity to do so.



Link To Recipe