Tag Archives: bars

Pumpkin cake/bars with vanilla frosting

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Pumpkin cake/bars

Fall is here, so I decided to make something pumpkin flavored. These are somewhere between a cake and a bar cookie. I went with a vanilla frosting, but a cream cheese or brown butter one would work well too.

A little extra powdered sugar on top for extra sweetness
  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup oil
  • 15 oz can of pure pumpkin
  • 1 3/4 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tbs cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes so your oven gets to the right temperature for baking. Spray a 10×15 pan with baking spray. In a bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, oil and eggs. Blend in dry ingredients. Spread into prepared pan. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs.

  • Frosting
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 to 3 tbs milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Combine. Frost cake while still warm. Cool completely. Cut into pieces and store in covered container.

Happy football friday! Go Bills!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. Wishing you a day filled with happiness, joy, love and peace. And, remember to be kind. We are all fighting some sort of battle, and some are harder than others.

Peanut butter brownies with milk chocolate ganache

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Peanut butter brownies with milk chocolate ganache

In honor of the Reese’s egg, I present a peanut butter chocolate treat on this Easter Sunday. They are peanut butter brownies made with peanut butter chips. The ganache is made with milk chocolate chips and heavy cream. If you prefer, you can use chocolate frosting or melt 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1 tbs vegetable oil in 30 second increments in a microwave safe bowl until you can stir it smooth.

  • Peanut butter brownies
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1, 10 oz bag peanut butter chips
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • Dash salt

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes to get your oven to the right temperature. Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray. In a microwave safe bowl, melt peanut butter chips and butter in 30 second increments until you can stir smooth. Add sugar and eggs. Fold in flour and salt. Spread evenly into prepared 8×8 pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes (edges will be a light golden color). Cool completely.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, heat cream for 45 seconds. Heat another 30 seconds. Pour over chips. Let sit 5 minutes. Stir smooth. Pour over cooled bars. Let set until ganache is firm. (Unlike me). Cut and store,in covered container.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have a day filled with joy and love. Whatever struggles you have, I hope your burden is lightened.

White chocolate brownies with milk chocolate ganache and mini M&Ms

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I wanted to bring in another treat to go along with the very large chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips. I noticed I have a few bags of white chocolate chips, so I opted for white chocolate brownies. I usually toss in some milk chocolate chips, but decided to instead make a milk chocolate ganache to put on top. And then, top it all off with mini m&ms. Because m&ms make take everything to another level.

Reminders – preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking So the oven cycles to the right temperature. Scoop your flour from your flour container into your measuring cup.

  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 bag white chocolate chips (usually 10 oz)
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 3 eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips (opt)

Directions – in a microwave safe bowl, heat butter and white chocolate chips in 30 second increments until you can stir smooth. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in sugar. Stir in flour and salt. Add milk chocolate chips, if using. Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with Pam. Spread dough evenly. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center basically comes out clean. Brownies will be light golden on top. Cool completely.

  • Ganache ingredients
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions – heat cream in a microwave safe bowl until hot (45 seconds -1 minute). Pour over chips. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir smooth. Leave in bowl for 10 minutes or so to firm up a bit. Pour over cool brownies. Top with M&Ms.

Let ganache firm on the brownies before cutting them (or don’t and be like Rob, my husband 😏) Store in covered container.

If you are struggling with something today, remember you are not alone. I wish you kindness, peace and love. To quote the great Bruce Springsteen “tomorrow there’ll be sunshine, and all this darkness passed.”

Frosted Lemon Bars (made with a cake mix)

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Frosted lemon bars

Today’s recipe is a change from my usual chocolate overload. Lemon bars. They are for our friend Marc, celebrating his birthday. They use a lemon cake mix and only a few other ingredients. You can use another flavor cake mix. if you want. If you do, use vanilla extract instead of lemon. I also opted for lemon frosting on top of the lemon bars. Again, if you opt for another flavor bar, vanilla frosting would be fine. Quick reminder to preheat your oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes before baking So the oven is the right temp. If you think 2 tbs lemon juice in the frosting might be too tart, start with 1 and add 1 tbs water.

  • Lemon bar ingredients
  • 1 lemon cake mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbs lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup oil

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 min. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. In a bowl, blend cake mix, eggs, lemon juice and oil. Spread evenly into pan. Bake 15 to 17 min (do not overbake). Cool completely.

Frosting – combine 2 cups powdered sugar amd 2 tbs lemon juice. (Add water, a tsp at a time,if you want to thin it out a bit.). Add yellow food coloring (optional). Frost bars. Store in covered container.

Have a good day and remember to be kind. We are all battling something each day.

Conga/chocolate chip/tollhouse cookie bars

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Someone cut these while they were hot!

These cookie bars seem to go by various names – Conga bars, chocolate chip cookie bars, tollhouse bars. Really they are a chocolate chip cookie dough baked in bar form. I got a late start on them tonight, so I melted the butter to speed up the process. I also added an extra yolk and some cornstarch to make them soft. I know they seem a little underdone after 30-32 minutes, but that is enough time. They will continue to bake in the pan and will be just fine once they cool completely. ( if you cook them too long, they will become dry! And that is not acceptable. )

  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 /4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 yolk
  • 2 1/2 cups flour (scooped from your flour container into your measuring cup to ensure the right amount)
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray. In a bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, sugar. Add eggs, yolk, vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Add 1 1/2 cups,chips. Press evenly into prepared pan. Gently press remaining 1/2 cup chips on top. Bake 30-32 minutes (light golden patches on top). Cool completley. Store in covered container.

Is anything better than a chocolate chip cookie like dessert? (only a Buffalo Bills win)

Browned Butter Blondies with chocolate chips

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Are they still blondies if I added chocolate chips? ☺

I went with a twist on blondies by browning the butter, as opposed to just melting it. Browned butter gives a little different flavor, and a very, very good one at that. It is simple to make – just put it in a pan over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until you see little brown specs in it.

One reminder, don’t bake longer than 20 minutes or they will dry out. They will be just fine after 20 minutes, even,if they seem underdone.

Perfectly done!
  • Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, browned
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Line an 8×8 pan with tinfoil and spray foil with baking spray. Combine browned butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Mix in chips. Press into pan. Bake 20 minutes (no longer) cool completely. Store in covered container.

Panic treats

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Graham cracker sugar cookie bar Smores

These are what I call panic treats – something that I whip up quickly when I fear the original amount of treats I have made to bring somewhere are not enough. (It’s a sickness, I know. But, I can’t be the only one who does this). I would rather bring too much, rather than too little. So these are Graham cracker sugar bar Smores. I wanted some wow factor, so I went beyond my sugar cookie mix. I tossed in some graham crackers, and topped the bars with marshmallow fluff and melted chocolate chips. Treats #4 for tomorrow for ESPN Radio

  • Ingredients
  • 1 sugar cookie mix
  • 1 cup crushed Graham crackers
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • Marshmallow fluff
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 tbs vegetable oil

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Line an 8×8 pan with tin foil. In a bowl, combine cookie mix, butter and Graham crackers. Press into bottom of the lined pan. Bake 15 to 17 minutes (edges will be lightly golden). Spoon some fluff on top of warm bars. In a microwave safe bowl, melt chips and oil in 30 second increments until you can stir smooth. Spread on top,of fluff layer and swirl together. Cut before chocolate layer hardens. Cool completley. Store in covered container.

Panic treats!

Friday football treats # 19 – Smores cookie bars

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Smores sugar cookie bars

Today’s treat is in advance of the Bills AFC divisional playoff game vs the Ravens. A Saturday night game! I have all day to get nervous! I really need them to keep winning. They’ve been a needed distraction to this crapbag of a start to 2021. Maybe we’re getting all the bad stuff out of the way early.

These feature a Graham cracker sugar cookie base, followed by a layer of melted chocolate chips and topped with marshmallow fluff frosting. Of course, I got impatient and frosted them while they were still warm, so the frosting got mixed in with the melted milk chocolate. These are pretty easy and use sugar cookie mixes as part of the base.

  • 2 sugar cookie mixes
  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 2 cups butter, melted
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions – preheat oven to 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Combine sugar cookie mixes and graham cracker crumbs. Mix in melted butter. Press into an ungreased 9×13 pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes (will be light golden on top). Sprinkle chocolate chips. Let sit 5 minutes. Spread smooth. Let cool completely.

  • Frosting ingredients
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup marshmallow fluff
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3 tbs milk

Directions – cream butter and fluff. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Blend in enough milk to get desired consistency., frost bars. Cut and store in covered container.

Go Bills!

Celebrating a Bills playoff win with chocolate chip cookie bars!

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Go Bills!

This magical season for the Bills continued with their first playoff win in 25 years! Was it easy? No! Was it stressful? yes! Did someone yell and scare the dog, over the late fumble that wasn’t? Also yes, but it was not me. The yeller in question did request victory chocolate chip cookies bars, so here they are. I have to add that I love having playoff football both days this weekend, all day. After a terrible week, having sports as a distraction is wonderful for a few hours

😋
  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, melted
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 yolk
  • 1 tbs vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 2 tbs cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 cups chocolate chips, plus extra for sprinkling on top

Directions – preheat oven to 350 for 20 minutes. Cover an 8×8 pan with tin foil and spray with baking spray. Combine butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs, yolk and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Add chocolate chips. Press into pan. Sprinkle extra chips,on top and lightly press in. Bake 30 minutes. Cool completely. Store in covered container.

Onto the divisional round!