Hazelnut Blondies

It's that time of year when everyone starts making cookies, candies, and other treats to share with their families and friends. Fun, fun, fun. The hard part is deciding which treats to make!

When my sister was here visiting about 2 months ago, we made these blondies together. I decided to save them until the holidays because I thought they would be a great addition to any party, plate, or whatever else you all might have going on this month. These are a very basic blondie with hazelnuts adding some extra texture and flavor and they are topped with Nutella.
My sister ending up taking them back with her and sharing them with her co-workers and everyone really enjoyed them.

Here is the recipe for Hazelnut Blondies

Raspberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars

I saw these and couldn't resist making them. Unfortunately for me, it was during my month of not eating sugar, so I didn't get to try one. But, I took them to share at a large get-together and there were no leftovers, so I figure they must have been delicious!

I am debating making them again, so I can actually try one, because they combine cornmeal and ground almonds in the crust, which sounds so yummy to me. I love these types of bar cookies that have real fruit baked into them. The perfect way to use summer fruit, in my opinion.


Here is the recipe for Raspberry Cornmeal Crumble Bars from EveryDay Food

TWD- Chewy Chunky Blondies

Nicole chose this week's TWD recipe, Chewy, Chunky Blondies. You can find the recipe on her blog- Cookies on Friday.

You can also find the recipe on a post from when I made these a couple of months ago- when we were taking dinner to a local homeless shelter.
I doubled the recipe to make sure that there would be enough to go around and they were wildly popular. My husband was lucky enough to taste one and he was wishing that there were more to sample.
I used Heath bits, pecans, and toasted coconut in my blondies.

Check out the TWD blog to see who else loved these blondies!

Oaty Rhubarb Streusel Bars & Blackberry Crumb Bars

When I am asked to provide dessert for something in the summer, I always think of desserts that include fruit. I decided on these 2 quick and easy fruit bars which showcase blackberries and rhubarb.

A couple of weeks ago I bought a large amount of rhubarb, because I knew it wouldn't be available much longer. I brought it home and chopped it, so that I could put in it in the freezer and use it later.

I used some of the rhubarb in these Oaty Rhubarb Streusel Bars. The base is a basic oatmeal crust/crumble, of which some is reserved to be the crumbs on top. The base is baked for a little while and then the rhubarb is added. The rest of the crust is sprinkled on top and then a ginger icing and crystallized ginger are sprinkled on top. These bars turned out looking so delicious.
I didn't get to taste one, but there weren't any leftovers, so I can only assume they were great.

The Blackberry Crumb Bars had a cake-like base, then the blackberries were placed on top and a separate streusel was sprinkled on top.
These were a little bit more difficult to cut, so my kids and a friend were able to sample one of the pieces that fell apart. They said it was delicious. My kids were begging for more, but the rest had to be whisked away!
If you are looking for an easy fruit cake/cookie streusel bar, try one of these!


Recipe for Oaty Rhubarb Streusel Bars



Recipe for Blackberry Crumb Bars

Sugar Cookie Bars

Once again, I was looking for an easy dessert that would serve lots of people when we made dinner for a local homeless shelter recently.
Bar cookies always seem to be one of the easiest things to make when it comes to crowds and I had a lot of pink frosting leftover in the fridge from a cake that I had made that weekend.

I had seen these sugar cookie bars on multiple blogs and they were the perfect way to 1- feed a crowd and 2- use a ton of pink frosting.
The cookie dough was really easy to mix up. I decided to add a little flavor by mixing in the zest of one lime to the sugar before creaming the sugar and butter together. That really added a nice little zip to these cookie bars.
These turned out to be perfectly chewy and delicious. A big hit with everyone who tried them.
I even snuck a little slice just to make sure they were yummy. They were.
I thought I would share a couple pics of the cake I made for a baby shower(which left me with all that leftover pink frosting). It turned out pretty cute.
I came up with the cupcake design by slicing the end off of jet-puffed marshmallows for the faces to match the cake.
Bad lighting since it was late at night when I took the pictures, but I heard that the cake and cupcakes were quite a hit at the shower.



Recipe for Sugar Cookie Bars
* I added the zest of one lime to the sugar-mixing it together with my fingertips until very aromatic, before creaming the sugar and butter together.
* I used a different frosting than the one the recipe called for

Basic Buttercream Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 to 4 Tbls milk

With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract at low speed. Add in milk, bit by bit, until the mixture has reached a spreadable consistency.
Makes about 3 cups.

Dorie's Chewy, Chunky Blondies

Everytime we make dinner to serve at a local homeless shelter, I make sure to choose something fairly easy for dessert.
Bar cookies are just about the easiest thing to bake, in my opinion.
These particular blondies are full of just about everything. Chocolate, nuts, Heath bits, and coconut, make for a lot of add-ins.
I have seen them on other blogs over the past couple of years, but can't remember exactly where. I knew they would be good, just because they were Dorie's recipe, so I made 2 huge batches and ended up with an enormous amount of blondies.

Usually we don't have a single drop of food leftover, but somehow I managed to bring 1 or 2 of these back home.
My hubby was happy to sample them and of course, was hoping that there were more to be found. He was disappointed to know that they were all gone.

We have a definite crowd pleaser right here, folks!

Chewy, Chunky Blondies
(Source: Dorie Greenspan “Baking: From My Home to Yours” p.109)

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips or Heath Toffee Bits (I used Heath Bits)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (I used pecans)
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut (I used toasted coconut)

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan and put it on a baking sheet.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chips, nuts and coconut. Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and use the spatula to even the top as best you can.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. The blondies should pull away from the sides of the pan a little and the top should be a nice honey brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for about 15 minutes before turning the blondies out onto another rack. Invert onto a rack and cool the blondies to room temperature right side up.

Cut into 32 bars, each roughly 2-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches.

TWD-Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars

This weeks TWD recipe, Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars, was chosen by Lillian who blogs at Confectiona's Realm. You can find the recipe on her blog.

These bars are like a really thick oatmeal cookie batter, with a chocolate-y layer on top and then more of the cookie batter scattered on top of the chocolate. I made the recipe as is. I kept the peanuts in both the cookie batter and the chocolate layer, the raisins in the chocolate layer, and the cinnamon in the cookie batter. These are just some of the things that other people were talking about leaving out or subbing with something else.

Luckily, I had a lunch that I was scheduled to bring cookies to, and these were all given away.

We did sample one tiny slice, because after these are chilled in the fridge, it is possible to slice off 1/16th-inch slices, and it was a sugary, chocolately, peanutty, cookie delight.
Tasted good and I am pretty sure almost anyone would be a fan of these.

Check out the TWD Blogroll to see what everyone else did with these bars. Did they leave the raisins out? Swap out the nuts with something else? Go and see!

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

These taste so much better than they look in this picture. I was too eager to photo them and cut them before they had cooled completely.
I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars on Megan's Cooking, a couple of weeks ago and put them on my baking list. I love pumpkin and I am not sick of it yet. I didn't know when I would bake them, and when my mom was here she talked me into it.
Basically this is a thick layer of cookie dough that is topped with a pumpkin pie type filling and then a cinnamon-sugar layer is sprinkled on top. So kind of a twist on pumpkin pie.
I made 1/2 a recipe in a 8x8-inch pan.
My kids loved them. My mom loved them. We each had a small slice and then I packed them up and put them in the fridge. I made my hubby take them to work the next day. They were a hit.
I think these would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving dessert menu, still nice and pumpkin-y but a little bit different.
Megan had a white chocolate drizzle on her bars, which made them a bit cuter, but I didn't have any, so I left it off.
Delish!

Recipe for Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

Recipe by Julia, author Of Dozen Flours

Snickerdoodle Layer

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla

Pumpkin Pie Layer

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

Topping

2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Drizzle

1 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan and lay a piece of parchment paper across the pan, so that it extends the pan slightly. The parchment paper is an optional step, but it will make it easier to get the bars out later

To make snickerdoodle layer:

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be thick and cookiebatter-ish.)

To make pumpkin pie filling:

In a mixer bowl (you can use the same one you used to make the snickerdoodle batter) with a paddle attachment, mix together butter and sugar. A dd the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. This layer will be less thick and more pourable. Pour over the snickerdoodle layer, smoothing out the top.
Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.
Bake for 33-40 minutes (maybe more depending on your oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let the bars cool completely (about an hour). They will deflate a bit and remain a bit pie-like on the top layer. The bars that are closer to the edges of the pan will be more firm.
After the bars are completely cool, place the chopped white chocolate into a bowl or zip-lock bag and melt on low power. When it’s completely melted, add the pumpkin pie spice and mix (or knead if using a zip lock bag). Use a spoon or cut a small corner off the bag and drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the bars and let it cool and harden.
Use the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan. Place on a cutting board and cut into bars. Store in a covered container.

Gingerbread Bars and Chocolate Chip & Peanut Blondies

Here are 2 more of the desserts I made a couple of weeks ago. I chose both of these recipes because they were bar cookies which mixed up quickly and could be easily transported.
Both of these recipes came from the same issue of Bon Appetit as the Lemon Cheesecake Squares from yesterday.
One of the fun little extras they included with this set of bar cookie recipes was a page called "Fun Cuts for Bar Cookies" which showed other ways to cut and serve these cookies, rather than the same old squares.
Both of these bars were extremely popular and the recipes were requested by the people who tried them.
I made the gingerbread bars in a 10x13-inch jelly roll pan simply because that is all I had that was clean at the time. They were really good. Because I cut them into rounds, there were scraps leftover that my kids and I were able to sample.
These were somewhere inbetween a cookie and cake, so they had great texture and flavor.
Definitely will make this again.
My mom also made these and in one of the batches she accidentally left out the molasses and she said they still tasted good, so there you have it!
I didn't get to try these Blondies, but the woman sitting next to me at the event they were served at said they were delicious.
The recipe called for golden brown sugar and I used dark because I had some of it hanging out in the pantry. I was a little worried that they would brown too quickly, but they turned out fine.
Both of these were definite crowd pleasers!

Recipe for Gingerbread Bars

Recipe for Chocolate Chip and Peanut Blondies


One Year Ago-Pear Dutch Baby and Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage and Pears

Lemon Cheesecake Squares with Fresh Berries

This is another dessert, one of the 7, that I made for a church gathering a couple of weeks ago.
Since I was making so many desserts in one day, I was looking for recipes that were fairly quick, but still had the flavors and taste that people would want.
Everybody loves cheesecake and I remembered a section of recent issue of Bon Appetit that featured bar cookies. Perfect for this type of baking madness!
I got out my trusty 3-ring binder full of torn out recipes from magazines and was able to find the bar cookie recipes in no time.
These little cheesecake bars needed to set up in the fridge, so I threw them together the night before.
I didn't use the recipe for the crust because I had graham cracker crumbs instead of graham crackers, so I just winged it. (I don't keep graham crackers in the house ever. They are too good dipped in milk and I have absolutely no self control when it comes to graham crackers.They are an absolute no-no for me.)
These bars couldn't be simpler and they have great cheesecake taste with lemon flavor. They were very popular. I doubled the recipe and cut them into small squares, so they ended up serving quite a few people.
Perfect if you need a make-ahead dessert that will please a crowd!



Recipe for Lemon Cheesecake Squares with Fresh Berries

One Year Ago-Fall Pear Galette

Vanilla Bean Shortbread

I threw these shortbread cookies together one day right after dinner because everyone was begging for some dessert and I knew they would be ready fast. After I started mixing the ingredients together, I realized that I was out of canola oil and all I had was olive oil. I figured it wouldn't matter and went ahead and finished the cookies.
I have decided that I really like baking shortbread cookies in a 9x13-inch pan and then cutting them after they are done baking. They look better and it makes the process really easy.
I wasn't expecting anything great from these because they seemed so simple, but they were really good! My kids loved them. I think I will probably make them again when I need a quick and simple treat.

Hopefully I will be near a computer soon and I can tell you if we made it to our new living destination!

Vanilla Bean Shortbread from Cooking Light

"This half-oil, half-butter version yields a crisper, more delicate cookie," says Cooking Light Advisory Panelist Greg Drescher of the Culinary Institute of America.

Make up to five days in advance, and store in an airtight container.

Cooking spray

9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup canola oil (I used olive oil)

1/2 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Line bottom and sides of a 13 x 9–inch baking pan with foil; coat foil with cooking spray, and set aside.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.
4. Place butter in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add oil; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean, and add seeds to butter mixture; discard bean. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Spoon dough into prepared pan. Place a sheet of heavy-duty plastic wrap over dough; press to an even thickness. Discard plastic wrap. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; cut into 32 pieces. Carefully lift foil from pan; cool squares completely on a wire rack.

Coming Tomorrow- Brownies with Mint Buttercream and Chocolate Glaze

Cookie Carnival- Toasted Almond Lemon Bars

This month's Cookie Carnival cookie is Toasted Almond Lemon Bars, from The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. I just noticed a baking group-Sweet Melissa Sundays- that is baking it's way through this cookbook. I own this cookbook and it has some really great recipes.
Back to the Cookie Carnival. This month we had our first ever guest host- Holly of Phemomenon. She chose these lemon bars and I know quite a few people who are glad that she did.
Lemon Bars were something I remember having as a kid and nothing is as good as a homemade lemon bar. (Meaning the ones from the box just don't cut it for me).
I do have to admit that I gasped when I saw that the crust called for 2 1/2 sticks of butter. And that the recipe was only supposed to yield 12 squares. I wouldn't allow myself to do the math. I don't know why it was so shocking- it just seemed like a ton of butter.
Luckily for me and my hips, I made these for a family members' work meeting and probably cut them into 36 squares, at least.
I used sliced almonds, which I toasted and that gave the crust little flecks of almond that I thought was nice.
The filling was nice and tart. It had quite a zing to it. The almond extract added something extra too, which was very delightful. I did have to try a tiny piece, as did my little helpers and everyone thought they were really good.
The plate came back from the meeting empty, so I am pretty sure everyone enjoyed them.
These are just how a lemon bar should be- thick crust, tart filling and a heavy sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Toasted Almond Lemon Bars
From The Sweet Melissa Baking Book by Melissa Murphy
Makes 1 dozen bars
"Everyone loves lemon bars. I make mine extra special by adding toasted almonds to the shortbread crust."
For the Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 Tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
For the Lemon Filling:
4 large eggs
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 7 lemons)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar for sprinkling
To Toast the Almonds:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden and you can smell them. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
Before You Start:
Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray. Make a parchment "sling" by cutting two pieces of parchment paper, measuring 16 1/2 inches long by 12 inches wide (you can also use aluminum foil). Place one piece across the length, and the other across the width of the pan, with the excess hanging over the edges. You will use this sling later to lift the finished bar from the pan. Spray the sling with the cooking spray.
To Make the Crust:
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, almonds, and salt to combine. Add the cold butter in pieces and pulse until the dough comes together in a ball.
2. Turn the dough out into the prepared pan and press evenly into the bottom and 1 1/4 inches up the sides. (This crust, once it is baked, needs to act as a liner in which to pour the liquidy lemon filling. So be sure to do a good job of pressing the dough up the sides - no cracks!). Cover the dough with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights ( you can use dried beans or uncooked rice as pie weights as well). Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly golden. Carefully remove the pie weights and the liner and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until the whole crust is golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
To Make the Filling:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Add the almond extract and flour, and whisk until smooth. Add the lemon juice, and whisk to combine.
To Complete the Bars:
1. Pour the lemon filling into the prepared crust. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is firm and lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
2. When cool use the parchment sling to lift the entire bar from the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice into twelve 3 x 3 1/2 - inch bars. Remove from the pan and, using a small sifter, dust with the confectioners' sugar.

Up next- TWD- Chocolate Cream Tart

TWD- Caramel Crunch Bars and Rewind- Mixed Berry Cobbler

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe, Caramel Crunch Bars, was chosen by Whitney over at What's left on the table? You can find the recipe on her blog or go to this POST and find the recipe from when I made these last year. This recipe is one of the pictures in the book that really catches your eye. I made them last year when my hubby needed some treats for work and I made them into ice cream bars, like Dorie suggests, which turned out to be a very messy adventure. No one seemed to mind the fact that they were so messy. They disappeared quickly. The picture isn't great, but hey, it was taken many months ago. I rarely make something more than once, unless it is unbelievably the best dessert ever. Just because I like baking new things all the time. I haven't made these again, but I do remember them being a hit.
I also did a rewind this past week. For some reason back in June, I skipped out on the Mixed Berry Cobbler. I needed one to take to a get together recently, so I went back and made it. Very good. I doubled the fruit and 1 1/2x the crust, to make it fit in a 9x13-inch pan. I used mostly blackberries, but also some raspberries, blueberries and a few strawberries and lime zest. You can find the recipe for the cobbler- Here.
Now go and see what the other TWD'ers did with this weeks recipe!

Up Next- Pork Tenderloin with Blueberry Sauce

Three Tasty Treats

My hubby requested that I make Cheesecake Pops (AGAIN!), for his work party, and so I threw in a couple of other treats too. Don't they look yummy all together?

Check out the recipes down below!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

I needed to make a cookie bar that everyone would love and so I pulled this cookbook from the shelf- All-Butter, Fresh Cream, Sugar-Packed, No-Holds-Barred Baking Book by Judy Rosenberg, owner of Rosie's Backery. Sure it was printed in 1991, but that doesn't mean the recipes are outdated!
I chose this recipe because everyone loves peanut butter and chocolate and subbed in some m&m baking bits, just for fun.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
1 1/3 cups + 1 Tbls + 1 tsp all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 Tbls (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup + 2 Tbls packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 1/2 cup milk choco chips and 1/2 cup m&m baking bits)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 11 by 7 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt together in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter, peanut butter, sugars, and vanilla, until light and fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stop the mixer to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula.

Add the eggs one at a time, and beat on medium speed until partially blended after each addition, about 1 1/2 minutes. After the last addition, beat until blended, about 30 seconds, stopping the mixer twice to scrape down the sides.

Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix with a spatula until the flour is absorbed. Then mix on low speed, until blended, 7 to 10 seconds. Scrape the bowl, especially the bottom.

Add the chocolate chips and blend for several seconds. Scrape the bowl. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake the bars on the center oven rack until the edges are deep golden and the center in lightly golden and slightly puffy, 25 to 30 minutes. The center will drop when the bars are taken out of the oven, creating a chewy texture. Cut the bars into squares after they have cooled a bit on the rack.