Snickerdoodle Blondies

Dysfunctional Dieter's Dictionary Definition of Snickerdoodle Bars:

Dreamy, cinnamon-sugar topped, warm, melt in your mouth, gooey, cake-like bars.

Slightly cracked surface with the perfect amount of cinnamon to make your home smell like the heavens descended and landed right in the middle of your kitchen.

A great one will manage to be both crisp at the edges and soft, nearly to the point of cakiness, in the middle.

You're going to want to make these. Soon. Like, tonight.

You can thank me later. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Blondies
Adapted from: Arctic Garden Studio

Ingredients

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks / 1 cup) unsalted butter, softened to cool  room temp
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup (lightly packed) brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temp
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping
2 tablespoons granulate white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9x13x2 inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper and butter paper.

Mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Add the flour mixture and mix until the flour is just incorporated. The batter will be thick like cookie dough.

Scrape batter into your prepared pan and spread evenly. I used an offset spatula to make the batter even and smooth.

Make the topping by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar topping evenly over the top of the batter.It will look like a lot, but trust me it is perfect.

Bake 20-25 minutes or a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool slightly before cutting (or as long as you can stand).

Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bars

Guess what?

These are breakfast bars (and they have brown sugar and butter in them).

I normally think of breakfast as a healthy meal (when I'm not eating waffles, pancakes or crepes) but can easily be swayed.

The crumbly oats, tart raspberries and hint of lemon make these bars irresistible.

The title told me these are for breakfast and let me tell you, I ate a lot of breakfast today.


Raspberry Crumb Breakfast Bars
Adapted from: Sweet Pea's Kitchen via Baked

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces

Raspberry Mixture
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 pound raspberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch glass or light-colored metal baking pan. Put a long piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan, letting the parchment extend up the two short sides of the pan and overhang slightly on both ends. (This will make it easy to remove the bars from the pan after they have baked.) Butter the parchment.

Put the flour, brown sugar, oats, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until combined. Add the butter and pulse until loose crumbs form.

Reserve 1 cup of the mixture and set aside. Pour the rest of the mixture into the prepared pan and use your hands or the back of a large wooden spoon to push the crust into an even layer at the bottom of the pan. The crust should touch the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the crust cool. Keep the oven on while you make the raspberry filling.

In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon and flour together. Add the raspberries, lemon juice and butter and use your hands to toss gently until the raspberries are evenly coated. Spread the raspberry filling evenly on top of the cooled crust. Sprinkle the reserved 1 cup crust mixture evenly on top of the filling.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, rotating the pan every 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling starts to bubble around the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, then cut into squares and serve. The bars can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two days.

Delicious and nutritious...

Enjoy!

S'more Cookie Bars

Have mercy, these are delicious.

They seriously tasted just like a s’more, and they should, considering that all of the same ingredients are used, just kicked up a notch!

But that's exactly why these minions are so irresistible. They are rich and gooey with a layer of chocolate and marshmallow sandwiched between a graham cracker cookie crust.

If you really need further prompting, think back to your very first s'more. Now multiply it's size and taste by 100 and imagine it in the form of a soft, cookie bar with a little bit of salt added into the tender graham cracker.

Please, don't hold me responsible for any stomach aches or extra mileage added to your daily run as a result of this recipe but do know that each bite is worth every calorie.


S'more Cookie Bars
Adapted from: Lovin' From The Oven

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 king-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bars (if you want a more subtle chocolate flavor use regular sized chocolate bars; enough to fit)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (7 1/2 oz jar) (not melted marshmallows)


Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.

Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together). Spread it around gently.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (I took mine out at 27 minutes), until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Lemon Raspberry Bars

Raspberry and lemon. Two ingredients that just go together and haven't failed me yet. Going along with my "bake with berries or anything that is in season" theme, I knew I had to try these and oh!my!goodness!me! these are tasty morsels.

These bars have a thick graham cracker crust and are topped with a creamy lemon raspberry filling. The fresh raspberries add a hint of tartness to the luscious lemon filling. Top this with a dollop of whip cream and some additional fresh raspberries and you are in for a treat!


Lemon Raspberry Bars
Adapted from: Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients

For the crust
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
Zest of one lemon

For the filling
2 large egg yolks
1-14 oz. can fat free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
6 ounces fresh raspberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Spray a 8 by 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist. Press crumbs into the prepared pan, pressing the crust mixture one inch up the side of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once the crust is cool, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk until well mixed. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until mixture begins to slightly thicken.  Gently fold in the raspberries. Fold carefully so you don’t break the raspberries.

Pour the lemon raspberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust.  Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.

Cool to room temperature, then chill for at least one hour before serving. Cut into bars and serve. Keep bars in the refrigerator-up to five days.

*Note-use fresh raspberries and make sure you gently fold the berries into the lemon filling or you will have pink bars.

Rhubarb ‘Big Crumb’ Coffee Cake

I love crumb cakes and this recipe is all about the topping; golden, bite-sized boulders of butter and sugar spiced with cinnamon and ginger. Heavenly.

I also love rhubarb and have been patiently waiting for it to come into season as I've been itching to try this bookmarked recipe for months.

This soft, gooey centered cake with over-sized chunks of streusel is a pan of moist crumbly bliss. My only regret is that I didn't double the recipe.


Rhubarb ‘Big Crumb’ Coffee Cake
From: Smitten Kitchen, originally from New York Times

Ingredients

Butter for greasing pan

For the rhubarb filling:
1/2 pound rhubarb, trimmed
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

For the crumbs:
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 3/4 cups cake flour

For the cake:
1/3 cup sour cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. For filling, slice rhubarb 1/2 inch thick and toss with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

To make crumbs, in a large bowl, whisk sugars, spices and salt into melted butter until smooth. Then, add flour with a spatula or wooden spoon. It will look and feel like a solid dough. Leave it pressed together in the bottom of the bowl and set aside.

To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 cup batter and set aside.

Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon rhubarb over batter. Dollop set-aside batter over rhubarb; it does not have to be even.

Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars

Leave it to me to justify any dessert as having some form of health or nutritional value. Some call it a gift; I call it shameless rationalization for another piece. I have a problem, I know. Well, my dear friends, these scrumptious bars have 3 cups of oats which definitely qualifies them as a healthy treat. I need to say no more.

My girlfriends polished these off in record time which was wonderful as it removed all temptation for me to have "just one more bite." Next time I will try substituting caramel and pecans in place of the peanuts to jazz these bars up with a couple of my favorite ingredients. If you've ever indulged in an Oat Fudge Bar from Starbucks these have a very similar resemblance to that delicious taste. Enjoy!

"Eggs. Eggs are in chocolate cake! And milk! Oh goody! And wheat! That's nutrition!"
Bill Cosby

Chocolate Oatmeal Almost Candy Bars
From: Baking: From My Home To Yours

Ingredients

For the oatmeal layer:
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup salted honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

For the chocolate layer:
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup salted honey roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan with butter.

To make the oatmeal cookie layer, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.  Whisk to blend. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium-high speed until it is soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Mix in the oats and peanuts with a rubber spatula until evenly combined.

Reserve 1½ cups of the mixture. Place the remaining dough in the prepared pan and press over the bottom of the pan in an even layer.

To make the chocolate layer, combine the condensed milk, chocolate chips, butter and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is warm and the chocolate chips and butter are melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and peanuts.

Pour the warm chocolate mixture over the oatmeal cookie layer and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Crumble the remaining oatmeal cookie mixture and scatter evenly over the top of the chocolate.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the chocolate layer is starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Cut into bars as desired and serve.

Pecan Pie Bars

I got a trainer. A personal gym trainer. She makes me do grueling exercises and work out muscles I didn't even know existed.

I’m well aware that these desserts aren't exactly helping me reach my goal but when I got home from my first workout all I could think about was a hot shower and a treat.

You have no idea how hard I worked! I deserved it!

This aside, a dessert that is predominantly pecan is a definite favorite in my books. And can you believe it, I had never made pecan pie, bars or tarts… only happily consumed them.

Well that all changed last night. As a pecan anything lover I can tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed these bars. And, did you know that pecans are one of the healthiest snacks you can eat? They are naturally sodium free and contain only unsaturated heart healthy fat. They are particularly beneficial to your immune system, as they contain zinc and vitamin E, a natural antioxidant.

So really, it’s like I’m doing my body a huge favor by eating these bars! I’m on my way to being toned, fit and fabulous and these tasty pecan treats are helping me along the way! Total bonus!


Pecan Pie Bars
Adapted from:  I don't have a source as this is a photocopied recipe I've had for a while.

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven  to 350° F. For crust, beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add powdered sugar; beat until well blended. Add flour gradually, beating at low speed after each addition. (Mixture will be crumbly but presses together easily).

Press dough evenly into ungreased 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Press mixture slightly up sides of pan (less than 1/4 inch) to form lip to hold filling.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, for filling, beat eggs lightly in medium bowl with fork. Add pecans, granulated sugar, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla; mix well. Pour filling over partially baked crust. Return to oven; bake 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is set.

Loosen edges with knife. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting into squares. Cover and refrigerate until 10 to 15 minutes before serving time. Do not freeze. 

Double Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Squares

These bars live up to the adage that squares are the easiest of all to make. This recipe involves three main ingredients: chocolate, cranberries and pecans. Yum! The result? Rich, sweet and absolutely delicious squares. These seemed to taste better after a day or two in the refrigerator - although, I like to warm mine up in the microwave before eating

Double Chocolate Cranberry Pecan Squares
Adapted from: Rock Recipes

Ingredients

2  1/4 cups graham wafer crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cups toasted pecans (toast them on a cookie sheet in a preheated 350°F oven for about 3-5 minutes)
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line the sides and bottom of a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper.

Prepare the graham wafer crumb bottom. Mix together:

2  1/4 cups graham wafer crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Bake in a 325°F oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

For the top layer mix together:

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Stir in:

1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cups toasted pecans ( toast them on a cookie sheet in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 3 minutes)
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped dried cranberries

Spread on top of the prepared base and bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares and serving. (Obviously, I couldn't wait that long for them to cool and preferred the squares warmed up in the microwave the following days day).

White Chocolate Cranberry Bars

Cranberries are quickly becoming one of my new favorite Christmas baking ingredients!

Not only do cranberries add a jolt of color and flavor to holiday tables, but these savory ruby jewels are more than seasonal fancy.

A study found that cranberries have more antioxidants than almost any other fruit, offering protection against heart disease, cancer, and the effects of aging (how's that for your daily trivia?!).

I don't know about you but that's enough reason for me to want to bake with cranberries - just think about how good we are being to our bodies!

The tangy cranberries mixed with the white chocolate and cream cheese icing in this recipe makes for a perfect treat - for breakfast, lunch or dinner... or all three ;-)

I froze a bag of cranberries (which I highly recommend doing as we only get fresh cranberries for a short period of time) so that I can make them again in the new year. I know I won't be able to wait until next Christmas to make these again!


White Chocolate Cranberry Bars
Adapted from: fat girl trapped in a skinny body

Ingredients

Bars
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup chopped white chocolate

Frosting
4 ounces low fat cream cheese
2 tsp butter
1 tsp orange zest
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Garnish
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup white chocolate, melted


Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 7-inch square baking pan.

In a medium size bowl combine flour, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder and salt; set aside. Beat eggs in a medium mixing bowl for 1 minute. Gradually add sugar, beating until thoroughly blended. Stir in dry ingredients and melted butter; blend well. Add cranberries and white chocolate, mixing gently just until combined. Spread evenly in well greased pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool before spreading frosting.

Mix all of the frosting ingredients together and spread a thin layer over the cooled cake. Immediately sprinkle with the chopped dried cranberries.

Melt the 1/2 cup white chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute. Pour the melted chocolate into a sandwich sized ziplock bag (make sure the melted white chocolate is smooth and that there are no small chunks). Cut a small hole on a bottom corner of the bag. Pipe the white chocolate over the frosted bars. Enjoy!