Mint Chocolate Brown Sugar Bars

I had such a great result with these Chewy Toffee Bars from Food Network's Jamie Deen earlier this fall that I wanted to make a mint version for the holidays. They come together so quickly, so they're perfect for this time of year.

Ingredients 
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter 
2 1/4 cups light brown sugar 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
Pinch salt 
2 large eggs 
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
1 cup mint chocolate chips 

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust the racks to the center of the oven. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. 
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the brown sugar until melted together. Let cool for 5 minutes. 
While the mixture is cooling, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. 
Stir in the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract into the cooled sugar and butter mixture. Add the dry ingredients into the saucepan until combined. Fold in the mint chocolate chips. 
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing into squares. 
Yields 16 servings

Cinnamon Pumpkin Bars

This recipe has exhausted my pumpkin supply for the season. These bars are light and not too sweet. Come back on Thanksgiving for a recap of some of my favorite fall recipes. Now it's on to holiday mint and peppermint cookies!


Ingredients
Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter
Bars
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup cinnamon chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a small bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons of butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 baking pan. Bake for 5 minutes until crust is set.
In a another small bowl mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together sugars and butter. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix in canned pumpkin. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Stir in the cinnamon chips.
Pour over the graham cracker crust.
Bake 20 minutes.
Yields 16 bars.

Chocolate Fudge Bars

Who doesn't love an easy chocolate dessert recipe? This chewy, dense bar came together very quickly. My only complaint was that the edges ended up being a little too crispy for me.


Ingredients
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 ounces dark chocolate
1 egg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
Sift the flour and baking soda together in a bowl. Set aside.

Melt together the butter and chocolate.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg until foamy and then beat in the sugar until well-blended. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients and spoon into the pan. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Yields 16 servings.

Recchiuti Triple Chocolate Cookies

I love Recchiuti Confections and this recipe from his website was a great version to make at home between visits. Below is the recipe, but I made a few changes since I was short on time. Instead of making into logs and refrigerating, I pressed the dough into an 8x8 pan and baked immediately in a 350 degree oven for 18 minutes. I also did not have a vanilla bean or fleur de sel available. I'm sure they would have made the bars even better, but I was still happy with the rich chocolate and crispy result.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened natural cocoa powder 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter with 82% butterfat, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated cane sugar
3/4 cup dark brown cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, preferably Madagascar Bourbon or Tahitian
1/2 Tahitian vanilla bean, split horizontally 
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel in fine grains
3 ounces 41% milk chocolate, roughly chopped
3 ounces 65% chocolate, roughly chopped

Instructions

Make the dough:
Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together into a bowl. Set aside.
Put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until creamy. Add both sugars and the vanilla extract. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the top. Beat on medium speed just until combined.Reduce the speed to low. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, pulsing the mixer to incorporate each addition before adding the next one. Pulse just until a crumbly dough forms. Add both chopped chocolates and mix on low speed just until incorporated.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead a few times to incorporate any crumbs.Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a log about 1 1/4 inches in diameter and 12 inches long. As you roll, gently push the ends toward the center occasionally to prevent air pockets and to keep the logs at an even thickness.Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.

Bake the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottoms of two 12-by-18-inch sheet pans with parchment paper.Remove the logs from the refrigerator and unwrap them. Using a ruler to guide you and a sharp knife, cut each log into rounds 1/2 inch thick. If the dough crumbles as you cut it, reshape each slice. Place the rounds on the prepared pans, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart.Bake on the middle shelves of the oven, rotating the pans 180 degrees halfway through the baking time, until set but soft enough to hold a slight indentation when pressed with a fingertip, about 14 minutes. Let cool completely on the pans on wire racks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Yields 48 cookies.

Chocolate Studded Oatmeal Bars

I found this recipe on the Scharffen Berger website and made a couple of adjustments. They were delicious and tasted better the next day. Do allow this chewy treat to cool completely before digging in.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well. Add the vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture. Mix until just blended. Add the oatmeal and the chocolate chips.
Press the dough into an ungreased 8x8 inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool. Slice into bars.
Yields 16 servings.

Chewy Toffee Bars

I saw Jamie Deen make these delicious (and easy to make) bars on his Food Network show. They tasted even better than they looked. I didn't toast the pecans since I was short on time. The corners that didn't have the toffee or pecans in them had a rich brown sugar taste and were wonderfully chewy.

Ingredients 
Nonstick spray 
1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter 
2 1/4 cups light brown sugar 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
Pinch salt 
3/4 cup pecans, chopped 
2 large eggs 
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
1 cup toffee pieces 

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Adjust the racks to the center of the oven. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. 
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan and stir in the brown sugar until melted together. Let cool for 5 minutes. 
While the mixture is cooling, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. 
Toast the pecans in medium skillet over medium heat. Remove to a plate once toasted. 
Stir in the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla extract into the cooled sugar and butter mixture. Add the dry ingredients into the saucepan until combined. Fold in the toffee and chopped pecans; the batter will be very thick. 
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing into squares. 
Yields 16 servings

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I wanted something quick and classic for a potluck at work. This recipe did the trick. They were cakey and had plenty of chocolate chips (I used jumbo semi-sweet chips)- a perfect dessert after sampling a lot of other delicious foods. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt  
1/2 cup melted margarine
3/8 cup brown sugar 
3/8 cup granulated sugar 
1 egg 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together, and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix both sugars and melted butter. Add egg and vanilla and stir just until blended. Add flour mixture and stir just until mixed. Stir in chocolate chips. 
Pour into a 8x8 baking pan.
Bake for 25 minutes until bars start to pull away from the sides of the pan, and they turn a golden brown.
Cool completely before slicing with a plastic knife.
Yields 16 servings

Chocolate Chip Cookie Peanut Butter S'mores Bars

I'm still on my s'mores kick, but unfortunately I didn't have much luck with this recipe from Cookies & Cups. I made a couple of modifications that did me in. First I made the cookie dough from scratch, which was too cakey, not the firm, chewy cookies from refrigerated dough. I also used marshmallows and not the marshmallow fluff, and that layer turned into a gooey mess. Overall the bars tasted pretty good, but it was not the most visually appealing result. Visit Shelly's Cookies & Cups blog for her recipe.

Smores Chocolate Chip Bars

This is another recipe that I made with good intentions of sharing, but after one bite, I didn't want to! I needed some alone time with this gooey, chocolatey, crunchy treat. It's surprisingly easy to make, too. 

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour 

1/4 teaspoon baking soda 

1/3 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1/2 cup sugar 

1 large egg 

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips 

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup mini marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Beat in egg. Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then stir in the chocolate chips. Put dough into the bottom of a loaf pan.

Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and put graham cracker crumbs on top. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Then remove from oven and top with marshmallows. Return the pan to the oven for another 3-5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool completely before slicing.

Yields 12 servings

Easy Dark Chocolate Brownies

These brownies come together really quickly and are cakey and chocolatey. I made these for a movie night, and they were a hit.

Ingredients
4.25 ounces dark chocolate (I used Hershey Dark)
3/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 F with a rack in the lower third. Spray a 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Melt the chocolate and butter, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. When the mixture has cooled, add in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour and stir until well blended. Scrape the batter in the pan and spread it evenly.
Bake 30 minutes. Cool the brownies in the pan.
Yields 16 servings.

Chocolate Cake Brownies

This brownie recipe comes together quickly and makes a chocolatey and cakey brownie. It definitely kicked my chocolate craving for the day!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup light brown sugar

Pinch of salt

2 eggs

1/4 all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan on low heat. Then add sugar, salt, and vanilla until combined. Allow to cool before beating in the eggs one at a time. Next add in the flour. Pour the batter into the pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool before cutting into squares.

Yields 16 brownies

Peanut Butter Chip Brownies

These rich, fudgy brownies tasted better the second day. Do let them cool completely before eating them. They tasted much better at room temperature. 

Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a saucepan, put in the chocolate and oil and melt together over low heat. Remove from heat and cool.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Add in the chocolate mixture. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Pour into the baking pan. Top with peanut butter chips. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

Yields 16 servings

Giant Oat Bars

I found this Betty Crocker recipe and made a few changes to create these great not too sweet bars that are a perfect morning snack.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons margarine, softened
3/4 cups sugar
1/6 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups Cheerios cereal

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until blended. Beat in oil, vanilla and eggs until well mixed. Gradually add in flour, oats, baking soda and salt until dough forms. Stir in cereal.
Press dough into an 8x8 baking pan.
Bake 11 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely before slicing.
Yields 16 bars

White Chocolate Caramel Layer Bars

These bars are fairly quick to make despite the extra step of baking the base before adding the caramel layer. They're very sweet and would also be good with dark chocolate chips instead of white.

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup margarine, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
15 caramel squares, melted
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl, cream together the margarine and brown sugar. Add in the egg.
Gradually add in the flour mixture.
Press half of the dough into the bottom of the loaf pan. Bake for 8 minutes. While the base is baking, stir in the white chocolate chips to the remaining dough. 
Remove the base from the oven. Pour in the melted caramel. Press the remaining dough on top. Put the pan back into the oven and bake for another 8 minutes until golden.
Cool completely before cutting into bars.
Yields 12 pieces.

Cookie Butter Toffee Bars

This recipe produced soft chewy bars that weren't overly sweet and melt in your mouth. These make your kitchen smell amazing!

Ingredients
1 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cookie butter (I used Trader Joe's brand)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup toffee pieces

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Cream together butter, cookie butter, and sugars. Add in egg and vanilla extract.
Gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in toffee pieces.
Press dough into an 8x8 pan.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before slicing.
Yields 16 servings.

Nestle Cookie Brownie Delight

This past weekend I needed something easy to bake. I was worn out from a long week, but I still wanted the sweet taste of a homemade treat. Nestle's Cookie Brownie Delight was just what I needed. The box makes an 8x8 pan of brownie-chocolate chip cookie goodness. To the dry mixes I added melted butter and egg. The cookie portion was a little underdone, but the brownie portion was a little dry. For a $5.99 price tag, I had hoped for something a little better. It also required a lot more time than regular box mixes. Next time I will stick with box brownie mix if I want something fast and dependable.

I do like the idea of the cookie brownie combo, so if you are in the mood and want to make your own, try a combination of this brownie recipe and 1/2 of this chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Do you have a favorite cookie/brownie mix?

Coconut Oreo Brownies

When I was in college, the dining hall had these really great cookies and cream brownies. I was addicted to them! I love brownies, and I love Oreos. I have a really hard time controlling myself around both of them, so this was a double whammy. I decided to give this same recipe a try with coconut cream Oreos. Delicious! Since these were thinner than regular Oreos, the cream filling played a bigger part. I could not taste coconut in the finished product, so I recommend adding 1 teaspoon of coconut extract if you want more of that flavor. Also, I was short on time, so I made this with boxed brownie mix. If you prefer to make your brownies from scratch or want to make a smaller batch, try this brownie recipe.

Ingredients
1 box of fudge brownie mix (sized for a 13x9 pan)
1 package of Coconut Delight Fudge Creme Oreos (about 30 cookies)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray.
Prepare brownies per the instructions on the box. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
Layer the Oreos on top of the brownie batter. Pour the remaining brownie batter on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.
Yields 36 bars

Oatmeal Carmelitas

This recipe is a bit more time consuming than what I normally like to do. Waiting two hours to eat something after it comes out of the oven is torture! These treats are worth the wait. Chewy, sweet, and chocolatey... What could be better! I used the rest of the dulce de leche in alfajores, which I will share with you later this week.

Ingredients
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/2 of a 14 ounce can of dulce de leche
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and margarine until crumbly.
Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and pour dulce de leche over the crust. Top with chocolate chips. Put the rest of the crumb mixture on top.
Return the pan to the oven and bake 15-18 minutes.
Cool in the pan for one hour. Then refrigerate for one hour. Slice into bars and enjoy at room temperature.
Yields 16 bars.

Peppermint Frosted Brownies

I cannot believe we are this far into December! This time since Thanksgiving has really flown by. If you're like me and need a holiday treat and are short on time, try this fast recipe. If you want to make your brownies from scratch, try this brownie recipe. I decorated my brownies with red decorating sugar. These have a slight peppermint flavor that is not too strong.

Ingredients
1 box of fudge brownie mix (sized for a 13x9 pan)
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 cups powdered sugar
Milk

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray.
Prepare brownies per the instructions on the box. Pour the batter into the prepare pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
While the brownies are baking, using a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Mix in peppermint extract. Gradually add in the powdered sugar. If necessary add milk to achieve desired consistency.
Spread a light layer of frosting over the brownies. Then slice and decorate.
Yields 36 bars

One-Bowl Peppermint Patty Brownies

Here is another great recipe from Anna Ginsberg's The Daily Cookie- a wonderful holiday gift for the baker in your life. These brownies and chocolaty and chewy, and the peppermint patties are a nice surprise. If you don't like mint, this is a great brownie recipe on its own.

Ingredients
12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs plus 2 tablespoons of lightly beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
12 small peppermint patties

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the center. Line an 8-inch metal pan with nonstick foil, or line it with regular foil and spray the flour with flour-added baking spray.
In a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl, microwave the butter on high for 30 seconds, or until melted. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth, then whisk in the sugar and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. When eggs are well mixed, whisk in the baking powder, salt, and flour. Reserve about 1 cup of batter. Spread the remaining batter in the prepared pan.
Arrange the peppermint patties about 1/2 inch apart in a single layer over the batter. Spread the reserve batter over the patties. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. It should come out with moist crumbs as opposed to batter. Let cool completely in the pan, then chill until cold. Grasp the foil, lift from the pan, set on a cutting board, and cut int sixteen squares.
Yields 16 servings.