Crunchy Nut Bars

I often go through recipes looking for items that contain a certain ingredient. I may have a stock of a certain type of chips or a type of cereal, and I want to find recipes that will use those items. While I am pretty good at checking to make sure that I haven’t made a recipe previously, it’s not a perfect science. Names of recipes change, as well as some of the ingredients, and I’m none the wiser that I have made the item before.

This recipe is one that I have basically made before, but enough things changed, so I didn’t recognize it right away. This is a classic Pillsbury Bake Off recipe, which is very tasty, but I did want to make this different. This recipe uses a cake mix base, which is good now that it’s summer and the house is warm. It’s a short-cut I use from time to time. I also changed the nuts; the original called for roasted peanuts, and I ended up using the butter toffee mixed nuts that I had on hand. Ok, it’s a bit of a sweet cookie adding more things that are sweet, but life goes on.

Using the cake mix did save a couple of minutes, so that is an option when you are pressed for time. I don’t struggle that much when making dough, but others have different experiences. Puffing the marshmallows really adds to these bars, giving them that soft but melty texture. I did worry that using butter toffee nuts would be over the top. They are sweet, but not overly so. It’s hard to think of peanut butter chips as a “savory” option, but they do help balance these bars.

Crunchy Nut Bars
1 yellow cake mix
1/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 egg
3 cups mini marshmallows

10 ounces peanut butter chips
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups Rice Krispies
2 cups butter toffee nuts (or roasted peanuts)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” x 13” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the cake mix, 1/3 cup butter, and egg. Stir on low until the mixture becomes crumbly and the dough starts to come together. Press the dough into the prepared pan.

Bake for 12-18 minutes, until golden.

Immediately top the bars with 3 cups of mini marshmallows, distributing evenly. Return the pan to the oven to puff the marshmallows, for about 90 seconds. Remove the bars from the oven.

Make the topping: in a medium saucepan, combine the peanut butter chips, corn syrup, butter, and vanilla. Heat on low, stirring frequently, until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the Rice Krispies and the nuts.

Spoon the topping over the puffed marshmallows as evenly as possible. This can be a bit fussy, so don’t try to rush. Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting into bars.

Recipe from It’s a Keeper

Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was gathering recipes recently and one of the recipes that I wanted to make called for Rice Krispies. When you buy those, you have to buy a box, so I figured I had better find other uses for the cereal. I suppose you can eat Rice Krispies as a breakfast cereal, but you’d have to add so much sugar! Off I went to find more recipes using Rice Krispies cereal.

My husband often claims I never make him chocolate chip cookies, so when I came across this recipe for a chocolate chip cookie that contained Rice Krispies, I figured I should make them! I hadn’t made anything like them previously, which was a relief. Sometimes it’s hard to find a recipe that’s different from others.

This recipe is typical, with the exception of the inclusion of Rice Krispies. This recipe calls for chocolate chips, but I think you could add any number of ingredients: different chips, coconut, nuts, etc. The cookies do spread and brown quickly along the edges, so you need to watch them carefully. The ones I refrigerated before baking did the best, so I feel that this is a useful step. These cookies are tasty and crunchy, with the addition of the Rice Krispies, and were enjoyed in my house!

Rice Krispie Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup Rice Krispies cereal

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light. Add the egg and the vanilla and mix on medium until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture, stirring until almost combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and Rice Krispies with a spatula.

Scoop onto the prepared baking sheets. If desired, refrigerate the cookies for 15-20 minutes before baking to reduce spreading.

Bake for 10 minutes, until browned along the edges. The centers will firm up as the cookies cool. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Recipe from Clara Quick Dinners

Roasted Cherry Brownies

Using fresh fruit in baking, as I have mentioned previously, can be really difficult. It’s cherry season, and I really wanted to get some cherries. I am never a big fan of pitting cherries, but it’s not that bad if the quantity isn’t too much. I bought cherries, but with some other baking I didn’t get the cherries pitted and the brownies made for a couple of days. 

I got the cherries roasted, which wasn’t difficult. I’m not sure how much that changes the nature of the cherries, but it felt like it was an important step. You don’t use all of the roasted cherries in the brownie, as you top the brownies with additional cherries. Of course I forgot to do that, but the brownies were fine. That’s what I get when I have ten minutes to cut and photograph the brownies!

You could make this recipe by hand, but it’s a lot easier to use the mixer. You do have to be careful not to deflate the whipped up batter when you add the roasted cherries and chocolate chips. There is a little bit of deflation of the brownie batter, but not a lot. These brownies, as you bake them until they are still a little undone in the middle, are very fudgy. They aren’t over-the-top sweet, but you do get bites of chocolate chips that add a nice sweetness. I like the addition of cherries, and I am curious how I can incorporate other fruit in my baking. 

Roasted Cherry Brownies
2 cups cherries: washed, pitted and cut in half
Sugar

1 1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs + 1 yolk
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup Dutch cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread the cut cherries over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with some sugar. Bake for 10 minutes and then allow the cherries to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. Line an 8” pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the sugar, eggs and egg yolk on high for 5 minutes. Add the slightly cooled butter, then the vegetable oil and vanilla. Stir until the mixture comes together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the sugar mixture. Fold in 1 cup of the roasted cherries. Spread the brownie batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, until set but may be slightly soft in the center. Cool completely. Top the brownies with additional cherries then freeze for 15 minutes before cutting into bars.

Recipe from Stephanie’s Sweet Treats

Swirled Rhubarb Bars

My husband and I recently visited our local farmer’s market. We are typically there for just a short time, as we pretty much know what we are looking for. In this case, it was good that our trip was short, as just as we made it back to the car, it started pouring. We were certainly fortunate to miss the rain, and we had found the items we were looking for, so all was good.

The main thing I wanted to get was rhubarb; I had found a recipe last year, but it was too late to find rhubarb. I wasn’t going to miss it this year! We did purchase rhubarb, but we had also bought some different jams, including rhubarb jam. Since the first part of this recipe was to make rhubarb jam, I made a crumble with the rhubarb and used the jam for these bars.

With the premade jam, these bars came together quickly. They take a while to bake, but your time in the kitchen isn’t long. I will say that the bars had more swirls before I baked them, but it evens out some in the oven. These cut beautifully and have that wonderful tang that you get with rhubarb. I wasn’t sure about including the white chocolate, but they add a little bite of sweetness. 

Swirled Rhubarb Bars
1 1/3 cups (284g) packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups (180g) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup white chocolate, chips or chopped
About 3/4 cup rhubarb jam

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8" square pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Melt the butter in the microwave (or in a small pan over low heat) and pour over the brown sugar mixture. Whisk for about a minute; the mixture will lighten and become thicker. Add the eggs and whisk until combined. 

In a separate bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Stir into the mixture, and when the flour almost disappears into the batter, add the white chocolate and stir to incorporate.

Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of rhubarb jam on top of the batter. Use a small knife to swirl the jam into the bars.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until set and a thin knife inserted into the center comes out almost clean. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into squares.

Recipe from King Arthur Baking

Peach Cobbler Cookies

I came across these cookies and thought that they were so different. It can be very difficult to bake with fresh fruit, as they can make things soggy. I have noticed that so many recipes now call for freeze-dried fruits, which removes the liquid but keeps the fruit’s flavor. That is a good option, and freeze-dried fruit is easier to find at the store than it used to be. But sometimes you just want to use real peaches.

Peaches in the western part of Washington state vary a lot. I worried that the ones I bought were a little hard, but they were perfect and juicy when I chopped them up. I got sticky peach juice everywhere, but I knew the flavor would be good. There is also the option of adding peach flavoring, but I left that out. If you happen to use it, add it in with the vanilla.

The other change I made was the size of the cookies- the original recipe made 8 giant cookies and baked them at a higher temperature. I knew I would make smaller cookies, and I reduced the oven temperature to 375 degrees. That worked, but you do have to watch the baking time since ovens vary a lot. These have a great peach and cinnamon flavor. They were certainly something different and perfect for when the weather has started to improve.

Peach Cobbler Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 1/2 cups flour
1 cup oats
1 cup cinnamon chips
1 cup finely chopped peaches (1-2 peaches) 

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter on medium until light. Add the sugar and brown sugar and mix for three minutes until well combined. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix on medium until evenly distributed. If the dough looks slightly curdled, it will come together after adding the other ingredients. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and flour. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture to the dough. When the flour almost disappears, add the oats and cinnamon chips, stirring on low to incorporate. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chopped peaches with a spatula. 

Shape the dough into 1-1/2” balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten the cookies with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 10-14 minutes, until browned on the bottom. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Baking with Blondie

Candy Cookies with Maple

One of my favorite candy companies is https://www.purdys.com/ Purdys Chocolates, and using a hedgehog as their mascot makes me like them even more! The biggest issue is that they are in Canada, and I am not. I try to get there when I can, and they do ship to the states, but it’s not the easiest candy to acquire. I follow them on social media and they recently posted a cookie recipe that called for two of their chocolates: Sweet Georgia Browns and their Blond Maple Bar. While I hope to get to Canada this summer, I needed to figure out how to make them sooner.

Since I had weights, I knew I could find something. I went to the Puyallup Farmer’s Market and bought chocolate caramel clusters from Amy’s Decadent Chocolates. At home I had picked up some chocolate/caramel smores square, since I had never seen such a thing before. While not a maple candy bar, it would work. They very subtle maple flavor was still there with the presence of maple syrup.

Different stages of chilling is a critical part of this recipe. Once you have chopped up the candy, refrigerate it so it’s cold. This was especially critical since the chocolate/caramel square got caramel everywhere! I made the dough and then chilled it again. I ended up with lovely, puffy cookies, with few blowouts from melting chocolates. The cookies are soft and cakey, with a subtle maple flavor. I need to check out what other recipes Purdys has!

Candy Cookies with Maple
85 grams Purdys Maple Candy Bar, chopped
2 chocolate caramel clusters (34 grams each), chopped
½ cup butter, melted
¼ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup maple syrup
1 egg
1-1/2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

Chop the Maple Candy bar and the chocolate caramel clusters into pieces. Put the chocolates on a plate and refrigerate while you make the dough.

In a large mixer bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Mix on medium until the mixture comes together. Add the egg and stir to combine. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the chilled chopped chocolate with a spatula.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Shape the dough into 24 balls, each weighing about 30 grams. Place on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 9-13 minutes, until the cookies are puffy and golden brown around the edges. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Recipe from Purdys Chocolate

Butter Toffee Cookies

My husband often orders things from nuts.com but I don’t know what he has ordered, so it’s a surprise for me. In the most recent order, there were a couple of varieties of mixed nuts, including some that were coated with butter toffee. I knew right away that they would be great in a recipe. I chose this one, since I liked the flour and oats combination. If you don’t have these specific nuts, you could always use honey roasted peanuts or something similar.

We had also recently visited the Farmer’s Market and picked up some honey. We got two varieties, a mellow variety and then coriander honey. I have used coriander in cooking, but I wasn’t sure what the honey would taste like. My husband said it was noticeable, but it didn’t really taste like coriander since it is from the plant. I didn’t use the coriander honey here, as I didn’t want any potential flavor conflicts.

This makes for a fairly large batch of cookies. With a good quantity of flour and oats, I made about 60 cookies. Because the cookies contain honey, which burns easily, you need to be careful that they aren’t in the oven too long. I tried for 8 minutes, then added one minute at a time. 11 minutes worked for me, and the cookies still looked a little under done when I took them out of the oven. Thankfully they set as they cooled so I think that was the right amount of time. You are left with a soft, every so slightly sticky cookie, with lovely oat and nut flavors.

Butter Toffee Cookies
2-1/4 cups flour
2-1/2 cups oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup  butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup butter toffee mixed nuts
Additional nuts

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixer bowl beat the butter and brown sugar on medium for 3 minutes, until light. Stir in the honey. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour/oat mixture. Fold in the butter toffee nuts.

Using a medium cookie scoop, place 12 rounds on each baking sheet. If desired, top each cookie with a butter toffee nut.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, until beginning to brown. The cookies may look undercooked, but they will set as they cool. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from Wanna Come With?