Category: COOKIES, BARS & CANDY

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL COOKIE BARS
adapted from https://donuts2crumpets.com/2016/03/caramelitas.html

These are awesome cookie bars with deliciously gooey layers of buttery oats, rich chocolate and creamy caramel.

2 (11 ounce) bags of Kraft caramel ball bits OR 22 ounces creamy Werthers caramels
1 cup whipping cream
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 cups – 3 sticks melted butter
1/4 cup spiced rum
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 cups mini semi sweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Pour the rum over the raisins and let sit 10 minutes.

• Melt the caramel bits and whipping cream together in a large saucepan over medium heat until smooth. Set aside.
• In a large bowl mix together the oats, brown sugar, flour and baking soda until combined well.
• Stir in the melted butter until you have a crumbly mixture.
• Press half of the oat mixture in to a greased 9×13 pan.
• Bake 15 minutes.
• Drain raisins of excess rum, saving the rum for a yummy drink later.
• Sprinkle the raisins and chocolate chips over the baked base.
• Drizzle the caramel over the raisins and chocolate chips (they will be swimming in it.)
• Crumble remaining oat mixture evenly over the caramel layer.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes more.
• Let cool for AT LEAST 4 hours on a wire rack, but the longer, the better if you can. Try to leave them over night. You can eat them sooner (if you must) BUT be warned you will just have a gooey mess, not bars!

NOTE: I like to keep these in the refrigerator! These bars are even yummier cold in my opinion!

At first I thought these were going to be too savory of a dessert recipe, but hubby and the neighbors cleaned their plates and asked for more. The salty and sweet mixed together to make a tantalizing bite that leaves you craving more.They were a HUGE hit!

MAPLE BACON BARS
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 LARGE eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon WHOLE milk
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 strips bacon, diced and cooked crisp
1/3 cup small chopped walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Cream butter and brown sugar together until smooth and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla.
• Combine the flour, oats, baking powder and salt.
• Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture.
• Fold in the walnuts and bacon pieces.
• Spread into a 9×9 greased baking dish.
• Bake 25 minutes. Cool completely.

MAPLE GLAZE
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons PURE maple syrup
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract

• In a small bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, maple syrup and vanilla until smooth.
• Drizzle over bars and let set before cutting into squares.
  

CHOCOLATE SNAPS yield 2 dozen cookies
Adapted only slightly from Cook’s Country

With crisp edges, chewy centers and crunchy sugary crackled tops these cookies are always a hit, but never more so than at holiday time.

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled (168 grams)
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (230 grams)
3/4 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (300 grams)
1 tablespoon PURE vanilla extract
1 LARGE egg plus 1 LARGE egg yolk
1/3 cup granulated sugar

• Preheat the oven to 350°.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or SILPAT mats.
• Melt your butter and allow it to cool.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
• Whisk together brown sugar, vanilla, and melted butter until no lumps remain, scraping down bowl as needed.
• Whisk in whole egg and egg yolk until smooth.
• Stir in flour mixture JUST until combined.
• Layer granulated sugar in a shallow bowl; set aside.
• Roll 2 tablespoons dough at a time into cookie balls.
• Roll each cookie ball in the granulated sugar to coat.
• Arrange dough balls evenly on prepared sheets.
• Press each ball flat until they are 2 inches in diameter.
• Evenly sprinkle remaining granulated sugar over cookies.
• Bake 15 minutes – 1 sheet at a time – until cookies are slightly puffy and edges have begun to set (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem undone AND THAT’S OKAY), rotate sheet halfway through baking time.
• Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes.
• Transfer to wire rack.
• Let cookies cool completely.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY MOUNDS
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
6 tablespoons WHOLE milk
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 cup JIF peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon PURE almond extract
3 cups quick cooking oats
10 ounce jar maraschino cherries, drained WELL and chopped FINE

• In a large mixing bowl add the quick cooking oats and cherry pieces. Set aside.
• In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, butter, milk and baking cocoa.
• Over a medium heat melt butter and bring mixture to a boil,cooking and stirring continuously for 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in peanut butter and extracts, stirring until combined well.
• Pour mixture over oat mixture and mix until oatmeal is well coated.
• Drop the mixture tablespoons onto wax paper lined cookie sheets.
• Chill until set.
• Store in airtight containers.

I found this recipe in one of the old antique recipe boxes I’ve collected. They had labeled it Molasses Cookies, but after I made them changing the name to “SNAPS” worked better because they were so crispy. I added extra ginger and cloves to make them spicier. When these are baking all you can think of is gingerbread houses and smile.

MOLASSES SNAPS
3/4 cup Crisco
1 cup extra fine sugar
1 LARGE egg
2 cups flour
2 1/2-3 teaspoons QUALITY cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2-2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons warm water
1/3 cup molasses
2-3 teaspoons FRESH grated ginger
3/4 cup sanding sugar

• Cream together the Crisco and sugar until fluffy.
• Add egg, scraping down bowl and blending well.
• Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger and ground cloves in a separate bowl.
• Set aside.
• Dissolve baking soda in warm water.
• Add baking soda mixture to shortening mixture, blending well.
• Alternately add the flour mixture, molasses and FRESH grated ginger.
• Cover with saran and chill 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Add small shallow bowl
• Roll 1 tablespoon at a time into balls.
• Roll each balls in the sanding sugar and place on greased baking sheets 2 inches apart.
• Bake 8-10 minutes until dry around edges.
• Let cool on baking sheet until set before transferring to cooling rack.
• Store in airtight container at room temperature – which makes them a GREAT cookie jar cookie.

NOTE: Be sure to roll into tight balls of dough. They will cook perfectly round and look professionally done 😀