Upscale Rice Krispie bars

This is more about the equipment than anything. The silicone mold is super cheap at Hobby Lobby (almost always on sale). You’ll need a circle cutter the same size - 2”. I had to go to Lynn’s for this one because mine is awol. Anyway, I pressed the Aldi ingredients into an oversized cake pan I happen to have and ended up with 48 bars.

You can remold scraps. Use whatever chocolate you have on hand - just spoon a tablespoon (or a little less) in each mold and pop it in the refrigerator for a couple minutes before unmolding. 

If you want them to be even better, try Smitten Kitchen’s brown butter krispie bar recipe. 

The jimmies are from Gygi and are pretty amazing! They taste like actual chocolate rather than nasty wax. If you order jimmies, get their small silicone bowl too. It’s a game-changer for melting chocolate.

Seven Layer Cookies

Easier than they look, and very festive!  

My few notes:

• Emily has an easy homemade almond paste recipe
• These would be great tea cakes (especially in theme colors)
• It's January 21 and I still have some in the freezer (an uncut slab) and they're still perfect.

Recipe and notes from Smitten Kitchen:

I have so many extra hints/notes on these, I’ve moved them to the bottom. Read on!

Makes about 5 dozen cookies (or more, if you cut them as small as I did)

Time: These take at least 11 hours from beginning to end, most of it inactive, but make sure you have a good 2 to 3 hour window

• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 (8-ounce or 225-gram) can almond paste
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces, 285 grams, or 2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) almond extract
• 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 25 drops red food coloring
• 25 drops green food coloring
• 1 (12-ounce or 340-gram) jar apricot preserves, heated and strained
• 7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan and line bottom with wax paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 ends, then butter paper.

Beat whites in mixer fitted with whisk attachment at medium-high speed until they just hold stiff peaks. Add 1/4 cup sugar a little at a time, beating at high speed until whites hold stiff, slightly glossy peaks. Transfer to another bowl.

Switch to paddle attachment, then beat together almond paste and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until well blended, about 3 minutes. Add butter and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks and almond extract and beat until combined well, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, then add flour and salt and mix until just combined.

Fold half of egg white mixture into almond mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Divide batter among 3 bowls. Stir red food coloring into one and green food coloring into another, leaving the third batch plain. Set white batter aside. Chill green batter, covered. Pour red batter into prepared pan and spread evenly with offset spatula (layer will be about 1/4 inch thick).

Bake red layer 8 to 10 minutes, until just set. (It is important to undercook. They’ll look like they’re not done, but a tester does come out clean.)

Using paper overhang, transfer layer to a rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Clean pan, then line with parchment or wax paper and butter paper in same manner as above. Bake white layer in prepared pan until just set. As white layer bakes, bring green batter to room temperature. Transfer white layer to a rack. Prepare pan as above, then bake green layer in same manner as before. Transfer to a rack to cool.

When all layers are cool, invert green onto a parchment or wax-paper-lined large baking sheet. Discard paper from layer and spread with half of preserves. Invert white on top of green layer, discarding paper. Spread with remaining preserves. Invert red layer on top of white layer and discard wax or parchment paper.

Cover with plastic wrap and weight with a large baking pan. Chill at least 8 hours.

Remove weight and plastic wrap. Bring layers to room temperature. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Keep chocolate over water. (Alternately, you can do what I did: melt the chocolate 3.5 ounces at a time just to make sure it doesn’t seize up between steps, though that shouldn’t be a problem if you only let it set for 15.)

Trim edges of assembled layers with a long serrated knife. Quickly spread half of chocolate in a thin layer on top of cake. Chill, uncovered, until chocolate is firm, about 15 minutes. Cover with another sheet of wax paper and place another baking sheet on top, then invert cake onto sheet and remove paper. Quickly spread with remaining chocolate. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.

Cut lengthwise into 4 strips (I cut them into more, because I wanted them 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, as I remember them). Cut strips crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide cookies.

Do ahead: Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 2 weeks. They’ll keep even longer in the freezer.

Three important notes:

I struggled with three things in this recipe (the first two were mistakes, and both came back to bite me in the tuchus) so you won’t have to:

1. Don’t stack cooled cakes: Once my first two cake layers were cool (and still on their parchment liners) and I needed to make room on the cooling rack for the third one, I went ahead and stacked them, their liners between them. DON’T DO THIS. Not because they crush each other (they won’t) or because they’ll stick (they don’t) but because that paper liner is greased on both sides from baking and the chocolate shell never quite stuck right to the pink cake because of the grease accidentally left on it. I can’t tell you how many cookies were rejected because their chocolate fell off. It is too sad to discuss.

2. Be careful dividing your jam: I mindlessly divided the jam wrong/unevenly and ended up with too much between one layer and too little between another. Too little was no biggie, but where there was too much it oozed out and was particularly difficult to keep stacked when sawing through with a serrated knife. So, if you’re using a scale to make two six-ounce divisions of jam, remember that you’ve probably strained out a good ounce or so of jam solids, or in other words DUH. Your divided amounts will be less than six ounces each.

3. They’re easier to cut when frozen: Nevertheless, they tasted amazingly and I was all ready to do a victory lap around my wee kitchen counter, however, when I got to cutting them up and then it all went south. People, these were trying to cut. The problem lies within the differing textures of the layers — the top hard chocolate shell more benefits from a sharp serrated knife (a regular, even very sharp knife will crack the edges when you press down on it), the same serrated knife that gets gummed with jam and tries to pull the soft cake layers in between apart. It was exasperating. It didn’t go well. I packed up some for a party and stuffed the rest in the freezer, only to discover the next day that these cut fantastically when frozen. Seriously. Trust me. I have the gummy floor and gray hairs to prove it.

Cocoa Raisin-Nut Brownies Bars

1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 c. raisins (or golden)
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Hershey’s premium European style cocoa
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 c. coarsely chopped nuts
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar, optional

Heat oven to 350°. Grease 8-inch square baking pan. In small mixer bowl beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. In separate bowl stir together flour, cocoa, chocolate chips, raisins, nuts, cinnamon and salt; add to butter mixture, stirring until well blended. Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes or until bars just begin to pull away from sides of pan; cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Sift powdered sugar over top if desired. About 20 bars.

I'm currently debating the value of holding on to cookbooks that contain just a handful of favorites.  I'm finding that many of the recipes (like this one) are online somewhere.  But will I regret getting rid of the paper copy?  If I needed to make brownies during a power outage, maybe.  (But I can probably think of better uses for that shelf that is currently holding dozens of cookbooks.)  Anyway, these brownies are noted as being "excellent" and I cut down the cocoa to 1/3 cup.

Source:   Hershey's Homemade cookbook

Rhubarb bars

CRUST
1 c flour
5 tbls powdered sugar
1/2 c butter, softened

FILLING
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups rhubarb
1/4 flour

Mix the crust ingredients.  Pat into a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Mix filling ingredients and pour over the top of the baked crust.  Bake at 350 for an additional 35 minutes.  Cool and cut.

NOTES:

• Delish and easy!
• The crust was buttery and delicious.
• The filling was a little sweet and could have used more rhubarb.  Next time try three cups of rhubarb with this amount of sugar or 1 1/4 cups of sugar with the 2 cups of rhubarb.
• Source: Parish cookbook from Sacred Heart in Norfolk, NE (p. 222)
  
  
  
  

Clif Bars

Yield: 9 bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

1 cup dates (pitted)
1¼ cups crisp rice cereal
1 cup quick-cooking oats
¼ cup coarsely chopped peanuts
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
½ cup peanut butter
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

1. Spray an 8×8-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Place the dates in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Combine the pureed dates with the cereal, oats, peanuts, flaxseed, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

3. Combine the peanut butter and brown rice syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and completely blended. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

4. Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir until well combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly to pack the mixture into the pan. Let the mixture sit until completely cool and set, at least 1 hour. Cut into bars, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

NOTES:

• The recipe above is from Brown Eyed Baker.  
• I didn't add the chocolate chips because ... why would I want them for breakfast?
• I also looked high and low for brown rice syrup with no success.  I'll keep searching, but until then, I just used corn syrup.  I was tempted to use agave syrup, but had a sample at Costco once that I wasn't too fond of.  I hated to buy an overpriced bottle of something I likely wouldn't like and wouldn't have another use for.
• Bottom line: these are good.  I'll play around with different flavors if they work well for breakfast on the go and I make them again.

Peanut Butter Brownies

This is becoming my go-to way of dressing up plain brownies. Adapted from this recipe, I just add the peanut butter filling to a 9 x 13 batch of brownies. A couple notes: 1) Making the PB filling as written gives you brownies that are at least half PB. If you don't want that much, use scant measurements or half it. 2) These seem to keep better than regular brownies, no doubt due to all the extra fat. They'd probably mail well.

Peanut butter mixture:

• ½ cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1½ cups creamy peanut butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix brownies as directed, pour into prepared pan.
2. Mix all peanut butter filling ingredients, then spoon it out on top of brownie batter.
3. Using a knife or spoon (or finger if you want, I guess), swirl them together.
4. Bake as directed on brownie mix.

Irish Cream Brownies

BROWNIES:
1 (1 lb. 3.5 oz.) package fudge brownie mix
1/4 Irish cream liqueur
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs

FROSTING:
1/2 c butter, softened
2 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbls Irish cream
2-3 tsp. milk*

GLAZE:
1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp butter

Mix brownie ingredients and bake according to directions. (Do not overbake, of course!) Cool.

Mix frosting ingredients and spread over cooled brownies.

In small saucepan or microwave, melt glaze ingredients and drizzle over frosted brownies. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until firm.

NOTES

• *I skipped the milk in the frosting and used all Irish Cream. I feel this was a good choice!
• The presentation on the photo is pretty lame because I realized after I'd made about two rows of squizzles that the chocolate probably should've cooled a bit before I held it in my bare hand.

Granola Bars

(recipe source)

• 8 oz old-fashioned rolled oats (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 oz sunflower seeds (1/2 cup)
• 3 oz sliced almonds, (1 cup)
• 1 1/2 oz wheat germ (1/2 cup)
• 6 oz honey (1/2 cup)
• 1 3/4 oz dark brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)
• 1 oz unsalted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 6 1/2 oz chopped dried fruit*

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish** and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds,*** almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.†

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter††, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down,††† evenly distributing the mixture in the dish. Place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Notes:

*I used dried blueberries, cherries, and golden raisins

**A batch and a half works well in a 9x13 pan

***The original recipe calls for raw seeds in the shell. I used regular roasted seeds and added them with the fruit.

†Make sure you stir them together before toasting; the wheat germ will burn if it's left out on its own.

††I substituted peanut butter, and it was pretty yummy.

†††Pack mixture very firmly into the pan, or you will get granola instead of granola bars.

Magic Bars (it's true!)

1 brownie mix
1/2 c melted margarine
2 eggs
1 can sweetened cond. milk
6-8 oz. choc. chips (I used peanut butter-chocolate swirl chips and it was awesome)
2 tbls. marg

Blend first three ingredients, and pour 2/3 of it into a prepared cake pan. Mix S.C. Milk with chocolate chips and 2 tbls. marg. Melt and pour over the brownie batter. Spoon remaining batter over all and add nuts if you like. Bake at 325 for 20-25 mins.

Jewel Bars

1 cake mix
1/2 c melted margarine
2 eggs
1 sweetened cond. milk (no size indicated)
6-8 ox. choc. chips
2 tbls. marg

Blend first three ingredients, and pour 2/3 of it into a prepared cake pan. Mix with chocolate chips and 2 tbls. marg. Melt and pour over the cake batter. Spoon remaining batter pver all and add nuts if you like. Bake at 325 for 20-25 mins.

Special K Bars

1 c sugar
1 c Karo syrup
4 tbls butter
1 1/2 c peanut butter (creamy is best)
6 c Special K cereal
1 c chocolate chips
1 c butterscotch chips

Boil the first three ingredients for one minute; add the peanut butter and stir until creamy and well mixed. Pour over the cereal and mix thoroughly. Spread into a 9X13 pan for thick bars or a cookie sheet (with sides) for thinner bars. Melt the chips together and spread over the smooth cereal mixture. Cool and cut.

Source: Mrs. Sivula

Notes: Using the store-brand equivalent cereal is fine. In fact, I prefer it because it's lots cheaper and we get to make fun of the silly name.
I butter the back of a spoon and use it to firmly press the mixture into the pan.
I also sprayed the pan with non-stick spray.
These bars mail very well and stay fresh a long time. (perfect for mailing)