Thursday, September 29, 2011

S'mores Cookie Bars

S'mores....what could be better than this traditional campfire treat? One in a bar form! I tried these out last week and brought them along to the market on Saturday, they were an instant hit. There's just the right amount of chocolate in the middle and the gooey marshmallows in the middle....yum! Plus I'm all for this kid-friendly treat that's not as messy as a classic s'more. You definitely need to make these soon!

S'mores Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups Marshmallow Fluff topping
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on the 2 short sides. Grease with cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low, add the flour mixture, mixing until combined. Divide the dough in half. Press half of the dough into the bottom of prepared pan until the dough is evenly flattened. Dollop the marshmallow topping onto the cookie base and gently spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Scatter the remaining dough on top in clumps. Don't worry about completely covering the top, the marshmallow and chocolate chips should peek through. Bake the bars until golden brown, about 30-32 minutes. Cool completely. Remove the bars from the pan and cut into bars.

* Don't be tempted to substitute mini marshmallows in place of the fluff, the marshmallows will dissolve in the oven. The fluff/creme will stay gooey and soft in the oven.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Welcome to my food blog!

So after browsing through various food blogs I've been inspired to start my own blog. I love to bake, being in the kitchen is very relaxing to me.  I love trying out new recipes, when it comes to desserts I rarely make the same thing more than once. If I do, you know it's that good! You'll mostly find desserts and other baked goods on this blog, but I also love to cook so I'll make sure to throw in some savory dishes as well! Being a mom of 3 young girls keeps me busy so right now I'll try to make sure I post recipes at least 2-3 times each week, we'll see how everything goes once I get started.

 I have a cake and dessert business that I operate out of my house on the side. This past Summer I decided to become a vendor at our local Farmer's Market every Saturday morning. Each week I have a booth set up where I bring my cupcakes and other baked goods to sell. This past weekend at the market I bought a bag of apples from a local orchard and let me tell you, they are some of the best apples I've ever had! So naturally on Sunday I was anxious to bake something with them.  While browsing through an old Taste of Home magazine, I came across this recipe for Caramel Apple Crisp. I've never been a big fan of apple crisp; but let me tell you, this is delicious! It's very easy to throw together and a perfect fall treat. This makes a lot, so might want to cut the recipe in half if you're only serving a few people.





Caramel Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1- 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup cold butter
8 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
1 package (14 ounces) caramels, halved
1 cup apple cider, divided

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of the mixture into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with half of apples and caramels and 1 cup of oat mixture; repeat layers. Pour 1/2 cup cider over top.
Bake, uncovered, at  350 degrees for 30 minutes. Drizzle with remaining cider; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until apples are tender


Yield: 12-14 servings
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...