Samoas Bars

These bars taste just like the Samoas Girl Scout Cookies. I love anything with chocolate, caramel or coconut - so to have all three in one dessert was awesome! I got this recipe from My Kitchen Cafe

Samoas Bars

Cookie Base:

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350.. Grease a 9x13 pan.

In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter until fluffy.

Beat in egg and vanilla extract.

At a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly.

Pour crumbly dough (it won't stick together.) into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20-25 minutes until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a rack before topping.

Topping:

3 cups shredded coconut

14 oz. bag caramels

1/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbs. milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Spread coconut on a baking sheet and toast for 20 minutes, stirring very 5 minutes until it is golden. (Or microwave it in batches, stirring every so often.) Cool and set aside.

Unwrap caramels and microwave with milk and salt at 50% power for 1-2 minutes, stirring a few times to help the caramel melt.

When smooth, stir in toasted coconut. Drop by spoonfuls onto the cookie base. Spread the topping into an even layer.

Let cool and then cut into bars.

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and then drizzle over the cut bars.

Enjoy your sugar rush!

Easiest Brownies in the World

I finally got the day right to bring treats to Activity Days! I made this quick pan of brownies for it and I have to admit, I tried one. I wanted to eat the entire pan. SO YUMMY! I adapted it from a recipe off My Kitchen Cafe - the chocolate chips are my addition! The picture makes it look like they aren't done in the middle. They are cooked through, they were just that moist. Of course, it wouldn't be me if there weren't some little mishap involved in the making of any treat! Someone turned off the oven before they were done and when I came down to check on them, I found that I had to put them back in for another 20 minutes. So, they went late to Ashlyn's Activity and they didn't cool all the way. Whatever...they were awesome!

Easiest Brownies in the World

1 12oz bag of chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet, but use whatever suits your tastes)

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs @ room temperature

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350.

Melt butter and 12 oz. chocolate chips in a saucepan. Stir constantly and remove from heat when melted.

Pour into a large bowl.

Blend in sugar.

Add eggs, blending fully one at a time.

Add flour and beat well for 3 or 4 minutes.

Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.

Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.

Bake for 20 minutes at 350.

Reduce heat to 325 and cook 10 minutes more.

Frosted Banana Bars

I made these yesterday for a friend's birthday and thought it was a great new way to use up some ripe bananas! This recipe comes from Allrecipes. I've never seen my kids squeal for another piece of anything quite so frantically! Well, Gracie did that the first time she had jello - but it was her first real taste of sugar and she couldn't get enough!...ah, but I digress. The point is, they couldn't get enough!

I used up the remainder of the Cream Cheese Frosting I made for the cinnamon rolls a few days ago. This was quick to whip together - even with my best little man "helping!"

Frosted Banana Bars

½ cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used four ripe bananas)

Frosting (use store-bought cream cheese frosting or make your own from the version below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a jellyroll pan.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; stir into the batter.

Finally, mix in the mashed banana.

Spread evenly into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow bars to cool completely (or as long as you can stand it!) before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting ( from My Kitchen Cafe)

8 ounces cream cheese

½ cup butter, softened to room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

2-3 tablespoons milk

Combine butter and cream cheese and mix well, then add vanilla and sugar and mix again, then add milk for desired consistency.

Oatmeal Cookie Bars

I made these as a Treat for Ashlyn's Activity Days...too bad my brain doesn't work anymore and I made them a week early! (Hopefully the neighbor kids appreciated the mistake!)

Oh well, I'll just have to bake something yummy again this week! ;)

This recipe is adapted from the "Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Bars" from My Kitchen Cafe. I merely substituted Reeses Pieces Baking chips for the chocolate chunks. The peanut butter flavor was just right!

I'm sure you could substitute all kinds of things to create different variations: dried cranberries and white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc.

Oatmeal Cookie Bars

1 3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup oatmeal

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chunks (I used Reeses Pieces from the baking aisle)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional - I left these out)

Preheat oven to 375.

Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside.

Beat butter, sugars, egg and vanilla till fluffy and add dry ingredients.

Stir in chocolate chunks and walnuts.

Press into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake for 18-20 minutes until light golden brown.

I have pressed it into a small sheet pan and baked for 18 minutes.