Mounds Bars

I have a new favorite dessert about every two weeks. This is my current favorite and oh my goodness, it's good! I wish I could remember where I saw the recipe, it was on one of the many food blogs that I follow. I first saw it while I was dieting and knew that it was going to be the first thing I'd eat when I was done. I'm on a coconut kick lately. Can't get enough of it. Coconut cookies, coconut syrup on crepes (another recipe I need to share-delish) and these Mounds Bars with coconut. Mike isn't a fan of coconut so he's not real fond of my current obsession, but even he liked this recipe. And it's so quick and easy. I've already made it twice. It's definately going into my tried-and-true recipe box as a family favorite.

Mounds Bars

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1 cup shredded coconut

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

3 Tbsp peanut butter

Mix together first three ingredients. Pack in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Combine sweetened condensed milk and coconut. Spread over cracker mixture. Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter and spread over slightly cooled coconut mixture. Cool. Keep refridgerated.

Lemon Bars

3/4 c. margarine, softened

1 1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. powdered sugar

Dash of salt

Mix together and spread on 9 x913 pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

4 eggs, beaten well

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. flour

6 Tbsp. lemon juice

Pour onto crust that is still hot. Put back in oven and bake 25 minutes. While still hot, rub butter lightly over the top, then sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. Cut in squares and serve.

I have adjusted the recipe for the crust to make it a little thinner. Before, it was 1 c. margarine, 2 c. flour, and 1/2 c. powdered sugar. It always seemed too thick to me.

This recipe came from Afton Godfrey

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Source:  http://www.bettycrocker.com/

I made these today for a Sunday afternoon treat.  They are very good, but very rich.  My kids really liked them, and it is something we would make again.  Give 'em a try!

Brownie Base
1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix (or whatever brownie mix you have)
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box

Filling
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons milk (I just estimated this, I may have used more.)

Topping
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate, we don't like dark chocolate)
1/4 cup butter


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray or shortening. (For easier cutting, line pan with foil, then grease foil on bottom only of pan.)

2. In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, water, oil and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

3. In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.

4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. For brownies, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Peanut Butter Bars

This recipe is from the Sisters Cafe

Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 C butter

3/4 C sugar
3/4 C brown sugar
3/4 peanut butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 C flour

1 1/2 C oats

Cream together the butter and sugars. Add peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix the oats until firm dough is made. Press batter into a jelly roll pan (a little smaller than a standard cookie sheet--I use the pampered chef stoneware bar sheet) Bake at 325 for 12 -15 minutes, depending on your oven. Do not over bake! The bars should be BARELY golden. If you over cook them they are dry and not very good, in my opinion. Allow to cool while you make your frosting.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

(this is the best frosting ever!)

1 cup sugar
5 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup mini marshmallows

Place the sugar, butter and milk in the small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook stirring constantly, until the mixture come s to a boil. Boil stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat, add the chocolate chips and stir until melted, then add the marshmallows and stir until melted. Spread onto mostly cool bars.

I just barely made these and had a minute to post about it while I waited for some vinyl to get cut.  They are so yummy...and the frosting really is the best (and easiest) frosting I have ever made.

Congo Bars

 

I know Congo Bars isn't a new recipe to any of us, but I made some changes to the original recipe over the weekend and they turned out de-lish-ous, so I thought I would share. I added peanut butter and did peanut butter chips AND milk chocolate chips. The recipe said to cook them for 15-20 minutes. I took them out right at 15 minutes. Most people would probably say they were under cooked but I love them gooey so I think they were perfect. I think it's my newest favorite treat, and they're so quick and easy.

Congo Bars

2/3 cup oil

2 1/4 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

Cream oil and brown sugar. Add eggs, peanut butter and vanilla and mix well. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in chocolate and peanut butter chips (the dough was so thick that I actually had to pull it out of the bowl and knead it by hand to get it mixed well). Press into cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filled Brown Sugar Bars

Recipe Source:  http://www.mykitchencafe.blogspot.com/
This recipe sounds heavenly if you substitute the dark chocolate for milk chocolate.  We are not fans of dark chocolate, and I don't care how many antioxidants dark chocolate has because I don't eat chocolate for my health. I will be making them this weekend!

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filled Brown Sugar Bars


1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature

1 ¾ cups packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ cup heavy cream

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (I will be using milk chocolate chips)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the bottom of a 10 by 15-inch baking sheet (jelly roll size pan) with cooking spray or lightly coat with butter. Line the pan with wax paper and then butter and lightly flour the paper and sides of the pan.

Whisk together the flour and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating just until well blended. The batter will be fairly stiff.

Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until a wooden toothpick comes out clean but not dry; do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Bring the cream just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Place the finely chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Pour the hot cream over the finely chopped chocolate and stir gently to combine until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Let the ganache stand at room temp for 20-30 minutes to set. It should be spreadable but not runny.

Invert the brown sugar cake again onto a large cutting board. Cut the cake crosswise in half with a long serrated knife (just like you would cut a sandwich in half to share with someone - NOT like you would cut a cake into two layers, the bars are too thin for that). Spread the ganache evenly on one half of the cake to within 1/8 inch of the edges. Carefully set the other cake half on the top, matching the cut edges. Cover and refrigerate until the ganache is set, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

To serve, trim the uncut edges of the cake. Cut the cake lengthwise into 4 strips then cut each strip into 8 rectangles. Serve chilled or at room temperature.