One Pan Magic Cookie Bars

I have VERY fond memories of this recipe. It has always been one of my favorite treats throughout childhood. In fact, I loved it so much, that in my 6th grade speech class, when we had to give "How To" speeches, I taught the class how to make these delicious bars. They are easy enough to let your kids join in (or even make them on their own), and they are easily adaptable to your personal tastes.



ONE PAN MAGIC COOKIE BARS

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 cup flaked coconut
2-3 cups "toppings" (see below)


Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place stick of butter in the pan, then put the pan in the oven so that the butter will melt.

Pour the graham cracker crumbs over the butter evenly, and press into the pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with your toppings of choice and the coconut.

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Toppings: One of the BEST parts of this recipe is how adaptable it is. For the bars pictured, I used about 1 cup white chocolate whips, 1 cup semi-sweet chips and 1 cup of M&Ms. Other wonderful toppings I've used include butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, reeces pieces, etc. Mix & match to suite your tastes.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I'm not one for "cakey" brownies/blondies/bars. If I want cake, I'll make cake. When I saw this recipe, I could tell by the photos that this would be a bar I like - dense & chewy! These were fantastic! They were very quick to whip up (which is great, when I get the urge to quick make a treat to bring the work the next day... after I've finished my presentation at 11PM that night!) Not only are they easy to make, they store well in a tupperware - it's now 4 days after I made them, and they still are soft & chewy.



CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE BARS (Adapted from Eat at Allie's)
Makes 9x13 pan

2 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Mix the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Press the batter out into the prepared pan.

Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, about 22-24 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Enjoy!

Coconut M&M Blondies

These were another treat for my treat-loving father. I made these at his place, and it wasn't long before they were stored away in the freezer, hidden from sight, and counted daily to be sure no one was getting into them without permission! (He must not have learned how to share in Kindergarten!)

These were very tasty (especially if you don't think about all the butter in them!) They are easy to dress up with seasonal M&M's - I loved the colors of the harvest ones.



COCONUT M&M BLONDIES (From Eat at Allies)

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1.5 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1 (12 oz.) bag M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray lightly with nonstick spray.

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until it browns and begins to smell nutty (watch it closely so it doesn’t burn). Allow the butter to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars.

Stir in eggs, vanilla and salt. Add flour & stir until just combined.

Add the coconut and M&Ms, and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Let the blondies cool completely before slicing into squares.



ENJOY!

Cranberry Crumb Bars

My Dad LOVES when I bake for him. Back when I was a poor college student (not much different from being a poor resident!), I gave him "Cookie of the Month" multiple years as a Christmas present. I would bake him cookies & mail them to him monthly. (He rarely shared, often placing them in the freezer & rationing them to make them last a month!)

Now, I don't have the time to mail him goodies monthly. So, whenever he comes to visit, or when I visit him, I try to make a treat for him. These were a perfect fall treat - just slightly tart, but still a sweet treat. They would have been delicious with a little vanilla bean ice cream.

While they are a "crumb" bar - they are solid enough to eat in bar form without a fork & plate if desired.



CRANBERRY CRUMB BARS (Adapted from Allrecipes.com)
Makes 9x13 inch pan

2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 large egg
1 pinch ground cinnamon

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
2/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, 2/3 cup white sugar, flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the shortening and egg. Dough will be crumbly (like damp sand). Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

In another bowl, stir together the sugar and cornstarch. Gently mix in the cranberries. Sprinkle the cranberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares.



ENJOY!