Peanut Butter Bars

The peanut butter desserts continue in our house. My mum hates peanut butter desserts. So when I took these for dessert on Sunday I thought they would be quickly shot down. She works at the high school and she told me she only eats school lunch on the days they have the peanut butter bars. Apparently she loves them and she was thrilled I made them, I had no reason to be nervous I guess. Moral of the story, they are so good even people that hate peanut butter desserts will like them. Sweet, crunchy, peanut buttery, and topped with chocolate. Its just about the perfect dessert. You'll love them.

Peanut Butter Bars
Recipe Source: MandysRecipeBox.blogspot.com

1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 cup Butter, room temp
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
2 1/2 cups Peanut Butter, separated
2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 18x13 jelly roll pan. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla, eggs, and 1 cup of peanut butter and mix until well combined.

2. Whisk together oats, flour, baking soda, and salt then add to the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Spread onto the prepared jelly roll pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

3. As soon as the crust comes out of the oven spread the remaining 1 1/2 cups peanut butter on top. Cool to room temp and the peanut butter is solid again.

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup Butter, room temp
1/2 cup Milk
2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
7 Tablespoons Cocoa
4 cups Powdered Sugar

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Spread on top of cooled bars.

Chubby Hubby Bars

I've been on a bit of a peanut butter kick this last week. It started with these bars...

The chocolate is sweet and creamy and the peanut butter and the pretzels are salty and crunchy. Its a perfect combination. Plus they look so cute with the pretzel on top!

Chubby Hubby Bars
Recipe Source: ShugarySweets.com

Cookie Crust

3/4 cup Shortening
2 Tablespoons Milk
1 1/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1 Egg
1/4 cup Malted Milk Powder, Original
1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

Chocolate Fudge
1- 14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1- 12oz bag Milk Chocolate Chips
1/3 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
60 Pretzels

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large mixing bowl, add the shortening, milk and brown sugar and beat until well combined. Add the egg and beat until combined. In a separate bowl whisk together the malted milk powder, flour, salt and baking soda. Add into the egg mixture and beat until just combined.

2. Press onto a 15 x 10 inch cookie sheet. Bake for about 18 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

3. In large sauce pan, heat the sweetened condensed milk and butter until just warm over medium low heat. Add in the chocolate chips and mix until smooth, whisking constantly. Pour onto the cookie crust.

4. In microwave safe bowl, melt the peanut butter for 30 seconds and drizzle it over the fudge and then press in the pretzels. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Lime Swirl Cheesecake Bars

I found this recipe and it was so pretty looking I had to make it, and heaven knows I am a sucker for cheesecake. The lime is creamy and tangy and the cheesecake is rich and sweet. It is a perfect combination.

Lime Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Recipe Source: SprinkleBakes.com

Crust
2 cups (about 16) Graham Crackers
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 7x11 or 9x9 pan with parchment paper enough to hang over the edges. Mix the butter and graham crackers together and press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 5 minutes and let cool completely.

Filling
2 - 8oz pkgs Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 large Eggs plus one large Egg White
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup prepared Lime Curd, (recipe below)
Liquid Green Food Coloring
Liquid Yellow Food Coloring

1. Tint the chilled lime curd with the liquid food coloring until lime green. You use about three drops of both green and yellow food coloring. Set aside.

2. Beat cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl on medium high speed until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time on low speed. Beat in sour cream and vanilla, then flour just until blended. Remove 1 cup of batter and reserve. Pour the rest of the batter over the crust.

3. Mix 1/2 cup of lime curd with the 1 cup of reserved batter. Place spoonfuls of this mixture on top of the plain cheesecake batter. Dollop the remaining 1/4 cup of lime curd on top the previous mixture. Use a toothpick to swirl the mixtures together so it looks marbleized.

4. Bake for about 50 minutes at 325 degrees or until center doesn't jiggle. Let cool completely in pan then refrigerate. Lift cheesecake out of the pan with parchment overhang. Cut into bars before serving.

Lime Curd
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, room temp
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 large Eggs
1 large Egg Yolk
4 1/2 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice

1. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium. Slowly add the egg and egg yolk one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in lime juice and mix again. The mixture will look curdled.

2. Cook the mixture over medium heat in a medium-size saucepan until it no longer looks curdled. Increase the heat a small amount and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Cook until the mixture reaches 170 degrees.

3. Remove the curd from the heat. Transfer the curd to a bowl and press plastic wrap on the surface of the lime curd to keep a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator.

Golden Graham S'mores

Golden Graham's are one of my favorite cereals and combined with marshmallows and chocolate, it cant really be beat in my mind. So when I saw this recipe it called to me. Really. I could hear it.

Golden Graham S'mores

Recipe Source: CookiesandCups.com

1/4 cup Butter
1 - 10.5oz bag Mini Marshmallows, plus 2 cups
7 cups Golden Graham Cereal
2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips

1. Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray. Melt butter in a large stock pot over low heat.

2. Mix in the bag of marshmallows continue stirring until melted. Remove from heat and stir in Golden Graham cereal. Let sit for 2 minutes.

3. Pour in 2 cups of marshmallows and stir until combined then pour in milk chips and stir until combined. When completely mixed, pour into prepared pan and press evenly. Let cool before cutting into squares.

I shared this at
Tutorial Tuesday!

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake

I went searching for a pumpkin chocolate cheesecake recipe and I came across a few that looked very dense and rich. Then I came across this one, completely different looking from what I thought I wanted but it looked so creamy I couldn't resist. 

Turns out it is just as creamy as it looks. A delicious graham cracker crust, chocolate combined with some of the pumpkin cheesecake mixture to lighten it, and then the pumpkin cheesecake that is light, creamy, and not too pumpkiny. Its just the right amount. Its a great change from the heavy, dense cheesecakes that are delicious but are too rich to have more than one piece, cause I am going to have more than one piece.

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
Recipe Source: HostessBlog.com

1 1/4 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 7 crackers)
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Butter, melted

2-8oz pkgs Cream Cheese, softened
1 3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
3 Eggs
1 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 teaspoon Ginger
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Salt

6 oz Semisweet Chocolate, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 1/4 cups Sour Cream
1/4 cup  Granulated Sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 cake pan.

2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in the 1/3 cup melted butter. Press mixture into bottom of the prepared pan and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and the 1 3/4 cups sugar. Beat with an electric or stand mixer on medium until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Add pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt and beat on low speed just until combined. Remove 1 1/4 cups of the mixture.

4. In a double boiler, combine the 6oz of chocolate and the 2 Tablespoons of butter. Stir until melted. Whisk chocolate mixture into the 1 1/4 cups pumpkin mixture. Pour over crust, spread evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.

5. Pour the rest of the pumpkin mixture over the baked chocolate layer, spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes more or until filling is puffed and center is set. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

6. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and 1/4 cup sugar. Gently spread over pumpkin cheesecake. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

I shared this at
Full Plate Thursday
Sweets for a Saturday

 

Krispie Peanut Butter Brownies

The topping on the brownie is crispy and creamy, and I will be making these again. They are really good, were gone in 15 minutes... and I only got 1!

Krispie Peanut Butter Brownies

Recipe Source: HowSweetEats.com

1 Box Brownies
1 cup Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped
1 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 Tablespoon Butter
2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

1. Prepare brownies following the directions on the box. Bake for 25 minutes in a 9 x 13 dish. Remove from oven and top with chopped peanut butter cups, and bake for 5 more minutes.

2. While the brownies finish baking, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in 30 second increments stirring inbetween until chips are melted. Stir in the Rice Krispies. 

3. Remove the brownies from oven and pour the chocolate mixture over the top. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

I shared this at
Totally Tasty Tuesdays
Sweets for a Saturday
Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Triple Chocolate Oreo Bars

Get ready for chocolate overload!! Oh my, these are so good. I love Oreos and and the addition of more chocolate doesn't hurt. Such a delicious sweet treat.

Triple Chocolate Oreo Bars

Recipe Source: cookiesandcups.blogspot.com

1-16.6oz pkg Oreo Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) Butter, melted

1-14oz can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla 

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

1 cup White Chocolate Chips, melted

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 9x13 pan with foil, shiny side down, and spray with a non-stick spray. 

2. Crush all but 8 Oreos in a food processor. Place the crushed Oreos into a medium bowl and salt and melted butter stir until combined. Press the Oreo mixture into the prepared pan. Coarsely chop the remaining 8 Oreos and set aside. 

3. In a double boiler, just a glass or metal bowl over a pan of boiling water, add the sweetened condensed milk, semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips and the vanilla. Stir until completely melted. Remove bowl from heat. Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the Oreo crust in the pan. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and the coarsely chopped Oreos over the chocolate mixture. Press down gently on the chips and Oreos. 

4. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Cool pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Melt the white chocolate chips and drizzle over the bars. Chill in the fridge until cooled completely. 

Lemon Bars

Sometimes I feel like all of the desserts I make are chocolate. So this is a change. I decided to make lemon bars. I have tried before and they never turn out the I expect a lemon bar should be. So I went on a hunt, it was a long hunt, but I feel like I have found a winner.  These are so delicious and I am so excited I found this recipe. 

These are so deliciously lemony. And the crust, oh the crust, it is so light and flaky. You really need to try these.

Lemon Bars

Recipe Source: FoodNetwork.com

For the crust:
1 cup Butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
2 cups Flour
1/8 teaspoon Salt

For the filling:
6 large Eggs, room temperature
3 cups Granulated Sugar
1 cup & 6 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 cup Flour
Powdered Sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9x13 cake pan, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

3. Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

4. For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.