Graham Cracker Coconut Bars

Just five ingredients and you have Graham Cracker Coconut Bars, YUM!

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups shredded coconut
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 (1.55 oz) milk chocolate candy bars

Preheat oven to 400°. Line 8″x8″ or 9″x9″ baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray. In a bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs and coconut. Pour in sweetened condensed milk and melted butter, stir until well combined. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake 12-15 minutes, just until edges are barely starting to turn golden. Remove and cool completely. Melt milk chocolate bars (can use  1 cup milk chocolate chips) slowly in microwave until just melted and smooth. Spread evenly over cooled bars. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and nuts if desired. Chill until chocolate is set. Holding edges of foil, remove bars from pan onto cutting board. Peel back foil from sides and cut into bars.

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Pumpkin Milk Chocolate Blondies

One of my favorite treats in the whole wide world! I am a dark chocolate fan, I will choose dark chocolate everyday over milk chocolate. But, there is something about the creamy, smooth subtlety of milk chocolate with pumpkin that works so well. Don’t get me wrong, I would totally jump in and eat my share if this recipe were made with semi-sweet or dark chocolate. I am always willing and ready to do my part! Happy October!

1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temp
1 Tbl oil
1¼ cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 (11.5oz) bag milk chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 9″x13″ baking pan with foil, leaving overhang on each end. Spray with non-stick spray.

In large bowl with electric mixer, cream butter, applesauce, oil, and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin; mix well. Add Flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves; mix just until combined. Stir in milk chocolate chips, reserving 1/2 cup. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Sprinkle reserved milk chocolate chips evenly over top of batter, gently press down a bit. Bake 30 minutes. Cool completely. Lift blondies out of pan using foil to grab onto as handles. Place on cutting board, peel foil away from blondies and cut into 24 squares. Using applesauce instead of all butter reduces the calories per blondie from 225 to 190, so have another!

One Year Ago: Cinnamon Topped Pumpkin Bread

Two Years Ago: Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

Three Years Ago: Butterscotch Mixed Nut Bars

S’more Cookie Bars

This S’more bar recipe was introduced to me by my niece Ashley who loves to bake as much as I do. Delicious mixture of the old favorite favors of graham, marshmallow, and chocolate with no fire to build or smoke in your eyes!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1¹/3 cups flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (approx 7 full graham crackers)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 (4.25 oz) large Special Dark or Hershey’s Chocolate bars
1½ cups marshmallow creme

Preheat oven to 350°. With electric mixer, cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix just until combined. Divide dough in half and press half into an even layer in a well sprayed 8″x8″ pan. Place chocolate bars over dough (can use smaller bars to make single layer of chocolate). Spread marshmallow creme evenly over the chocolate layer, it’s a sticky business but it works out. I spray my fingers with non-stick spray and pat it into even layer. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of marshmallow creme. This is most easily done by putting the second half of dough in a gallon size freezer bag. Use your palms to flatten it out, and then use scissors to cut down both long sides of the bag, so it will open up book-style. Open it up carefully, and dough will stick on one side of the bag. Then turn bag over, dough side down, on top of other three layers. From there peel the bag up and spread dough where it is uneven. Bake about 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Recipe found at bakedperfection.com.

One Year Ago: Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Two Years Ago: Butterscotch Cupcakes

Three Years Ago: Intense Chocolate Bundt Cake

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Toffee Chocolate Bars

A quick little something. A little bit like eating Almond Roca but much better. It has tender shortbread crust with caramely middle, creamy milk chocolate and a little toffee crunch. A Sweet Little Treat!

Base Layer:
3/4 cup butter,softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1½ cups flour
Creamy Center Layer:
1 (10 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbl butter

Topping Layer:
1¾ cups milk chocolate chips
1¹/3 cups toffee bits
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 9″x13″ baking pan. Cream together butter, brown sugar and add flour; mix until well blended and mixture sticks together. Press into prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes or until light golden. Leave oven on.

Prepare center layer while base bakes. Heat sweetened condensed milk and butter in heavy pan, stirring constantly over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until thickened. Drop in globs over base layer and gently spread. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over top. Bake for 1-2 minutes longer or until chocolate is shiny and soft. Remove from oven and spread chocolate evenly. Sprinkle toffee bits evenly on top, pressing lightly into chocolate. Cool completely and cut into bars.

One Year Ago: Nutter Butter Chocolate Cake

Two Years Ago: Peanut Butter & Chocolate Fudge Cream Pie

Three Years Ago: Blueberry Muffins

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Graham Cracker Milk Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I’ve just been messing around in the kitchen and I really like the way these cookies turned out.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1½ cups flour
1 cup fine graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 (4.4 oz) Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, cut in chunks
1 cup coarsely chopped graham crackers, chunks

Preheat oven to 375°. With electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Add flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt, mix just until combined. Gently stir in milk chocolate chunks and graham cracker chunks. Drop by tightly packed scoopfuls onto Silpat lined baking sheet or cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes or until lightly browned (do not overbake). Let cool on baking sheet 10 minutes, remove to cooling rack.

One Year Ago: Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Two Years Ago: Zucchini Bread with Cranberries & Nuts

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Double Frosted Milk Chocolate Malt Cookies

Here is another double frosted cookie creation.  A milk chocolate malt cookie with malt buttercream frosting topped off with creamy milk chocolate frosting.  Because it is Mother’s Day, I gave myself a break and only made the malt buttercream from scratch and went with Betty Crocker for the milk chocolate frosting.  Some days it’s all about making life easier and giving yourself time to sit down a minute, and still having a great tasting cookie to eat!

                       

Milk Chocolate Malt Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 (11.5 oz) bag milk chocolate chips, divided
2¼ cups flour
1/4 cup malted milk powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375°.  In large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.  In small bowl, microwave about 2/3 cup of the milk chocolate chips at 50% power, just until melted, mix into batter.  Add flour, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in remaining milk chocolate chips.  Drop by cookie scoop onto cookie sheet and gently press cookie dough balls with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, to about 2″ diameter.  Bake 8 minutes, do not over bake.  Cool on cookie sheet until set, about 2 minutes, remove to wire rack.  Cool completely before frosting.

Malt Buttercream:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
2¼ cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup malted milk powder
4 Tbl cream

Mix all ingredients with electric mixer until smooth.  Frost cooled cookies with thin layer of malt buttercream frosting.

Frost second layer of frosting on cookies with your favorite milk chocolate frosting, or I used store bought (easier and still delicious).  I microwaved the plastic tub of milk chocolate frosting at 50% for a few seconds to thin it a bit (careful…just a little bit).  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

One Year Ago Today:  Lemon Pound Cake with Candied Lemon Walnut Frosting

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

 

Little Bit of Everything Oatmeal Cookies

When you want to make cookies, you have to decide what kind to make.  Today I just could not decide, I felt like a little bit of everything.  I like the chewiness of oatmeal, I love coconut, gotta have chocolate (can’t decide, I’ll use white, milk, semi-sweet and dark), a little tart from cranberry, and crunch from nuts.  My 1/2 cup measuring cup was very busy today!

2 cups flour
1½ cups old fashioned oats
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375°.  In medium bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  In large bowl with electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.  Mix in eggs and vanilla.  Mix dry ingredients into creamed mixture.  Stir in coconut, cranberries, white chips, milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chips, dark chocolate chips, and walnuts.  Drop by scoopfuls onto Silpat lined perforated sheet or cookie sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes (I say 8-10 minutes, ovens differ, but in mine 8 minutes was just right, don’t want to overbake them).

One Year Ago Today:  Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies

If your New Year’s resolution is to limit yourself to one cookie, I have the cookie for you!

1½ cups old-fashioned oats (not instant or quick oats)
1½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or white baking chips, or use a mix)
1 cup chopped toasted pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350°.  Place oats and 1/2 cup flour in food processor, blend until oats are almost ground.  Transfer oat mixture to medium bowl.  Mix in remaining 1 cup flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Using electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat until well blended.  On low, beat in dry ingredients just until blended (do not over beat).  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto cookie sheets, spacing evenly, 6 mounds per sheet.  Press down slightly with bottom of drinking glass dipped in sugar.  Bake cookies 8 minutes, turn cookie sheet around and continue baking until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes longer.  Cool cookies on sheets for 2 minutes then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Crispy Crunchy Peanut Butter Brownies

This recipe is flying around the internet and I wanted to try it for myself.  I did change the name for use in this post because I think the name is ridiculous.  Better-Than-Crack Brownies is the name.   To me this implies two things; that the person has used crack and that they must have thought crack was pretty great but these brownies are even better.  Anyway, they are really good brownies, I think they taste like crispy crunchy peanut butter brownies.   I made them I guess because…everybody’s doing it.

1 batch brownies for 9×13 pan (boxed mix or homemade brownies)
1/2 cup salted peanuts
1 cup chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups
1½ cup milk chocolate chips
1½ cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon butter
1½ cups Rice Krispies Cereal
Mix brownies according to directions, and bake for 18-20 minutes in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Remove and top with peanuts and peanut butter cups and bake for 4-6 minutes more.
While they finish baking, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in microwave.  Stir in Rice Krispies cereal.  Remove brownies from oven and gently spread chocolate mixture over top.
Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Surprise Cookies

This is what happens when I am still having fun with pumpkin recipes and then notice leftover Hershey’s bars from s’more making this summer.  Maybe it’s overkill, but it is what it is.

  
2¼ cups flour
1½ cups oats
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup butterscotch chips
Hershey’s milk chocolate bars

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a medium bowl whisk together flour, oats, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

In large bowl with electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin, beat until smooth.  Stir in flour mixture just until combine.  Fold in pecans and butterscotch chips.

This is where it gets wacky (refer to picture above).  Put small cookies scoopfuls of batter on cookie sheet.  Press one piece of Hershey’s milk chocolate bar on each small scoop until batter is flattened under whole piece of chocolate.  Place one medium cookie scoopful of batter on top of each milk chocolate piece.  With bottom of a glass that has been dipped in sugar, flatten medium scoop of batter over chocolate piece until covered.  Bake for 12-13 minutes.

If you are interested in Demarle bakeware and kitchen tools such as the Silpat & Perforated Baking Sheet please visit mydemarleathome.com/kristenparker or simply click on the Demarle at Home logo below.