Turtle Bars

 Decadent and addictive, these delicious Turtle Bars are perfect for your holiday cookie trays. With a crisp, pecan infused shortbread-style crust that is topped with a thin layer of caramel, then topped with chocolate chips and more pecans, your taste buds will be in heaven. Really, these are to die for, and I got the recipe from Grace at A Southern Grace. She has some of the sweetest, gooeyest confections on the web. Today is my birthday and I was wanting a sweet treat besides cake, and these Turtle Bars really hit the spot.

 This is a major birthday for me, I mean it's like the 'BIG' one. I am the big '60'! I can't believe it; I remember when my mother turned 60 and I thought she was ssooooo old. Now I know how young she felt! Anyway, these Turtle Bars were are so good. The crust is crisp, with the butter and the pecans that are also ground in. There is a thin layer of caramel; wish there was a bit more, but there is plenty of flavor. Chocolate chips are sprinkled on the confection right out of the oven so they will melt and you can swirl through the chocolate some. Then topped will pecans makes these bars a perfect treat. Give them a try for the holidays, OK!

Turtle Bars
Adapted only slightly from Grace

Crust:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup pecans, chopped

Filling:
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
pinch of salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips-I used Dark Chocolate chips that I had
3/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add crust ingredients to a food processor and process until fine crumbs. Pour into an ungreased 9x13 inch baking pan. Pack the crumbs firmly down evenly to form a crust.
Add  the 2/3 cup butter, the 1/2 cup brown sugar, and salt to a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until it begins to boil. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly, and then pour evenly over the crust. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until all the caramel is bubbling. Don't over bake! Remove from the oven; sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips. Let set for 2-3 minutes and swirl melted chocolate chips with a knife. Leave some whole if desired. Sprinkle with the chopped pecans and press nuts gently into the chocolate. (I sprinkled a little coarse salt over the bar, but it sort of disappeared). Cool, cut into bars, and enjoy! Merry Christmas!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

 Do you like chocolate and peanut butter together? Well, I do too, and so we love these easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars. Your kitchen will smell wonderful while these delicious morsels bake, which makes it really hard to let them cool before cutting. I must admit that I didn't wait; nope, I just had to have one, or two, before they cooled. I can say it didn't hurt a thing to cut these babies while warm, plus it made me very happy! These cookie bars are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, so I hope you'll give them a try.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
Adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened- I used unsalted
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips-I used dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour and soda together in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine both sugars, butter, and peanut butter. Mix until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture and stir in the chocolate chips. Press dough evenly into an ungreased 9x13 inch baking pan.
Bake for 18 - 22 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. I baked these bars for 21 minutes and that was too long. Next time I'll go for 18-19 minutes. They were not as gooey as I would have liked, but still soft and delicious. The middle may look too soft when you pull them out of the oven, but the dough firms up as it cools. Enjoy!

Pecan Pie Bars

 Pecan Pie Bars with a shortbread style crust, a sweet, creamy filling and crisp, toasted pecans on top; they're like pecan pie only without all the work!
My husband and I love pecan pie. His mother always made the best the best pies and her pecan was super delicious. But sometimes I don't don't like fussing with a pie. With bars you can just have a bite or two, or maybe more if you want.

 Pecan Pie Bars are a perfect take along dessert for Thanksgiving, or any others gatherings. Take them to a potluck, or to work as a treat for your co-workers. Make them for neighbors, or just make them for yourself - you deserve a treat too!
I made the crust in my food processor, but you can make it in a bowl using a pastry blender or fork also. Just cut the butter well into the flour ingredients. So addictive and so much easier than making pie. Hope you'll give these a try.

Pecan Pie Bars
Slightly adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Crust Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold, unsalted butter - 12 tablespoons

Filling:
3 large eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. 
2. In a bowl mix the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture is fine particles. Or you can mix this in a food processor and pulse until you have fine crumbs. Pour crust mixture into the prepared baking pan. Spread out evenly and press crust down firmly all over.
3. Place crust in oven and bake for about 20 minutes until just lightly golden around edges.
4.While crust is baking prepare the topping. Mix eggs, sugars, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla together in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans. Spread the topping over the crust as soon as it comes out of oven.
5. Place bars in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the topping is set. If the topping jiggles, it is not done. If the topping begins to brown to much, loosely place a sheet of foil over the pan.
6. Allow Pecan Pie Bars to cool completely before cutting. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars

 Crisp chocolate chip cookie on the bottom, a creamy cheesecake middle dotted with more chocolate chip cookie- what could be better? These Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars may sound rather involved, but they really come together rather quickly. Mix up the chocolate chip dough first, and while the bottom crust is baking, you can stir up the cream cheese batter. If the cream cheese is at room temperature it creams and blends quickly.  They are rich and addictive and your family or company will be reaching for seconds. It is love at first bite. I sent some home with both my sons when they stopped by. I know when I can't be left alone with something this good! If you need a dessert for this Memorial Day weekend, this may be the one for you.

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
Slightly adapted from Taste of Home

Cookie Dough:
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Filling:
2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans.
Set aside 1/3 of the dough for the topping. Press the remaining 2/3 dough
into prepared 9x13 inch pan. Bake  for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven.
While crust bakes, beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add in the vanilla and eggs and mix until creamy and incorporated.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the cookie crust and gently spread it to completely cover the bottom. ( Cookie dough will be very soft and maybe not set.) Drop small teaspoons full of reserved cookie dough over the filling. Return to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden. Mine were done in 30 minutes, so check early. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and store in the refrigerator. Cut into small pieces. Enjoy!

Apricot Almond Bars

 I love bar cookies. They normally require less preparation time than single cookies and that's a plus when you are busy. These Apricot Almond Bars were very rich, from the buttery sweet crust, the sweet but tart apricot jam filling, and the topping which contains not only almonds, but meringue and coconut too. My husband and I loved them, so they didn't last long. I have a weakness for chocolate, so these bars were a nice change, and they would be a good recipe for any Christmas cookie exchange. They are a keeper.
I lined the baking pan with foil and then sprayed it with cooking spray. That way you can lift out the whole pan of bars before cutting them. Using a long, sharp knife I cut them neatly into serving sizes that look great on a serving tray when serving to guests. These cookie bars will be a perfect addition to the upcoming Christmas festivities.
I've been wanting to blog these all week but we've had some computer issues, so I guess it's better late than never. I hope you'll give Apricot Almond Bars a try real soon.

Apricot Almond Bars
Adapted from Taste Of Home

3/4 cup butter, softened- I used salted butter
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup apricot preserves or jam- I needed about 1 more tablespoon
3 egg whites
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds, divided
In a large bowl, cream the butter with the powdered sugar. Gradually mix in the flour and blend well. Press mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch pan. Or, line the pan with foil, grease it well and then press in the crust mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes until golden.
Spread the jam over the crust. In a large bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until incorporated and stiff peaks form. Fold in the coconut and 1/2 cup of the almonds. Gently spread this mixture over the apricot jam. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of almonds. Bake at 350 degree F. for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting.

Cheesecake Bars - an oldie but Goodie

I love cheesecake, but don't always want to take the time to make one. That's where these delicious bars come in. They have all the flavor of cheesecake, but are quick and easy to make. We love the light lemon flavor, but if lemon is not your thing, just leave it out and double the vanilla. This retro recipe was given to me by a highschool friend way back during our senior year. I'm talking 1971 baby! I've taken the liberty of doubling the amount of filling that was in the original recipe because, in this instance, more is better. I don't want to be cheated on my cheesecake fix, do you? Give these groovy bars a try today! CHEESECAKE BARS

Ingredients for crust:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup soft butter

1 cup flour

Cream the brown sugar and butter together. Then blend in the flour until crumbly. Separate 1 cup for topping. Place the rest in a 8x8 inch ungreased baking pan and press down to make crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.

Ingredients for filling:

2 - 8 ounce bars of cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

4 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the eggs, milk, lemon juice and vanilla and beat well. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust and spread out evenly. Sprinkle the reserved flour mixture (topping), over the cream cheese filling. Bake at 350 degress for about 25 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Cut into bars and enjoy!

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars Warning: May be Habit Forming!

Luscious. Awesome. Addictive. Words are not enough to explain these delicious Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars. The graham cracker crust is loaded with butter and cinnamon and baked until golden. The sweet creamy filling is silky smooth; rich, but not too rich to want more than one piece. The topping, oh the topping-pure Dulce de Leche thinned with cream and spread over the bars. The crowning glory. Major addiction going on here!

This is my first time using Dulce de Leche in a recipe because it is hard to find here, so I made my own. It is very thick, but velvety to the tongue. It made me want more and more. I may have eaten some from the can!

Dulce de Leche is a Latin American form of caramel, glorious caramel. I have seen it in several forms (on the web, not in my town). It can be found in the Hispanic section of many grocery stores, or in Hispanic markets. Here are some links for recipes to make your own dulce de leche. I made mine in the crock pot. To do this, remove the paper from cans of sweetened condensed milk, and lay them down in the crock pot. Add water to cover the cans to about an inch over the cans. Turn the crock pot on low setting and cook for 8 hours. You will have deliciously thick Dulce de Leche! Carefully remove cans from the crock pot and let them cool completely before trying to open. Here's a stove top recipe from Recipe Girl and various recipes from another source.

Here's the recipe I used for these bars. You must try these! DULCE de LECHE CHEESECAKE BARS

from bonappetit

Crust:

2 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

10 tablespoons unsalted, melted butter

Filling:

3 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup dulce de leche

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:

2/3 cup dulce de leche

3 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream- I used 4 tablespoons of half and half

Fleur de sel to sprinkle on top- (I did not use this; not found in my town)

PREPARATION:

Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 inch metal baking dish. Mix graham crackers crumbs, butter, sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Pour crumb mixture into the baking pan and press evenly onto the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, until crust is golden. Cool completely on a rack.

Filling:

Blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy with a mixer or food processor. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well between additions. Add dulce de leche and vanilla and blend well. Spread the batter evenly over the cooled crust. Bake until the center is set and the edges are puffed and slightly cracked. The middle should not jiggle when you shake the pan. Bake about 38 minutes. Mine were done in 32 minutes, so start checking your pan at about 30 minutes to be safe. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Glaze:

Heat duce de leche and 3 tablespoons cream in a microwave safe bowl. Heat at about 10 second intervals until melted. Stir well, and add more cream if needed. I used half and half, because I was out of cream and it worked perfect. I needed 1 more T. cream than called for. The amount of cream you need will depend on the brand of dulce de leche you use. Pour glaze over the cooled cheesecake and spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Cut into bars and enjoy!

NOTE: Bars can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Peanut Butter Bars

I made these Peanut Butter Bars a few days ago, not knowing what to expect exactly. Does that ever happen to you? This recipe uses a cake mix for the base, and I have only used a cake mix for a cake. I thought these cookie bars would be more like brownies, gooey and chewy. But they are like a soft cookie bar, with a chocolate chip and sweetened condensed milk filling. I somehow thought these two ingredients would kind of melt together, but they really don't. But the bars do taste great. They just aren't what I expected. You spread half the cake mixture in a

baking pan, top it with the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk, and the top the whole thing with the rest of the cake mixture, like the picture above. After baking, it will look like this.

Cool the bars completely before cutting into squares. They have a wonderful peanut butter flavor, which is perfect with the chocolate center, of course. Or, you can use peanut butter chips for an all the same flavor bar. So, these bars are delicious, but not what I was hoping for. But my whole family enjoyed them, even if they didn't turn out to be the chewy, gooey bars of our dreams!

PEANUT BUTTER BARS

from Mr. Food of "oooh it's so good!" fame

1 package (18.25 ounces) yellow cake mix

2 large eggs

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 package, 12 ounces, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or a 10 ounce bag of peanut butter chips

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, eggs, butter and peanut butter together. Press half of the mixture evenly in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes in the oven. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and drizzle with the sweetened condensed milk. Crumble the remaining peanut butter mixture over the top. Place pan back in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely before cutting into bars. Enjoy! A perfect snack for any occasion!

Note: To make all chocolate peanut butter bars, just use a chocolate cake mix with the chocolate chips.

Toll House Pan Cookies

I'm late getting this post out, but I had a really good reason- I've been helping out my son and daughter-in-law since they brought our darling granddaughter home from the hospital! She is a perfect little doll and seems so strong, already rolling onto her side today in her bassinet. Maybe, I've just forgotten what newborns can do in these many years since I had a little one. :)
But back to a recipe. I pulled this one out of the past as this cookie bar was a favorite of my children and the neighborhood kids when they were all young and busy playing outside. My daughter asked me the other day how come I hadn't made these in so long. Truth is, I had forgotten about them for awhile, but after making them yesterday, all three of my adult children were very happy with me! And my DIL loved them. I just assumed that everyone has made these, since it is an older recipe put out by Nestle years ago. These Toll House Pan Cookies helped me create some great memories for my kids. Maybe you will like them too!

Toll House Pan Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

1 12ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2-1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with baking spray. In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, mix the butter, both sugars and vanilla until creamy. Beat in the eggs. Gradually add the flour mixture; mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Spread into the baking pan and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Cool and cut into squares. Ha, they usually don't get a chance to cool! But with these bars, they're good warm or cool. These bars are a great anytime snack for young or old!

And it's a quick way to have homemade chocolate chip cookies and fulfill your cravings! Bar cookies are the way to go in the summer when it's too hot to have the oven on for very long. Enjoy!
UPDATE: I had incorrectly put the flour down as 2 2/4 cups, but have changed it to 2 1/4 cups; hope I don't mess anyone up!