pumpkin pie snickerdoodle bars.

when i found this recipe on pinterest, i knew i had to make it. i love, love snickerdoodle blondies and i am obsessed with anything pumpkin so i was convinced this might just be my favorite dessert ever. 

that is why i was sort of sad when we tried them and decided they were "good" not "amazing" like i thought they would be. don't get me wrong...we definitely ate our piece and matt even went back for more but it wasn't exactly what we were thinking it would be:

first, the pumpkin layer isn't terribly sweet. i would love for it to taste more like the pumpkin brownies or bars i have made in the past. however, i think it is right where it is supposed to be for "pumpkin pie" flavor...so if you love pumpkin pie then this might be perfect for you.

second, i was definitely expecting the snickerdoodle layer to be more like the snickerdoodle blondie bars and it wasn't. it ended up being a little drier than i thought it would be. maybe i over baked it but i would definitely want it to be a little moister.


so really, we just want it to be a little sweeter...big surprise there! and maybe a little softer (if that makes any sense).


i'm not giving up on this...i think if i play around a little bit, this could really be a phenomenal dessert :) 


p.s. as you can tell i didn't do the white chocolate drizzle...i'd be curious to try it next time!

pumpkin pie snickerdoodle blondies:
--recipe from lovin from the oven

snickerdoodle layer: 

3 cups flour 
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt 
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter, room temperature 
2 eggs, room temperature 
1 Tbsp vanilla 
-----
pumpkin pie layer: 

1 cup flour 
1 cup white sugar
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp salt 
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
2 eggs, room temperature 
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree 
-----
topping: 
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 tsp cinnamon 
-----
drizzle: 
1 oz white chocolate, chopped 
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice 


preheat oven to 350. grease or use wax paper in a 9x13 pan.

to make snickerdoodle layer:

in a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. set aside. in another large bowl, mix butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. beat until smooth. 


add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until well combined. spread in prepared pan. 


to make pumpkin pie layer:
beat butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. add the other ingredients and mix until well combined. spread layer over the snickerdoodle layer.


to make topping: 
combine the sugar and cinnamon. sprinkle evenly over the pumpkin pie layer. 


bake for 33-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. allow bars to cool completely. 

to make drizzle: 

melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl on low power. add pumpkin pie spice and mix. drizzle over bars and let harden.


store bars in a covered container.

ultimate brownies.

i have a new addiction. 

it is taking over my life. 

it is called pinterest. go check it out. 

but then again, don't blame me when you are unable to stop pinning. 

i have found a bazillion new recipes i want to try as soon as possible. 

seriously though.

cookie dough + oreos + brownie. can you get any more over the top?! 


i cheated and used premade cookie dough tonight. this dessert is super easy to make and literally was in my oven in less than ten minutes and i only used one bowl. what more could you ask for? 


p.s. i only ate about two bites of this and it was more than enough :) 

 

oh, and they are definitely going to work with me tomorrow. 

ultimate chocolate chip cookie n' oreo fudge brownie bar: 

--recipe from kevin & amanda

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) milk chocolate chips
1 pkg double stuffed oreos
1 family size brownie mix (9 x 13)
1/4 cup hot fudge topping  (optional) 

preheat oven to 350 degrees.

in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed cream sugars and butter for three to five minutes. add in the eggs and vanilla. mix well. in a another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. slowly add to butter mixture. stir in chocolate chips. spread the cookie dough in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish that’s been lined with wax paper and sprayed with cooking spray. add layer of oreos.  make brownie mix. you can add an optional 1/4 cup of hot fudge topping to the mix to make them more "fudgey." pour the brownie batter over the cookie dough and oreos. 

bake at 350 degrees F for 45-55 minutes. 

(i only baked mine for about 30 minutes)

this can be made in a 8x8 pan -- just half the cookie dough recipe. 

s'mores bars.

i wrote this post a LONG time ago but never got around to baking/taking pictures of them. i finally got a chance to bake tonight :) 

as you may have noticed, i like to bake. a lot. and i like to bring whatever i bake for others to enjoy. because i'm nice like that. so whenever my family gets together, everyone knows i'll be bringing a dessert. and i'm okay with that. and it all started with these sinfully delicious bars. ok, so i realize i make a lot of bars. i'm ok with that as well. i honestly don't remember where i found this recipe. i obviously didn't make it up...it was probably from all recipes. the original recipe is for an 8x8 pan which in my opinion is not enough. especially if you plan on taking the bars any where. plus, if you are going to go through all the effort, you might as well make a 9x13 pan.

so on a side note -- my cousin (whom i love dearly) asked for this recipe so she could make it on her own. i asked her how it went and this was her response: ummmm.... i'm going to need an inside tip or something. can you buy graham cracker crumbs? do you use all that butter? mine just weren't as good as yours...

i love her.

on a second side note -- these were also a huge hit at cookie club. so you know you can't go wrong.

graham cracker layer: 

½ cup butter

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cup flour

¾ cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

chocolate layer:

3-4 hershey's chocolate bars

marshmallow layer:

1 cup marshmallow crème/fluff

preheat the oven to 350 degrees. beat butter & sugar together until light and fluffy. add egg and vanilla. mix well. in another bowl, stir in flour, crumbs, baking powder, and salt. add flour mixture to butter mixture. beat until blended.

Press half of the dough into a lightly greased 8x8 pan. arrange chocolate pieces over dough. spread crème on top (this part is a pain – it is sooo sticky! i don't really have a tip so good luck!). 

layer the second half of the dough on the top of the marshmallow layer.

bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

oreo brownies.

i love oreo like nothing else. i almost always get oreo concretes when we get ice cream. it is my favorite. i also am addicted to those white fudge dipped oreos that come out around christmas time. holy cow. those are phenomenal, right?

when i was younger, there was something out there called oreo brownies. it was a box mix. i think betty crocker made it. they were awesome. brownies with a oreo cookie topping and white icing drizzled across. i remember having my sister make them for me for my birthday one year. she's pretty sweet like that. only for whatever reason, i don't think they make them any more. at least they don't sell them here. so when i saw this recipe on my new FAVORITE baking blog, i almost died. i couldn't wait to try them but i kept putting it off, for fear i might eat the whole pan -- not that i would really do that but why even put myself in that situation, right? 

so yesterday, when i was supposed to be writing a paper that was due today, i decided i couldn't wait any longer. i needed to make these right then and there.

oreo brownies + printable version 
-- recipe found at confessions of a cookbook queen

26 to 28 oreos, coarsely chopped
2 TBS butter, melted
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (i used milk chocolate)
1/2 cup vanilla or white chocolate chips
3/4 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (i don't like nuts -- so i didn't use these)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

preheat oven to 350 degrees. line an 8x8 pan with foil, leaving a little bit over the edges. lightly grease. 

in a large bowl, mix melted butter with chopped oreos. 


spread half oreo mixture on the bottom of the pan. next, layer both types of chips, marshmallows, and nuts. cover with the remaining oreo mixture. 

pour sweetened condensed milk all over the surface of the entire mixture. 

bake for 28-30 minutes or until golden brown. cool to room temperature. remove foil and cut into squares (i stuck my pan in the freezer for about 15 minutes to help pull off the foil).  

 

oatmeal raisin bars.

i made these bars for the first time a couple weeks ago. honestly, this is one of my favorite bar/cookie recipes. if i could have, i would have eaten the entire 9x13 pan. i am not lying. ask my sister. oatmeal raisin cookies are good but i have a hard time getting the soft, under-baked cookie that i so, so love. this recipe solves that problem. you have to try them. i promise you will love them as much as i do. if you don't, something is terribly wrong with you. 

** i wrote this paragraph right when i began the blog...so it's been a couple months since i originally made these...

BUT we made these bars again last night and my first paragraph was reconfirmed. i L O V E these bars!

so last night we had one of my best friends, alyssa, over for dinner...we just grilled up some steaks and i made some amazing mashed potatoes from pioneer woman's blog (i know this a baking blog but i might have to share this recipe because they are THAT good!), corn on the cob and caesar salad. but i knew i needed some dessert so decided on these. 

for those who know alyssa, never in a million years would you have guessed that she is the one that made these! (she once asked if she could cook on the stove with a metal bowl, yeah...) so when i started to get the ingredients out last night and she asked if she could help and i of course said sure. and before i knew it, she basically made the whole recipe...i'm so proud of her! and don't worry, she knows i am talking about her...she was the one to suggest that these go on the blog this week...she wanted a picture of her "baking" but we couldn't find the camera! maybe next time...

oatmeal raisin bars + printable version

-- from young and hungry cookbook by dave lieberman.

2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) margarine

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in 1/4 inch pieces

1 c sugar

1 c lightly packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups rolled (old fashioned) oats

1 cup raisins

preheat oven to 350. grease a 9x11 inch baking pan (yeah, i don't have one of those so i use a 9x13 pan). 

stir flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl. in another bowl, beat margarine, butter, and both sugars until creamy. beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy. add flour mixture to butter mixture in two batches and beat until thoroughly mixed. stir in oats and raisins until they are evenly distributed. 

spoon batter into prepared pan and pat it down to an even layer. (i always spray my hands with non-stick spray or wet them with water, so the batter doesn't stick to my hands) 

bake 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the edges start to get crispy. remove from oven and cool in the pan. (i only baked mine for 25 so they are a little gooey-er) 

**the recipe says it makes 16  2 x 2 1/2 inch bars

sugar cookie bars.

i first found the recipe for sugar cookie bars on a website called kitchen koala. according to dorothy, sugar cookies bars were a huge craze throughout the food blogs back in spring of 2009. she goes on to say that they have recently made a comeback. not that i am that knowledgeable of all things baking but i was definitely surprised that i hadn't seen these before! the original recipe is credited to anissa of anissa's kitchen but if you read her blog, she says her recipe is from a friend.

i think sugar cookies are so good and i found a recipe i love earlier this year but they are still kind of a pain to make. not anymore! if you want the taste of sugar cookies but don't want to deal with making sugar cookies, this is the way to go. it also makes a ton...depending on how you cut them, so they are great if you need to feed a crowd or for something like cookie club =) i was nervous about the frosting since i have never made frosting with shortening. but it ended up really yummy. perfect for the bars which aren't super sweet. by the way, you can thank my lovely boyfriend for the frosting color. i asked him what color he wanted and without hesitation, he responded with green! i should have known.

 



sugar cookie bars + printable version

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

5 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

cream butter and sugar until fluffy. add eggs in one at a time, mixing after each egg. mix in vanilla. in another bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda & stir with a whisk to combine. add to butter mixture and mix just until combined.

spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan).

bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. cool completely and frost.

 

frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening (crisco)

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

4 cups powdered sugar

5 Tbsp milk

food coloring (optional)

combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. add vanilla and salt. add powdered sugar in 1 cup increments until combined. add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency.

make sure the cookies are cool before spreading the frosting. also frost before cutting bars. it might help to stick the frosted cookies in the fridge to help set the frosting.

snickerdoodle blondies.

at my work, we have cookie club. every friday, someone in the group brings in homemade (at least, they are supposed to be!) "cookies." cookie club is not just limited to cookies. members have brought in different types of brownies, bars, cupcakes, breads, and truffles. i am always excited for my week to come so i can bring something yummy. earlier this year, i found a recipe for snickerdoodle blondies over at one of my favorite blogs, your homebased mom. i figured they would be good but oh-my-gosh, these bars are AH-mazing. i had no idea when i first made these how much i would love them. these bars definitely make my top 3 desserts. well, maybe top 5.

snickerdoodle blondies + printable version

cookies:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

½ tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. salt

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 cup cinnamon chips, optional: in my opinion, you have to use these!

topping:

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

glaze (optional): again, in my opinion, it is necessary!

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray 9×13-inch pan with nonstick spray. layer a sheet of parchment paper in pan and spray another layer of nonstick spray.

whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream of tartar and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

using a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes (i use my kitchen aid). add in eggs, one at a time. add vanilla. keep beating until mixture is smooth.

add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until well blended. add cinnamon chips.

the batter should be pretty thick & kind of sticky. spread it evenly into pan. the trick is to spray your hands with cooking spray before patting the mixture down so the dough doesn't stick to your hands! so clever!

in a small bowl, combine topping ingredients; sprinkle evenly on top of batter.

bake about 25 to 30 minutes. let pan cool

completely.

when cool, use ends of parchment paper to lift out baked bars (smart, huh?). place on a cutting board. use a sharp knife to cut into squares.

whisk glaze ingredients together. drizzle over each bar. let glaze set. (if you are impatient like me, you can speed the process up in the fridge!)

enjoy!!