Pumpkin Bars (K8)

Heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit

Grease and flour cookie sheet

Mix

4 eggs
1 2/3 C sugar
1 C oil
1 15oz can pumpkin

Mix

2 C flour
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Put both together and mix
Bake for 25 mins

Frosting

6 oz cream cheese (room temp)
2 TBS butter
2 tsp vanilla
4 C powdered sugar

Mix it up good and you can add nuts to the top if you'd like.

Strawberry oatmeal bars (pioneer woman)

• 1-3/4 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
• 1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1-1/2 cup Oats (quick Or Regular)
• 1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 jar (10 To 12 Ounce) Strawberry Preserves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 or 8 x 10 baking dish. 

Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle half the mixture into the pan and pat lightly to pack it a little tight. Spoon strawberry preserves evenly over the surface, then use a dinner knife to carefully spread it around. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly again. 

Bake until light golden brown on top, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan. 

When cool, cut into squares and serve. Yum!

TOASTED COCONUT LIME RICE KRISPIE TREATS

Recipe by ourbestbites.com

 Ingredients
2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut, divided
8 cups rice Krispie cereal
4 ounces almond bark
6 tablespoons butter
1 15-16 ounce bag mini marshmallows
optional: 3/4-ish teaspoon coconut extract
2 tablespoons fresh lime zest  (zest from about 2 limes)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread coconut out onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until coconut is toasted, crisp, and golden brown.  It turns brown quickly at the very end so keep an eye on it!   While coconut is toasting, line a 9×13” pan with foil so the foil extends over the edges of the pan slightly.  Press foil tightly into corners.  Lightly spray lined pan with non-stick spray and set aside.

Reserve ½ cup of the toasted coconut and set aside.  Place Rice Krispies and the remaining 1 ½ cups toasted coconut in an extra large mixing bowl.

Place almond bark in a small heat-proof bowl and heat in microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth.  Cover to keep warm.

In a large heavy pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  When melted, reduce heat to low and add marshmallows.  Stir constantly until completely melted and smooth.  Stir in lime zest.  Pour mixture over rice krispies and immediately stir to evenly coat.   Transfer mixture to prepared pan and gently press down evenly.

Warm up almond bark for a few seconds so it’s nice and smooth.  Use a spoon (or alternately place in heavy duty ziplock bag with a small corner cut off) and drizzle over treats.  Immediately sprinkle with reserved ½ cup toasted coconut (I try to sprinkle it directly on the almond bark so it sticks!)  Let bars set and then cut into squares.  Because these are extra thick, they can yield 24 good sized servings.

Coconut, lime, cheesecake bars

Coconut Lime Cheesecake Bars

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Ingredients

Easy Crust:

• 1 pkg. sugar cookie mix, unprepared (Betty Crocker 1 lb 1.5 oz sugar cookie mix works great!)
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• ⅓ cup butter, softened
• 1 egg

Homemade Crust:

• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 2 cups flour
• ¼ tsp salt

Filling:

• 2 pkgs (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (16 oz.) cream of coconut
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp coconut extract

Frosting:

• 1 pkg. (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 tsp. coconut extract
• 1 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 c. powdered sugar

Topping:

• 1¼ cups coconut, toasted
• 2 Tbsp lime peel (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

For Sugar Cookie Mix Crust:

1. In large bowl, combine crust ingredients until soft dough forms. Press evenly into bottom of pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until just lightly brown. Cool 15 minutes.

For Homemade Crust:

1. Blend butter and sugar together, add yolks. Mix in the flour and salt gradually. The mix will be crumbly. Press evenly into the bottom of pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.

Filling and Frosting:

1. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese for 1 minute. Slowly add cream of coconut until well blended. Stir in lime juice and coconut extract. Add eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Spread over cookie crust. Bake 40-45 minutes or until set and golden brown around edges. Cool 20 minutes at room temperate, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. In another bowl, blend together cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add coconut extract and lime juice. Slowly add powdered sugar until well blended. Carefully spread frosting over cheesecake layer. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and lime peel. Refrigerate 30 minutes before cutting into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Chewy Granola Bars (Natalie Campbell)

Ingredients

4 1/2 C rolled oats
1 C whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C butter-melted
2/3 to 3/4 C honey

Add-inns: choc. chips, PB chips, M&M's, marshmallows, raisins, craisins, coconut, chopped nuts, cinnamon, anything that sounds good at the moment!!

Directions

Mix together the dry ingredients.  Stir in any add-ins.  Melt butter and stir in honey, and vanilla.  Mix well.  FIRMLY press mixture into cookie sheet (or just a 9x13 inch pan if you want really this bars).  Bake at 325 for 16-18 mins
Press bars down with a spatula RIGH after they come out of the oven.  Let  bars cool completely in pan before removing.  They'll crumble if you take them out too soon or don't press them firmly enough!!  Wrap them individually or place in an airtight container.  They also store well in the freezer.

Peanutbutter bars (our best bites)

These start off like most good things do: with butter and sugar.

In goes yummy nummy peanut butter.  Smooth or chunkified, totally up to you.

Then some eggs

(and there’s some vanilla in there too)

Then toss in the dry ingredients

You should have a nice soft dough at this point; a little softer than a normal cookie dough.  Definitely take a big ol’ bite of that.

And then add some oats.

That’s it for the dough- just press it into a big rimmed cookie sheet.  (By the way, have I ever told you how much I love these pans??  They come with lids.  Brilliant.  Makes baking stuff like this and then storing or transporting sooo easy.  Love love love them.) I usually line mine with foil because I have a thing for covering pans in foil.  If I can avoid washing a pan, I’m all for it.  Pop that pan in the oven to bake- they only take about 10 minutes.

While those are in the oven, rinse out your bowl real quick and whip up the frosting.  Oh my gosh this frosting is so good.  It’s melty and buttery and chocolatey and so many other good words I can’t think of right now.

You’ll want to put the frosting on when the bars are still warm, and just after the frosting itself is done.  Otherwise it stiffens up and becomes hard to spread.

Mmmm…giant pan of soft cookie…

This next photo is borderline ridiculousness.  Dumping melted peanut butter on top of a giant peanut butter cookie and below a layer of ooey gooey chocolate frosting is completely unnecessary.  It’s also very delicious.

You can skip this step, or embrace it, depending on how wild you’re feeling that day.

Then pour on that frosting, or rather “plop” on the frosting.  Like I said, do it right after you make it and while the bars are still warm so it spreads on easily and doesn’t break your cookie.

Since I took forever taking pictures my frosting isn’t as smooth and glossy as it will look for you.  Yours will be beautiful, I promise.  I also picked up some of those peanuts from below.  It’s all good.

That’s all there is to it, well except for the eating part which is the most important.  Once the bars are cool, they are super soft cookie squares with chocolate that melts in your mouth.

You can also eat these slightly warm, and they’re amaaazing.  They’re so soft and the chocolate frosting is more like melted chocolate fudge so you’ll want to grab a fork.

These have so much flavor and richness that they also work great with a scoop of ice cream, and heck, throw some hot fudge on there too just for good measure.  In fact, this is how we eat them most often at our house.  Because a scoop of ice cream makes just about everything better.

Chocolate-Frosted Peanut Butter Bars
Compliments of Lunch Ladies and Grandmothers Everywhere

Cookie Base
1 cup real butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1  1/2 cups peanut butter, chunky or smooth
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoons table salt
3 cups all purpose flour
3 cups quick oats
optional: an extra 3/4 cup peanut butter, see notes in recipe below

Fudge Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a rimmed cookie sheet (standard half-sheet pan) lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.

Cream butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add  peanut butter and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat between each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and add mixture to dough.  Beat to combine.  Add oats and mix until incorporated.  Press dough into prepared pan into a flat layer.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes, but up to 15-20.  I’ve noticed that baking time can greatly differ depending on elevation, product brands (especially the peanut butter) etc.  The center should be puffed and set, but still soft.  The one thing you don’t want to do is overbake them.  So just keep an eye on them.

While crust is baking, prepare frosting.  Whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Add butter (make sure it’s soft!), boiling water, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth and glossy.

When cookie crust is done baking, if desired drizzle about 3/4 cups melted (just nuke it in the microwave) peanut butter on top and then spread on frosting.  Let cool (or leave slightly warm) and cut into squares to serve.  If also desired (and what’s not to be desired here?) serve with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge.  Moan while eating.

Kiwi caramel slice

Ingredients

Base:
200g Tararua Butter
3 tbsp golden syrup
1 cup soft brown sugar
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup Edmonds Flour
2 tsp Edmonds Baking Powder
Filling:
60g Tararua Butter
4 tbsp golden syrup
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
2 large blocks of Cadbury Dairy Milk or your favourite milk chocolate.

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Method

For the base:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.
2. Melt the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat, and stir in the dry ingredients for base (desiccated coconut, rolled oats, flour, baking powder).
3. Press firmly into a rectangle slice tin and bake for 20 mins.

For the filling:

1. Reduce the oven temp to 160°, fan forced.
2. Place butter and golden syrup in a medium, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When butter has melted, add condensed milk. Stir constantly over medium heat for about 9-12 minutes, until the caramel thickens.
3. Spread caramel over the base. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from oven and leave to cool completely.
4. Melt the chocolate completely in a microwave, and pour over cooled slice while still in the tin.
5. Place in refrigerator until set. Once set cut slice with a hot knife!

Enjoy!

Lemon Bars

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. lemon cake mix
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 
  
• 8 oz. pkg cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar

Instructions

• Combine cake mix, vegetable oil and 1 egg until crumbly. Reserve one cup of crumble mixture and set aside. Spread remainder of crumbs in a 9x13 pan and pat down to form a crust. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until crust is lightly golden brown. Place remaining ingredients in a bowl; whip until fluffy and light. Spread over baked crumb mixture and crumble the reserved cup of crumbs over the top. Return to oven and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool and cut. Delicious!

This is from Favourite Family recipes blog.