Smore Bars

Ahhh Summertime, how quickly it goes!  A few blinks and my short time off from work goes by in an instant.  We have had a ton of fun this summer, but it's back to work I go.  As you read this, I will be sitting in my in-service meetings.  While I enjoy the fresh start and the excitement of a new school year, I'm not sure I'm ready to transition back to the grind of working everyday.  I sure do love my summers!

This sweet treat today is a great one to bring back memories of summer - camping, hiking, bonfires, and of course, s'mores!  I was lucky enough to be able to go camping three times with my husband this summer (and with both sets of our parents as well, one time each, and one time with my friends).  Of course, every time we go camping, we make s'mores!

I have a coworker who has a major sweet tooth, and I love making treats to bring with me when I have to travel to the office every month.  For a long time, he has been requesting a Hershey cookie with graham crackers.  I hadn't heard of such a thing, but of course, was able to find something on Pinterest!  I made these s'more bars to celebrate the end of summer (or if you happen to read this in the middle of winter, it can be a sweet reminder of summer!).  

S'more Bars

Recipe Adapted from: I Heart Naptime

Ingredients:

• Crust:
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• Dough
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• Topping
• 1 Hershey bar - break each little bar into pieces
• 1 Graham cracker - break into pieces
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. 

Make the crust by combining the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs in a small bowl using a fork.  You will need about 8 crackers (full sheets) to create the crust.  Once the crust has been made, line a 9x13 pan with foil and press the crust into the pan.  

Next cream the butter and sugar together, then add in eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.  Add in the baking powder and salt, then mix in the flour.  Finally, fold in the chocolate chips.

Once the dough is made, flour your hands and press the dough on top of the crust and flatten it out.

Then add the topping of graham cracker pieces, broken chocolate, and left over mini marshmallows. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes.  Test middle with a tooth pick.  Dough will be soft, but toothpick should come out clean. 

Allow bars to cool completely before cutting.  Then enjoy with ice cream or a tall glass of milk!

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Polka Dot Cookie Bars

Hello!  Welcome back to PeanutLifeAdventures.  Remember last month when I shared these M&M Cookie bars?  If you liked those, you should love today's sweet treat.  It came, from all places, from a magazine clipping from my mother-in-law.  My mother-in-law is an extremely healthy person.  She eats very healthy, balanced meals, and I hardly ever see her take a bite of dessert.  When she gave me this recipe, I was pretty surprised, but she knows her son/my husband loves his treats and knows that I like to bake for him.  These polka dot cookie bars certainly earned my husband's approval!

Again, I love the easy and simplicity of cookie bars.  I like that they just bake in one pan, and no rolling out dough, and a lot less cleanup.  Win in my book, especially when I am pressed for time, but still want to have a treat to enjoy for the week.

Polka Dot Cookie Bars

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips (divided)

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a regular bowl if you don't have a stand mixer), cream the butter and sugars together until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat well.  Slowly add in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Fold in 1 cup of white chocolate chips.  Spread in a well greased 15x10x1 inch pan.  Sprinkle the remaining white chips over the top of the batter.

Bake at 375 degrees for 18-23 minutes.  

If you don't have a 15x10 pan, you can use a 9x13 pan to make the cookies instead.  They will be thicker and will need longer to cook (closer to 30-40 minutes).  Test with toothpick near the center, if it comes out clean, then they are ready (be sure to do this step with cookie bars - it's important so you don't have doughy/soggy cookie bars in the middle!)

Let the cookie bars cool in the pan before cutting.

Enjoy!

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M&M Cookie Bars

I know I know, we are still in January and most people are still working super hard on their New Year's resolutions to eat healthy.  I fully support that.  But I can't resist making some delicious desserts.  My husband certainly doesn't complain!  I don't know where he puts all the cookies and sweet treats he eats, but he's as skinny as ever.  He's always happy to be my taste-tester anytime I ask.

A the beginning of the month, we traveled to Madison to visit some close friends.  I was crazy busy with returning to work after the holidays, but I still wanted to make something to take with us to share.  I had some leftover holiday M&Ms and found this recipe on Pinterest.



 

Enter these M&M Cookie Bars.  The thing I love about cookie bars is they are quick and easy to make!  No rolling out dough, no cleaning up multiple cookie sheets/silicone mats/cooling racks.  One bowl to mix in and one pan to bake in and your done.

M&M Cookie bars

Recipe Adapted from I <3 Naptime

Ingredients:

• 12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups M&Ms divided

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or any mixing bowl), cream the butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix for at least 1 minute.  Add in the baking soda, baking powder, and slowing incorporate the flour.  Mix in  1 1/4 cups of M&Ms.



You can bake these two ways.  The original directions call for baking on a 9x13 pan lined with foil.  That is what I did the first time I made these.  I think it would be easier to use a glass pan, sprayed with cooking spray, and forgo the foil.  Your choice - use whatever sounds easiest to you!

Spread out the mixture in the pan as best you can.  It will be very sticky.  It's ok if it is not level and not in all corners of the pan as it will spread out as it bakes.

Sprinkle the remaining M&Ms over the top

Bake at 325 degrees for 25-35 minutes.  Or until a toothpick comes clean (this took nearly 40 minutes for me - make sure you check this!  I know it's easy to want to skip this step, but you want to make sure all of your bars are cooked through!)

Let cool for five minutes then slice while still slightly warm (it makes slicing a whole lot easier!)

Eat fresh or store in an airtight container.

Enjoy! 

 

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