Best Ever Cookie Bars (a nod to King Arthur Flour Recipes)

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This recipe has quickly become a family favorite. I have a handful of sister in laws and we love to share recipes. I have shared this one with my sister-in-law  Nicole (hi Nic) and she has made it popular in Wisconsin. The bars are asked for frequently at both our homes I know for certain. I love the versatility of these bars as well as the ease. I have turned them into oatmeal raisin bars and they were the most moist and enjoyable treat that my husband dreams about.  This is my go-to recipe and it is rare that I make individual chocolate chip cookies anymore. So I think you should make them the only thing that should be stopping you is the heat…although I did bake in this heat the other day -  I am just that crazy for sweets. That recipe will come soon it included peanut butter..yum!

 Ingredients
2/3 cup butter
2 cups + 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups chocolate chips; or a combination of different flavored chips, or chips and nuts
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.



Melt the butter, and stir in the brown sugar. Add the salt, vanilla, and flavor, stir until well combined.

Allow the mixture to cool slightly (if it's very hot to the touch), then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl midway through this process.
Add the baking powder, and flour, stirring to combine.

Stir in the chips or other additions of your choice   *see below for extra ideas*
Transfer batter into the prepared pan, spreading it throughout the entire pan. Bake the bars for 30 to 32 minutes, until they've risen, and their top is shiny and golden. A toothpick inserted in the center won't come out clean; in fact, the center of the very middle of the pan may look quite molten when you test it. But so long as no wet batter is showing farther out towards the edges, the bars are done. As they cool, the center will solidify.

The most important part to this recipe is to let them cool completely before digging in - that said Davey doesn’t ever (actually he can’t) wait that long. They are delicious either way.

Some of the other versions I have made have turned out amazing. The three cups of mix ins is a great rule for this recipe. I have done 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup butterscotch chips, 1 cup raisins. I have also added marshmallows and assorted chips, in the photos you will see red chips in the cookies - my dads favorite.

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Traditional Red Velvet Cake

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Before Miss Kendra went home we had to make some Ferris State cupcakes to share with the fellas after the game. I decided previously that red velvet with cream cheese frosting would be perfect and dying the frosting  yellow to match their colors would be adorable and Miss Kendra agreed. We had a lot of fun in the kitchen like we normally do and we even learned a few things.The most important thing with this recipe is that you have to be very careful with the food coloring. The red food color can start to get all over everything as you distribute the batter and it can look like there was a casualty in the kitchen! But I promise we still have all our fingers and toes.

Traditional Red Velvet Cake Cupcakes
Adapted from Dam Good Sweets
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups unpacked brown sugar
3 tablespoons red food coloring
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cup buttermilk (or regular milk if needed)

 

Heat oven to 350. Place cupcake liners in two cupcake pans. Mix 21/4 cups of flour with cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt - set aside. Mix In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a stand mixer) cream butter with brown sugar, food coloring and vanilla on low to combine. Increase mixture speed to medium high and beat until pale about 2 minutes.  
Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the bowl (make certain you get all the globs of food coloring mixed in). Alternate mixing in milk and dry mix. Divide batter into two cupcake pans. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

 

To make frosting:

8 ounces of cream cheese

1 1/4 cups butter (or 12 tablespoons)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

 

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in bowl of a stand mixer on low speed to combine. Increase speed to medium high and beat until fluffy about 2 minutes. Add remaining sugar making certain to slow down the mixer so the powdered sugar doesn’t explode all over your kitchen.  Once sugar is added increase speed to medium high and beat until fluffy.

 

 

Can you tell that we had fun? And I love the cream cheese frosting. It is definitely my all time favorite! The feedback was fantastic from the ladies at the rink too. Kendra and I decorated them with gold and multicolor sprinkles. The only mistake we made was giving all the cupcakes away.

 

Michigan Biscuits

 

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Today I realized that it has been quite some time since I have baked anything. That is shocking especially during this season of treats! I decided to try something new with self rising flour my mom gave me. As luck would have it on the back of the flour bag was a recipe for Extraordinary Biscuits. Since I missed out on cut out cookies I decided to use two different cookie cutter shapes, the state of Michigan shape and a star. I thought the Michigan shape probably wouldn’t turn out after they were baked but I was surprised to find that it did! My husband was thrilled with the Michigan shapes and I got to hear again how much he loves the state of Michigan. The biscuits were really good (probably because they were so darn cute).

 

 

 

2 1/4 cups self rising flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup butter or shortening (I used butter)
1 cup buttermilk (I used plain soymilk)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl add flour and sugar. Use a pastry blender to combine butter and flour until mixture is crumbly. Stir in milk until dough leaves the side of the bowl.

 

On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough with your favorite cookie cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart for crispy sides and close together for soft sides. Recipe will make about a dozen biscuits. 

 

 

Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                        

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P.D.Q. Berry Muffins

King Arthur Flour recipes have always turned out perfectly for me. In the King Arthur Commemorative cookbook my mother-in-law got me for my birthday there are a series of P.D.Q muffins (pretty darn quick) that are fantastic. I have made the blueberry version a few times with frozen blueberries and I am always pleased (as is my husband!).  These muffins are not super sweet like grocery store muffins which makes them even better.  I made these for breakfasts this work week so I under baked them just a little and froze them. That way I can microwave them and have a fantastic breakfast.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Makes 12 muffins.

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt                                                   

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups berries

1 cup sour cream, yogurt or milk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 eggs

 

 

Combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix the berries in with the dry ingredients then add milk, oil and eggs. Mix wet and dry ingredients until combined. Place batter in cupcake tin lined with foils. Place the muffins in the oven and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Bake for 20 minutes or until they are a beautiful golden brown. Cool on wire rack and enjoy. 

 

 

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A Birthday Cake for Davey

Each year for Dave's birthday I make him a jello chocolate pudding pie. It is wonderful and special because it is only a birthday treat. This year I planned ahead a little and decided to make a cake for Dave this weekend and the pie next weekend because his birthday is in the middle of the week. 

In the past year he has really fallen in love with mountain biking so I make a mountain bike cake. I was even able to find a mountain bike toy to put on top! Dave was incredibly surprised and loved his cake! It was also quite delicious.

The grass is coconut that has been died green and the trail is Oreo cookie and graham cracker. I made an incline with a graham cracker and frosting as glue. It was a fun project!

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 Cocoa ( I prefer Nestle)
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk (I generally use skim)
• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

The directions for this cake are for a 9 inch round. In the mountain bike cake I used a 13x9 inch pan but baked it for 30 minutes instead of 35. I have also done cupcakes with this same recipe and generally bake them about 19 minutes at 350 degrees.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla then beat with a mixer on medium speed for two minutes. Stir in boiling water, batter will be thin. Transfer batter to prepared cake pans.

3. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the enter comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans and place on wire rack. Cool completely. Frost with perfectly chocolate frosting or peanut butter frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

1 stick butter or margarine

2/3 cup cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean

Beat butter on medium speed. Add cocoa, sugar, milk and vanilla. Frosting will be ready to spread.