Desserts Archives

Category: Desserts

26
Feb
2021

Blueberry Cranberry Crisp

categories: Cobblers and Crisps, Desserts

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Blueberry Cranberry Crisp, with sweet blueberries, tangy cranberries and a buttery streusel topping is an easy to make, delicious dessert!

Fruit cobblers and crisps are a delicious way to enjoy dessert (and fruit)! They can be enjoyed year round thanks in part to many flash-frozen fruits that are available in grocery stores. This recipe for blueberry cranberry crisp can be made with either fresh or frozen fruit, which is great news!

I always try to keep a bag of blueberries and a bag of cranberries in my freezer, so they can be easily used in any recipe that calls for them, year-round.

Today I want to share this super simple dessert recipe a fruit crisp that I’m positive you’re gonna enjoy! It’s delicious, and hardly takes any time or effort at all to make. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Fruit Filling

Before beginning, preheat your oven to 350°F, and lightly spray or grease an 8″ x 8″ baking dish. Now it’s time to make the fruit filling for the crisp! It’s EASY!

Place blueberries, cranberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and a dash of salt in a large mixing bowl. Gently stir these ingredients until fully combined.

NOTE: You can use frozen OR fresh blueberries and cranberries. If using frozen berries, just toss ’em frozen into the bowl, cause they will thaw quickly! Once combined, pour them into the lightly greased or sprayed baking dish. See how easy that was?

Make The Streusel Topping

Now it’s time to make the buttery streusel topping for the fruit crisp. Place flour, brown sugar, COLD butter chunks, ground cinnamon and old fashioned rolled oats in a medium sized bowl.

Use a pastry blender (shown in photo), two forks, or your fingers to cut the cold butter into the crumb topping. Continue until the butter is about the size of peas, and is fully incorporated into a crumbly mixture.

NOTE: You can also do this step in a food processor, if desired. Pulse off and on until the mixture is crumbly.

Time To Bake The Blueberry Cranberry Crisp

Evenly spread the crumb streusel topping over the surface of the fruit filling. Place the blueberry cranberry crisp on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake at 350°F. for approximately 32-35 minutes.

When done, the fruit juices will be bubbly around the edges, and the top of the crisp will be golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, and transfer it to a wire rack. Let the blueberry cranberry crisp cool down for approximately 5 minutes before serving.

Serve The Blueberry Cranberry Crisp

Serve the blueberry cranberry crisp warm or at room temperature, whichever way you prefer. Top each portion with a nice scoop of ice cream, or give it a dollop or spray of sweet whipped cream.

Grab a spoon, dig in, and enjoy this simple, tasty dessert. The blueberries are nice and sweet, and the cranberries are sweet, but with a bit of tang to balance it out.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It really is so easy to make, and has great flavor! Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it, and hope you will come back soon. Have a great day!

Looking For More Crisp or Cobbler Recipes?

You can find all of my crisp/coble recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few, including:

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Recipe Adapted from the cookbook “What’s For Dinner?”, by Maryana Vollstedt, published by Chronicle books, 1997, page 259.

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Blueberry Cranberry Crisp

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Blueberry Cranberry Crisp, with sweet blueberries, tangy cranberries and a buttery streusel topping is an easy to make, delicious dessert!

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blueberry cranberry crisp

Servings: 6

Calories Per Serving: 314 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Fruit Filling:

2 cups blueberries fresh OR frozen
2 cups cranberries fresh OR frozen
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 dash salt

Streusel Topping:

½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup old fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup cold butter 1/2 stick, cut in chunks
¼ cup brown sugar light or dark
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray or grease an 8" x 8" baking dish.
Place blueberries, cranberries, sugar, flour, lemon juice and dash of salt in a large bowl. Gently stir until combined. NOTE: You can use frozen OR fresh blueberries and cranberries. If using frozen berries, toss 'em frozen into bowl- they thaw quickly! Once combined, pour fruit filling into prepared baking dish.
Place flour, brown sugar, COLD butter chunks, ground cinnamon and oats in a medium bowl. Use a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingers to cut the cold butter into the crumb topping. Continue until the butter is about the size of peas. NOTE: You can also do this step in a food processor. Pulse on and off until mixture is crumbly.
Evenly spread crumb topping over fruit filling. Bake at 350°F. on middle rack for 32-35 minutes. When done, fruit juices will be bubbly around the edges, and top will be golden brown. Remove pan from oven; transfer to a wire rack. Let blueberry cranberry crisp cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve warm or at room temperature, whatever you prefer. Top each portion with a scoop of ice cream, or whipped cream. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Blueberry Cranberry Crisp

Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6 of total))

Calories 314 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 20mg7%

Sodium 79mg3%

Potassium 116mg3%

Carbohydrates 60g20%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 40g44%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 284IU6%

Vitamin C 11mg13%

Calcium 21mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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29
Jan
2021

Flourless Chocolate Cake

categories: Cakes, Desserts

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Flourless Chocolate Cake is a decadent dessert with only 5 ingredients! Easy to make, it’s a dense and fudgy cake, with incredible flavor!

Years ago I first tasted a flourless chocolate cake at a friends home, and it was AMAZING! Our friend, Shari, served the slices of cake with a scoop of raspberry sorbet on the side, and I was hooked! A couple weeks later I was able to track down the recipe she used, and the rest is history! This flourless chocolate cake tastes awesome, and is simple to make… what could be better than that?

Valentines Day is right around the corner, and this would be a delicious dessert to make and serve to that special person or persons in your life. Families or sweethearts will love this fudgy chocolate cake, and a few simple garnishes to “make it look good” will take it right over the top. Here’s how to make this yummy dessert cake:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

What Ingredients Do I Need To Make This Cake?

The ingredients you will need for this cake are bittersweet chocolate, butter, eggs, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder. That’s it! You will also need an 8″ round cake pan and some wax paper for baking this dessert. Got it? Okay. Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Preparing The Cake Pan

You will need a piece of wax paper, cut to fit the bottom of the 8″ cake pan you will use for the cake. I place the cake pan on top of the wax paper, trace around it, then cut the circle out with scissors.

Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with a small amount of butter, This will help the cake to release easily from the pan once baked (it will also hold the wax paper you will add, in place). Lay the wax paper cutout onto the butter in the bottom of the cake pan. Now butter the wax paper, as well. Set the pan aside while you make the cake batter.

Melting The Bittersweet Chocolate

Melt chopped bittersweet chocolate and a stick of butter in a double boiler OR in a metal bowl set over the top of a saucepan of lightly simmering water. Stir the chocolate occasionally as it melts. TIP: Be careful to not let ANY of the water underneath get into the chocolate or it will “seize up” (not good).

Once the chocolate is completely smooth, remove the top pan or bowl from the heat. Now it’s time to add the remaining ingredients, one at a time to the melted chocolate and butter mixture.

Preparing The Batter

Once the pan is off the heat, whisk the granulated sugar into the melted chocolate. Let the mixture cool for one minute, then add the eggs, one at a time, whisking constantly while you add them.

Once the eggs are blended in, sift the cocoa powder on top of the chocolate mixture, and whisk only until the cocoa powder has been combined into the batter.

Time To Bake The Flourless Chocolate Cake

Now it’s time to bake the flourless chocolate cake! Yee Haw! Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and gently spread until it has been evenly dispersed in the pan.

Place the cake pan on the middle rack of a preheated 375°F oven. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the baked cake (still in the pan) to a wireless rack to cool for 5 minutes.

After the cake has rested for 5 minutes, it is time to “invert” (turn it upside down) onto a serving platter. To do this, place the platter upside down on top of the cake pan. Holding both the cake pan AND the platter tightly together, quickly flip them over. Once cake releases from the pan onto the platter, remove the cake pan, and peel off the wax paper.

Time To Serve The Flourless Chocolate Cake

After the cake has cooled to room temperature, it’s time to enjoy it! We always enjoy this decadent dessert served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. That in itself, makes for a wonderful, fudgy chocolate dessert that just about anyone will love.

To make it extra special I garnish each serving with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, a fresh mint leaf, and some raspberries (or strawberry slices). Then it’s as “pretty as a picture” for special occasions, like a birthday or Valentines Day, etc. I think it’s worth the little bit more to jazz it up, cause, as they say, we “eat with our eyes first”, right? YUM.

I posted a lot of photos on this post to help you make this flourless chocolate cake absolutely perfect, but honestly, it’s one of the easiest cakes you can make. Sure hope you enjoy it, and trust you will make it for those you love. Have a great day, and come back soon!

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Original recipe source: https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/flourless-chocolate-cake-14478

0 from 0 votes

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Prep Time

12 mins

Cook Time

23 mins

Total Time

35 mins

Flourless Chocolate Cake is a decadent dessert with only 5 ingredients! Easy to make, it's a dense and fudgy cake, with incredible flavor!

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: flourless chocolate cake

Servings: 8

Calories Per Serving: 295 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate NOT unsweetened
½ cup unsalted butter =1 stick
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder + additional for sprinkling

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease bottom and sides of 8" cake pan with a small amount of butter, This helps cake release easily from pan once baked. Line bottom of pan with round piece of wax paper (cut to fit). Butter wax paper, as well.
Cut chocolate into small chunks. Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler OR in metal bowl set over the top of a saucepan of lightly simmering water, (without getting any water into the chocolate). Stir chocolate until it's completely smooth, then remove pan of chocolate from the heat. Whisk granulated sugar into chocolate. Let cool for one minute, then add eggs, one at a time, whisking constantly while adding until combined. Sift cocoa powder onto chocolate mixture; whisk only until cocoa has been incorporated into batter.
Pour batter into prepared cake pan; evenly spread in pan. Place on middle rack of a preheated 375°F oven. Bake for 23-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Transfer cake (still in the pan) to wireless rack; cool for 5 minutes.
After cake has rested 5 minutes, carefully "invert" it (turn it upside down) onto a serving platter. Peel off wax paper. Dust cake with additional sifted cocoa powder, if desired. Serve with ice cream, etc. Store leftover, cooled cake in an airtight container for up to a week. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/8 of total))

Calories 295 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Fat 19g29%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 101mg34%

Sodium 31mg1%

Potassium 192mg5%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 24g27%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 463IU9%

Calcium 30mg3%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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12
Jan
2021

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

categories: Cookies, Desserts

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Make a batch of 4 dozen delicious Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies (with raisins), for family or friends to enjoy! Easy, chewy, and so yummy!

I don’t know about you, but I really love oatmeal raisin cookies. My husband isn’t the biggest fan (“oatmeal is for breakfast”), but I’ll take one of those cookies any time of day. I’ve had a recipe for many years for the oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies I am sharing with you today. The recipe (from one of my old recipe boxes) had been cut out of a magazine and didn’t have a source listed, so I don’t know who to give credit to for this yummy recipe.

Cinnamon chips can be a bit difficult to find in the grocery stores (in the chocolate chip section) unless it is around the holidays. I discovered about a year ago that they are available for purchase in bulk (three 10oz. bags per package) on Amazon, so at least I can keep them on hand in my pantry to make cinnamon chip scones or these cookies any time I want!

This cookie recipe uses a whole bag of cinnamon chips, so the flavor is amazing! It’s such an easy recipe to make, and yields about 4 dozen of these super flavor-filled chewy cookies. Here’s how to make them:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Batter

Before making the batter, preheat your oven to 350°F. The batter doesn’t take long at all to prepare, so you want your oven heated and ready to go! Place the softened butter, packed brown sugar, and the granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat these ingredients until they become creamy.

Add two eggs and vanilla extract to the mixing bowl, and beat well, until they have been incorporated into the batter. In a separate bowl, combine the all purpose flour and baking soda, and then add these dry ingredients to the mixing bowl full of batter. Beat well, until the flour mixture has been fully incorporated into the batter.

To finish off the batter for the oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies, it’s time to add the three remaining ingredients. Add old fashioned oats (or substitute quick-cooking oats), raisins, and a 10 oz. bag of cinnamon chips to the bowl. STIR them into the batter. The finished cookie batter will be very thick!

Time To Bake Some Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies!

Drop the batter by generous Tablespoons onto UNGREASED cookie sheets, leaving a little space between each cookie. NOTE: You will probably need to make a couple batches, since the recipe makes approximately 48 cookies. I used two baking sheets per batch, so all the cookies were done in two batches.

Bake the oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. When done they should be light brown on top. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, and let the cookies rest in the pan for 1 minute, before trying to remove them.

After they rest a minute, transfer them from the pan to a wire rack to finish cooling. They will firm up a little bit more as they cool, and then they are ready to gobble up! There are a lot of cinnamon chips in these cookies, which makes them POP with cinnamon flavor!

I sure hope you get the chance to try these delicious oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies. They’re really good, and truly are a cinch to make! Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon.

Looking For More COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of ’em you will enjoy, including:

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0 from 0 votes

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

11 mins

Total Time

26 mins

Make a batch of 4 dozen delicious Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies (with raisins), for family or friends to enjoy! Easy, chewy, and so yummy!

Category: Desssert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: oatmeal cinnamon chip cookies

Servings: 48 cookies (approx.)

Calories Per Serving: 129 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened *equals 2 sticks
1 cup light brown sugar (packed)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 ounces Hershey's cinnamon chips *equals 1 bag
2½ cups old-fashioned oats *can substitute quick cooking oats
¾ cup raisins

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat until they become creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well, until incorporated into the batter.
In separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda; add to the batter. Beat well, until flour mixture has been fully mixed into the batter. Stir in oats, raisins, and cinnamon chips. Cookie batter will be thick!
Drop batter by generous Tablespoons onto UNGREASED cookie sheets, leaving space between each cookie. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. When done they should be lightly browned on top. Remove baking sheets from oven; let cookies rest for 1 minute before removing them from baking sheet. Transfer cookies to wire rack to finish cooling before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies

Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)

Calories 129 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Fat 6g9%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 18mg6%

Sodium 76mg3%

Potassium 70mg2%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 129IU3%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 25mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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12
Dec
2020

Crunchy Caramel Corn

categories: Appetizers, Candy, Desserts

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Learn how to make yummy, crunchy caramel corn at home! This delicious, easy treat is made with only a few ingredients and will be a big hit!

Do you enjoy caramel corn? I sure do! I’ve been making it for over 30 years with the same recipe I drag out of my old and tattered recipe box! It is super easy to make, is NOT sticky, and stays crunchy when stored in an airtight container! I am finally getting around to photographing and sharing the process for making it on the ol’ blog today.

The recipe as written makes approximately 24 cups of crunchy caramel corn when all is said and done, and did I mention just how absolutely DELICIOUS it is? Uh huh… addictively YUMMY. I have NO CLUE where the original recipe came from all those years ago. It was handwritten on an old 3×5 card with no source noted. Here’s how to make crunchy caramel corn:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

The Ingredients Needed

The ingredients you will need include popping corn, brown sugar, butter, light corn syrup, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Cream of tartar can be found in grocery stores in the Spices and Seasonings section.

Pop the Popcorn!

The first thing you will need to do is pop the popcorn! You will need 3/4 cup of UNPOPPED plain popcorn kernels to end up with 6 quarts of popped corn (approx. 24 cups) , which is necessary for this recipe.

Make the popcorn (in batches) using an air popper, or your own favorite popping method (stovetop/microwave, etc.). Once it is all popped, make sure to remove and discard any uncooked kernels from the batch. Set the popcorn aside in a very LARGE bowl while you make the caramel sauce. NOTE: It’s important to have the popcorn ready, so as soon as the hot caramel sauce is done, it can be added immediately!

Make The Caramel Sauce

Now it’s time to make the yummy caramel sauce for the popcorn. It’s EASY, and no candy thermometer is needed! Melt butter in a large saucepan. Once it’s melted, add brown sugar, light corn syrup, and salt. Stir well, to fully combine ingredients.

Bring the sauce to a boil on medium heat. Once it begins to boil, continue boiling for exactly 5 minutes, stirring the caramel sauce often.

The sauce for the crunchy caramel corn will get pretty “foamy” as it continues to boil, and will rise a bit in the pan (which is why you start with a large saucepan!). Just keep on stirring! As it gets close to the 5 minute mark, it will darken in color, as well.

Once you’ve boiled it for 5 minutes, remove the pan from the heat. Immediately stir in the baking soda, and a pinch of the cream of tartar. The cream of tartar and the baking soda add air to the sauce, which is what helps create the crunchy texture on the popcorn!

Pour And MIX, MIX, MIX!

Immediately pour the hot caramel mixture over the popcorn. Use a large spoon and stir and stir, until all the popcorn is well coated in caramel sauce. Just keep stirring! A word of warning: The sauce is VERY HOT, so be careful. This would NOT be a job for the kids!

Time To Bake The Crunchy Caramel Corn

Once the popcorn is well-coated with the caramel sauce, spread it out on two large rimmed cookie sheets. Try to keep the popcorn in a single layer, and separate pieces with your fingers, if necessary, to break up any large “globs”.

Bake the caramel corn in a preheated 200°F oven for 90 minutes (1½ hours). Stir the caramel corn every 20 minutes during the baking time. Stirring it that much is important, because it keeps the pieces moved around and broken up (for even heat distribution). This will also help the caramel to crisp up nice and crunchy, just the way it should be. Here’s what I do: Put on a great movie, set a timer, then just get up to give the caramel corn a stir every 20 minutes. It’s a WIN-WIN!

Once done, remove the pans from the oven, and let the crunchy caramel corn cool to room temperature before serving. Break up any large pieces, once cool. Store the crunchy caramel corn in an airtight container to keep it crunchy and fresh for weeks!

Crunchy Caramel Corn Is A Yummy Homemade Christmas Gift

Crunchy caramel corn also makes a fantastic food gift to give to those you love during the holidays! I like to buy inexpensive little Christmas goodie bags at the store, and fill them up with this crispy sweet snack!

Good luck staying out of the entire bowl of crunchy caramel corn… it is so incredibly good! It will be hard to stop eating, once you bite into it and get a taste!

Thanks for stopping by! I truly hope you have the opportunity to make some yummy, crunchy caramel corn for yourself or those you love. It’s such a great recipe, and is so easy to make. Come back soon for another visit, and have a great day.

Looking For More CHRISTMAS GOODIE Recipes?

You can find all of my Christmas goodie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of them you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

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0 from 0 votes

Crunchy Caramel Corn

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 30 mins

Total Time

1 hr 40 mins

Learn how to make yummy, crunchy caramel corn at home! This delicious, easy treat is made with only a few ingredients and will be a big hit!

Category: Appetizer/Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crunchy caramel corn

Servings: 24 approx.

Calories Per Serving: 177 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

¾ cup popcorn kernels (UNPOPPED) (to make 6 quarts popped)
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks or 16 Tablespoons)
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch cream of tartar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°F.
Make popcorn using an air popper, or a favorite popping method (stovetop/microwave, etc.). Once popped, remove/discard any uncooked kernels. Put popcorn in a LARGE bowl; set aside. NOTE: It's important to have popcorn ready before cooking caramel sauce!
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Stir to combine. Bring sauce to a boil on medium heat. Once boiling, continue boiling for 5 minutes, stirring often. Sauce will get "foamy" as it cooks, and will rise in the pan (which is why you use a large saucepan). Keep on stirring! Near the 5 minute mark, it will darken in color, as well. Once it's boiled 5 minutes, remove pan from heat. Stir in baking soda and a pinch of cream of tartar (this helps create crunchy texture-don't skip this).
Immediately pour hot caramel over popcorn. Use a large spoon and stir, until all popcorn is well coated in caramel sauce. Just keep stirring! TIP: Sauce is VERY HOT, so be careful.
Spread coated popcorn onto 2 large cookie sheets. Try to keep popcorn in a single layer, separating pieces with your fingers to break up large "globs". Bake at 200°F for 90 minutes (1½ hours), stirring every 20 minutes, to keep pieces moved around and broken up (for even heat distribution). Once done, remove from oven; let caramel corn cool completely. Break up any large pieces before serving. Store in airtight container to keep it crunchy for weeks! Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts

Crunchy Caramel Corn

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 177 Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Cholesterol 20mg7%

Sodium 124mg5%

Potassium 48mg1%

Carbohydrates 27g9%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 23g26%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 236IU5%

Calcium 18mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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01
Dec
2020

Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle

categories: Bar Cookies, Cookies, Desserts

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Delicious Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle is a very “brittle” slab of chocolate chip coconut pecan cookie broken in chunky pieces. EASY & YUMMY!

If you enjoy chocolate chip cookies, then I can practically guarantee you will LOVE this crispy, crunchy chocolate chip pecan brittle. There is also toasted coconut in this treat, which is a wonderful flavor addition. My husband and I love this simple, but decadent crunchy dessert. I originally found the recipe in one of the Christmas cookbooks I have in my collection. IT’S SO GOOD!

The dough is made, then pressed FIRMLY into a 13×9″ baking pan, then cooked until hard and crunchy. Once done baking, the entire slab of cookie brittle is removed from the pan IN ONE PIECE. It is then broken into irregular shaped pieces for serving. Oh. My. Goodness. This chocolate chip pecan brittle is addictively TASTY! It would also be perfect for gift-giving. Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Toast The Coconut And Pecans

First Things First… preheat your oven to 350°F. You will need to lightly “toast” the coconut and pecans before making the dough for the “cookie brittle”. It’s EASY. Simply spread the pecans and coconut out on a large baking sheet.

Bake them at 350°F for 7-8 minutes without disturbing, until the coconut is golden brown. Once done, remove pan from the oven, and set these two ingredients aside to cool for a few minutes before adding to the dough. TIP: While the pecans and coconut are cooling, you can begin making the dough, to save time.

Make The Dough

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In a SEPARATE large bowl, stir together melted (and cooled) butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the butter mixture, and stir well, combining the ingredients into a soft dough.

Add the chocolate chips and the cooled, toasted pecans and coconut to the dough mixture. Stir well, until all ingredients are incorporated. The chocolate chip pecan brittle dough will appear to be a bit crumbly, once combined.

Pack The Dough Firmly Into The Baking Pan

Lightly spray a 13″x9″ baking sheet with rimmed edges with non-stick baking spray. Using clean hands, firmly press the dough evenly in the pan until it is compacted and tightly packed down. This will ensure a crispy slab of chocolate chip pecan brittle once baked! Press the dough all the way to the edges.

Bake The Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle

Once dough is firmly compacted in the pan, I take the back of a spatula and go around the edges of the pan, to create a tiny space between the dough and the pan. It helps to shore up the edges of the chocolate chip pecan brittle for a solid slab later.

Pop the tray onto the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven. Bake for 19-21 minutes. When done, the “brittle” should be golden browned and firmly crisp. You don’t want soft spots, so you might have to cook it a minute or two longer, as oven temperatures can vary. When done, remove baking sheet from the oven to let the slab of brittle cool. Leave the brittle in the pan until it has cooled COMPLETELY.

Time To Bust Out The Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle!

Once the brittle has completely cooled, it’s time to bust it out of the pan. Remove the entire slab from the pan, and transfer it to a piece of aluminum foil or wax paper. It should be easy to remove in one piece, by lifting one edge, and literally lifting the whole thing out of the pan in a solid slab (as shown below)!

Using your hands, break the slab into individual portions. Yes, the pieces will be non-uniform in size as you break it up, but you should easily be able to get 24 pieces from this recipe.

Time To Eat!

Once the chocolate chip pecan brittle is broken up into serving size portions, it’s ready to eat. YUMMO. These delicious treats are so good, and it was all we could do to stay out of it! The brittle can also be placed into cute little cannisters or gift boxes to share some love with friends or family for the holidays or a special occasion!

These treats are really crunchy and are amazingly delicious! IF you have any leftovers… be sure to store them in an airtight container to ensure maximum crunchiness for several days!

I am positive you will really enjoy these decadent treats as much as we do! Hopefully you will have the opportunity and time to make them for those you love. Thanks for stopping by today. I truly hope you will come back soon. Have a GREAT day.

Looking For More COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few delicious ones, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original recipe source: “Christmas With Southern Living 2007” Cookbook, published 2007 by Oxmoor House, page 158

0 from 0 votes

Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle

Prep Time

17 mins

Cook Time

19 mins

Total Time

36 mins

Delicious Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle is a very "brittle" slab of chocolate chip coconut pecan cookie broken in chunky pieces. EASY & YUMMY!

Category: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate chip pecan brittle

Servings: 24

Calories Per Serving: 204 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

1½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup butter melted & cooled slightly
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (miniature)
1 cup pecan pieces toasted
½ cup sweetened, flaked coconut toasted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray or grease a 13"x9" rimmed baking sheet; set aside.
Spread pecans and coconut out on a large baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 7-8 minutes undisturbed, until coconut is golden brown. Remove pan from oven, let ingredients cool before adding to dough.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In a SEPARATE large bowl, stir together melted (cooled) butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir well, combining ingredients into a soft dough. Add chocolate chips and cooled pecans and coconut to dough. Stir well, until all ingredients are incorporated (dough will be a bit crumbly).
Firmly press dough evenly in greased pan until it is compacted and tightly packed down. This will ensure a crispy slab of chocolate chip pecan brittle once baked! Press dough all the way to the edges. Using the back of a spatula, go around edges, creating a tiny space between dough and pan. It helps to shore up the edges of the chocolate chip pecan brittle for a solid slab later.
Place baking sheet on the middle rack of 350°F oven. Bake for 19-21 minutes. When done, "brittle" should be golden brown and very crisp. You don't want soft spots, so you might have to cook it a minute or two longer, as oven temperatures can vary. When done, remove baking sheet from oven. Leave the brittle in the pan until it has cooled COMPLETELY.
Once completely cooled, remove entire slab from the pan. It should be easy to remove in one piece, by lifting up one edge, then lifting the whole thing out of the pan in a solid slab. Break the slab into individual portions. The pieces will be non-uniform in size as you break it up, but you should easily get 24 pieces. Serve, and enjoy! Store leftovers in airtight container.

Nutrition Facts

Chocolate Chip Pecan Brittle

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 204 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 7g44%

Cholesterol 16mg5%

Sodium 94mg4%

Potassium 112mg3%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 185IU4%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 22mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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13
Nov
2020

Awesome Pecan Pie

categories: Desserts, Holidays!, Pies/Tarts

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Ready for the holidays? Why not bake an awesome pecan pie from scratch? This pie is absolutely delicious, and it’s very simple to make.
My husband absolutely LOVES pecan pie. For many, many years I have made pecan pies, using the recipe found on the bottle of corn syrup (one of the ingredients).

All that has changed now, ever since I began making awesome pecan pie using another recipe. It’s a total KEEPER, and I want to share the recipe here with you today, and show you how to make it.

One of the unique things about this recipe that sets it apart is in its use of pecans. The recipe calls for finely chopped pecans, quartered pecans, and whole pecan halves used to decorate the top of this delicious pie.

This is also a vey easy pie to make. The flaky buttery crust, as written in the recipe is fantastic, but if really pressed for time, you could always use a pie dough shell. Let me show you how to make an awesome pecan pie!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Make The Pie Crust

Measure all purpose flour, granulated sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry cutter to “cut” chunks of very cold butter into the flour mixture. Do this until the butter has been “cut” into the crumbs (and becomes about the size of peas).

Sprinkle the dough with ice water, and stir until the pastry dough is bound together enough to form a dough ball.

Tip: You can also do this step in a food processor, if desired. Pulse cold butter chunks into flour mixture until butter is the size of peas. Drizzle in cold water while machine is running, until dough ball is formed.

Place the dough ball on a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough out until it becomes a circle that is at least an inch larger than the pie pan you will be using.

Carefully transfer the pie crust to the pie pan (I fold the dough circle in half, then lift it up and place it into the pie pan). PLACE THE PIE CRUST IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR TO KEEP IT COLD WHILE YOU MAKE THE FILLING!

Make The Awesome Pecan Pie Filling

Now it’s time to make the pie filling. The ingredients for the filling are eggs, light and dark corn syrup, butter, brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and finely chopped pecans.

Whisk or stir these ingredients together in a medium sized mixing bowl until they are fully combined. I usually whisk the eggs lightly, then stir in the rest!

Fill The Pie

Use the tines of a fork to puncture the crust dough in several places on the bottom and sides. This helps to prevent air pockets from forming.

Add the quartered pecans to the crust, spreading them in a single layer, to cover the bottom as much as possible.

Carefully pour the pie filling over the quartered pecans in the pie crust. Once the filling is in, decoratively arrange the remaining pecan halves over the top of the pie.

I start by going around the edge, and then work my way into the center with the pecan halves. They will lay right on top of the filling.

Bake Your Awesome Pecan Pie

The last thing you will need to do is trim off any excess dough, then crimp the edges of your pie crust decoratively. Once that’s done, place the pie on the middle rack of a preheated 350°F oven.

Bake the pie for 1 hour, or until firm and nicely browned. The crust should be golden and flaky when done.

Time For A Slice Of Pecan Pie!

Once the pie has cooled (for about an hour), it is ready to serve (it slices better, too!). We actually prefer it served at room temperature.

If you want, you can serve it warm with a tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream! The pie is rich and sweet, so we “usually” eat it without ice cream.

Once cooled, the pie can be easily sliced into 12 thin wedges and transferred to individual plates, for serving. Grab a fork, and dig in. I really think you will LOVE this awesome pecan pie!

I really hope you enjoy this awesome pecan pie! We absolutely LOVE it, and trust you will find it delicious, too! Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you will come back soon.

Looking For More PIE Recipes?

You can find all my pie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few, including:

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Original recipe source: allrecipes.com/recipe/18433/irresistible-pecan-pie/

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes

Awesome Pecan Pie

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

Ready for the holidays? Why not bake an awesome pecan pie from scratch? This pie is absolutely delicious, and it's very simple to make.

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: awesome pecan pie

Servings: 12

Calories Per Serving: 444 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Crust:

1½ cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter (1 stick) , very cold & cut in chunks
4 Tablespoons ice water

For Pie Filling:

3 large eggs
¾ cup light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons dark corn syrup
¾ cup light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons butter , melted
1 pinch salt
½ cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup pecan halves, quartered (each half cut in 4 pcs.)
1 cup pecan halves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make The Crust: Mix flour, sugar and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Cut chunks of cold butter into flour mixture, using two forks or a pastry blender. Continue until butter has been reduced to about the size of peas). Sprinkle dough with ice water, and stir well until the pastry dough is bound together enough to form a dough ball. Tip: You can also do this step in a food processor, if desired. Pulse cold butter chunks into flour mixture until butter is the size of peas. Drizzle in cold water while machine is running, until dough ball is formed.
Place dough ball on floured work surface. Roll out until it becomes a circle an inch larger than the pie pan. Transfer crust to pan (fold circle in half, lift it up, place it in pie pan, unfold). PLACE PIE CRUST (IN PAN) INTO REFRIGERATOR TO KEEP IT COLD WHILE YOU MAKE THE PIE FILLING!
Make The Filling: Whisk/stir eggs, light and dark corn syrups, melted butter, brown sugar, salt, and finely chopped pecans in medium mixing bowl until fully combined.
Remove crust from refrigerator. Use fork tines to pierce crust in several places (bottom and sides). Spread quartered pecans on bottom of crust in a single layer. Pour pie filling evenly over the quartered pecans. Decoratively arrange remaining pecan halves over the top. Trim excess dough and crimp edges of pie crust.
Bake pie at 350°F (on the middle rack of oven) for 1 hour, or until firm/nicely browned on top. Crust should be golden/flaky. Let pie cool for an hour, before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Awesome Pecan Pie

Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/12th of total))

Calories 444 Calories from Fat 243

% Daily Value*

Fat 27g42%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 74mg25%

Sodium 233mg10%

Potassium 139mg4%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 35g39%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 401IU8%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 41mg4%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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28
Oct
2020

Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars

categories: Bar Cookies, Desserts

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Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars are a yummy treat, with crunchy layers of puffed rice cereal, butterscotch chips, peanut butter and chocolate!

If you’re on the lookout for a great tasting dessert bar or snack, I would love to recommend to you these butterscotch fudge krispy bars! I first tried them over 25 years ago when my sweet friend Dawn made a batch and shared them with our family. After my first bite I was hooked! They are absolutely delicious (and addicting, I might add).

I finally got around to making and photographing these yummy bars again, to share her fantastic recipe on my blog. So I whipped up a batch, and “forced” myself to enjoy several of them… you know for “quality control”! Luckily for us (and our waistlines), our oldest son had evacuated to our home as a precaution during the recent Oregon wildfires, so he definitely helped gobble them up, too!

They are ALWAYS a huge hit, and I am happy to be sharing my friend’s easy recipe today. Here’s how to make ’em:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page.

How To Make Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars

In a large saucepan, cook butterscotch chips and peanut butter on LOW heat only until melted, stirring continually. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the crisped rice cereal immediately.

Stir well, to combine the ingredients. The mixture will be THICK. Just keep stirring until all the rice cereal is coated. While the mixture is still warm, divide it in half. Press HALF of the mixture into a well buttered or greased dish (use 8×8 dish if making as written, or a 9×13 dish for a double batch). Keep the other reserved half of this mixture in the saucepan, at room temp.

Use the back of a spoon to firmly press the mixture down into the pan to form a solid, dense layer. Set the pan with the krispy layer into the freezer to chill and solidify while you make the chocolate fudge layer.

Make The Chocolate Fudge Layer

Now it’s time to make the middle chocolate fudge layer. Use a double boiler for this step. No double boiler? Do this: Place a small pan with the chocolate chips on top of a larger pan (half full of gently boiling water) on the stove. The small pan will “rest” on top of the lightly boiling water of the larger pan. Be careful not to let any water from the bottom pan get into the chocolate chips or they will “seize up” (not good).

Stir the chocolate chips until they have fully melted, then remove the pan from the heat. Once the melted chocolate is off the heat, quickly stir in powdered sugar, butter and then water. Stir well, to melt the butter, and continue stirring until smooth.

Layer Fudge Filling And Then Butterscotch Krispy Mixture

Remove the dish with the krispy layer from the freezer, and immediately spread the chocolate fudge over the top. Use the back of a spoon, knife, or offset spatula to evenly spread the chocolate to fully cover the bottom layer.

Now take the reserved butterscotch krispy mixture, and carefully spread it over the fudge layer, fully covering the chocolate layer. Press this layer together to form a firm top layer. Now you have three distinct layers of butterscotch fudge krispy bars! Place the bars into a refrigerator to chill, until firm (about 30 minutes or so).

Time To Eat Some Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars!

Once the butterscotch fudge kripsy bars are fully chilled and firm, they can be cut into portions for serving. Crunchy, sweet, and flavored with chocolate, butterscotch and peanut butter, you’re gonna love them, and might regret not making a DOUBLE BATCH!!

This is such a yummy dessert (or snack). It’s truly hard to not devour them all! The bars hold their shape really well, and have amazing flavor! Store any leftovers, covered, at room temperature. They do not have to be refrigerated after they have been cut, and will stay wonderfully delicious for days!

I sure hope you will have the opportunity to make this dessert. I can’t say enough good things about these treats… they are an all around family favorite! Thank you for stopping by my blog today, and I trust God will bless you and those you love.

Looking For More Bar Cookie Recipes?

You can find all of my bar cookie recipes (and other desserts) in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few, including:

Don’t Miss A Recipe!

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original recipe source: my friend Dawn Lindquist

0 from 0 votes

Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

0 mins

Refrigeration Time (inactive)

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars are a yummy treat, with crunchy layers of puffed rice cereal, butterscotch chips, peanut butter and chocolate!

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butterscotch fudge krispy bars

Servings: 16

Calories Per Serving: 204 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

6 ounces butterscotch chips
½ cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups puffed rice cereal , (i.e.) Rice Krispies

For Chocolate Fudge Layer:

6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 Tablespoon water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Layer #1-Butterscotch Krispy- In large saucepan, cook butterscotch chips and peanut butter on LOW heat until melted, stirring often. Remove pan from heat; add crisped rice cereal. Stir well, to combine until all cereal is coated. While warm, divide mixture in half. Press HALF of the mixture into a well buttered or greased dish, (setting aside other half of mixture in saucepan for later-Layer #3). Firmly press mixture down into dish to form solid layer. Set dish in freezer to chill/solidify.
Layer #2 Chocolate- Use double boiler OR place small pan with chocolate chips on top of larger pan (half full of gently boiling water) on stove. Small pan will "rest" on top of hot water in larger pan. Don't let water from the bottom pan get into chocolate chips. Stir chocolate until melted; remove pan from heat. Immediately stir in powdered sugar, butter and water, stirring until smooth. Remove dish with krispy layer from freezer; spread chocolate on top to fully cover.
Layer #3 Reserved Krispy Mixture- Take reserved butterscotch krispy mixture; spread it out to cover chocolate. Press krispy mixture together to form firm top layer. Chill bars in refrigerator until very firm (approx. 30 minutes).
Serve- Cut chilled bars into 16 servings (or 32, if doubling recipe), serve, and enjoy. Store leftovers (covered) at room temp.

Nutrition Facts

Butterscotch Fudge Krispy Bars

Amount Per Serving (1 bar)

Calories 204 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 5mg2%

Sodium 129mg6%

Potassium 121mg3%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 525IU11%

Vitamin C 4mg5%

Calcium 10mg1%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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12
Oct
2020

Frosted Pumpkin Bars

categories: Bar Cookies, Desserts, Holidays!

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Frosted Pumpkin Bars are easy-to-make delicious treats, with cream cheese frosting, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, for a true taste of FALL!

I can’t say enough great things about these yummy pumpkin bars. They’re SO GOOD. I’ve made them for many years (over 20), since my good friend Carla gave me her recipe way back in October, 1999. This year I realized I hadn’t ever posted the recipe on my blog, so I whipped up another batch a few weeks ago, and took photos as I made them.

Our oldest son was staying with us for just over a week, because of the horrible Oregon wildfires and hazardous smoke that saturated our area. We have air conditioning/air filtering, and since he lived right at the evacuation zone, it was “easier for him to breathe” here. We were glad to have him here, so he could enjoy his “Mom’s cooking”, AND gobble up several of these frosted pumpkin bars.

They are ALWAYS a huge hit (especially this time of year), and are incredibly simple to prepare. Today I want to share the recipe with you, so you can enjoy them, too! Here’s how to make 16 frosted pumpkin bars:

SCROLL DOWN FOR A PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

Prepare The Batter

In a large bowl, beat softened butter for about 30 seconds until creamy. Add granulated sugar, and beat until the mixture is rather “fluffy” (about 2-3 minutes). Add pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling), an egg, and vanilla extract to the bowl. Beat well, until fully incorporated. These are your “wet” ingredients for the pumpkin bars.

In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. This dry ingredient mixture includes flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and beat until the ingredients are fully blended together. Now your batter for the frosted pumpkin bars is complete. Time to bake!

Time To Bake!

Evenly spread the pumpkin batter in an 8″x8″ greased or sprayed baking dish (bottom and sides). Bake the bars at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes. You will know the bars are done when a toothpick inserted into the top center comes out clean.

Once done, remove the pan from the oven, and place it on a wire rack to let the pumpkin bars cool. Let the bars FULLY cool before attempting to frost them! Trust me on this – if you try to frost them too soon, the heat will melt the butter and cream cheese in the frosting, which is not good. Just be patient and WAIT.

Make The Frosting For The Pumpkin Bars

While the pumpkin bars are cooling, whip up the cream cheese frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and softened butter until fully combined. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar to the bowl, then beat on low, until smooth.

Once the pumpkin bars have TOTALLY COOLED, spread the cream cheese frosting over the top of the bars. Lightly sprinkle the frosting with ground cinnamon. Cover the pan, and place the pan of frosted pumpkin bars in the REFRIGERATOR to chill completely, in order to give the frosting time to firm up slightly.

Let’s Eat Some Frosted Pumpkin Bars!

After the frosting has chilled and had time to firm up a bit, slice the bars into 16 portions, and serve. Get ready to enjoy a yummy treat! The bars are filled with the flavors of Fall, thanks to the wonderful “warm” spices of cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.

YUM… they are soooo good. And the simple cream cheese frosting – don’t even get me started on that, cause I could eat it with a spoon! Store any uneaten frosted pumpkin bars, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, IF they last that long.

I really hope you will have the opportunity to try these absolutely delicious frosted pumpkin bars! They are a wonderful tasting dessert your family and friends will love. If you enjoy these pumpkin bars, be sure to check out my recipe for a pumpkin cream cheese roll! It’s a delicious and a beautiful dessert, that is perfect for the holidays.

Thank you for stopping by, and I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Have a GREAT day, and may God bless you.

Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few, delicious bar cookie recipes I think you will enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original recipe source: my dear friend, Carla Merrill

0 from 0 votes

Frosted Pumpkin Bars

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

Frosted Pumpkin Bars are easy-to-make delicious treats, with cream cheese frosting, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, for a true taste of FALL!

Category: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: frosted pumpkin bars

Servings: 16

Calories Per Serving: 167 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

¼ cup butter , softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
¾ cup canned pumpkin puree , NOT pumpkin pie filling
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

For Frosting:

1½ ounces cream cheese (light)
¼ cup butter , softened
1 cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat softened butter for 30 seconds until creamy. Add granulated sugar; beat until mixture is "fluffy" (2-3 minutes). Add pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla. Beat well, until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Add to the wet ingredients, and beat until fully blended. Spread batter in an 8"x8" greased or sprayed baking dish (grease bottom and sides).
Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes. Bars are done when a toothpick inserted into the top center comes out clean. Remove pan from oven; place pan on wire rack. Let bars fully cool before attempting to frost them!

Make Cream Cheese Frosting While Bars Cool:

Beat cream cheese and softened butter in a medium bowl until fully combined. Add vanilla extract and powdered sugar; beat until smooth. Once pumpkin bars have TOTALLY COOLED, spread frosting evenly on bars. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover pan, and place frosted pumpkin bars in the REFRIGERATOR to chill completely.
Once frosting firms up and bars have chilled, they are ready to serve. Slice into 16 bars, serve, and enjoy! Store leftovers, covered in refrigerator, for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Facts

Frosted Pumpkin Bars

Amount Per Serving (1 pumpkin bar)

Calories 167 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 28mg9%

Sodium 176mg8%

Potassium 45mg1%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 1996IU40%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 13mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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28
Sep
2020

Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

categories: Bar Cookies, Desserts

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It’s easy to make Banana Chocolate Chip Bars (w/ cream cheese frosting) for those you love! They’re moist & delicious- you’re gonna love ’em!

Today I want to share with you a yummy recipe I use to make banana chocolate chip bars. I’ve made other recipes over the years, but this one is my “go to” now. I made a very slight “tweak” to a great banana bar recipe (CAN YOU SAY CHOCOLATE?), and have gotten rave reviews for these dessert treats ever since!

The addition of mini chocolate chips, plus using 4 ripe bananas and sour cream in the batter, adds to the flavor, and the “moistness” of these yummy bars. They are so good, so I wanted to share the recipe here on the blog. They don’t take too long at all to prepare (only about 20 minutes prep.) Here’s how to make them:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page.

Prepare The Batter

Beat butter and granulated sugar together in medium sized mixing bowl (or in a stand mixer). Once it’s creamy and well-blended, add the eggs, ONE AT A TIME to the bowl, beating well after each egg is added. Now add vanilla extract and sour cream to the batter, and beat well, to fully incorporate these ingredients.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, salt and baking soda. STIR the flour mixture into the batter, a little at a time, until all the flour has been added.

Time To Add The Bananas!

Place four really ripe bananas into a mixing bowl. You know… the browned ones with lots of spots (the ones you forgot about!). They are nice and soft… and SWEET! Mash them up with a fork until fully “smooshed”, and then add them to the batter, along with mini chocolate chips. Give the batter a good stir, to ensure all ingredients are fully combined.

Bake The Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

Now it’s time to bake ’em! Pour the batter, spreading evenly into a greased (or sprayed) 13″ x 9″ baking pan (or 15″ x 10″ jelly roll pan). Bake the banana chocolate chip bars at 350°F. for 35-40 minutes (mine took 35), if using a 13″ x 9″ pan. NOTE: If you’re using a 15″ x 10″ jelly roll pan, bake the bars at 350°F. for 22-27 minutes.

When done, the bars will be golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the top/middle of the bars should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the banana chocolate chip bars cool completely. You can make the cream cheese frosting while they cool.

Frost The Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

While the bars cool, make the frosting. It’s easy! Place softened cream cheese, softened butter, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Beat these three ingredients together until fully blended. Add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, and continue beating as you add it, until the frosting becomes creamy. This only takes a few minutes.

Spread the frosting over the top of the completely cooled banana chocolate chip bars, and then sprinkle with additional chocolate chips, if desired. I can’t resist, so I sprinkle about 3 Tablespoons of mini chocolate chips over the top. It’s an optional step, but it sure looks yummy. Let the bars sit for a few minutes to let the frosting slightly firm up, then slice them up!

Time To Eat!

If making these banana chocolate chip bars in a 13″ x 9″ pan (that’s how I make ’em), you can cut them into 24 small portions. If making in a jellyroll pan, you will get approx. 36 servings. The banana bars are moist, absolutely delicious, and filled with flavor. And that cream cheese frosting… whoa… it’s absolutely scrumptious!

I filled several plates with a few of these bars, and delivered them to four of our neighbors as a surprise treat. They got rave reviews! Trust me… I could have eaten the entire batch (they’re sooo good), but decided to share with others, rather than sharing with my hips (wink, wink)!

We love these yummy dessert bars, and I am confident you will, too. I hope you have the opportunity to make them for those you love. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you will visit again soon. Have a great day!

Looking For More BAR COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my bar cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few you will enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

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Recipe adapted from Terri, at: greatgrubdelicioustreats.com/banana-bars-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

0 from 0 votes

Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

55 mins

It's easy to make Banana Chocolate Chip Bars (w/ cream cheese frosting) for those you love! They're moist and delicious- you're gonna love 'em!

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana chocolate chip bars

Servings: 24

Calories Per Serving: 292 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

½ cup butter softened
1⅓ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
4 medium RIPE bananas , mashed
½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

For Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese softened
½ cup butter softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9 baking pan or 15 x 10 jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.
Beat softened butter and sugar in medium bowl until creamy. Add eggs (one at a time), beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream; beat well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. STIR flour mixture into the batter, a little at a time, until combined. Next, add mashed bananas and chocolate chips to batter; stir until fully combined.
Spread batter evenly into prepared 13" x 9" pan (or 15" x 10" jelly roll pan). Bake at 350°F. for 35-40 minutes (for a 13x9 pan) or for 22-27 minutes (in jelly roll pan). When done, the bars should be golden brown on top, and a toothpick inserted into the top of the bars should come out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let bars cool completely before frosting.

Make Frosting:

Place (softened) cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat together until fully combined and smooth. Add powdered sugar, a little at a time, beating after each addition, until creamy.
Spread frosting over cooled banana bars; sprinkle with additional chocolate chips (optional), if desired. Let rest for a few minutes to let frosting slightly firm up, then cut into bars and serve! (24 servings for 9 x 13 pan, and 36 servings for 15 x 10 pan). Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTES: Caloric calculation was made based on 24 servings (9 x 13 pan). If making 36 servings (in 15 x 10 jelly roll pan), the calorie calculation reduces to approx. 195 calories per serving. **Additional 3 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips (for garnish on top) are optional, and were not included in either caloric calculation.

Nutrition Facts

Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

Amount Per Serving (1 bar)

Calories 292 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Fat 13g20%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 45mg15%

Sodium 196mg9%

Potassium 159mg5%

Carbohydrates 43g14%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 31g34%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 358IU7%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

11
Sep
2020

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

categories: Cookies, Desserts

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Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies, topped with a creamy orange frosting, are a soft, delicious, and wonderfully decadent treat you will enjoy!

About 15 years ago, I received this recipe for orange chocolate chip cookies from a friend. She knew that I hosted a cookie exchange at Christmas time every year, and wanted to share this one with me to try. She wrote “I think you should bake these in the near future to see if they are something you would want for your exchange. I have a sister-in-law that thinks Christmas isn’t the same unless she has some of these.” Well, I don’t know where my friend got her original recipe for these cookies, but it’s a KEEPER!

I have to tell you, these easy-to-make cookies taste WONDERFUL, and I am so glad my friend Annette sent me her recipe. Pillowy soft, filled with chocolate chips, flavored with orange juice and zest, and topped with a creamy orange icing, these cookies are absolutely delicious! Today I want to share the simple recipe with you. Here’s how to make them:

Scroll down for a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Make The Cookie Dough

Before beginning, remember to preheat your oven to 350°F. The dough for the cookies is really easy to make, and it comes together quickly, so make sure the oven is preheated, so it’s ready to go once the cookie dough is done.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream shortening, granulated sugar and cream cheese together until well combined. Note:* I almost always use butter for my baking, but this recipe calls for vegetable shortening, so as not to “mess it up”, that is what I use).

Add two eggs, fresh orange juice, and orange zest to the batter. Continue to beat the ingredients together until the batter is fluffy, and fully combined.

Now add the flour, salt, and chocolate chips. STIR these ingredients into the batter. That’s it! This is the batter for your orange chocolate chip cookies! Now let’s bake them.

Bake The Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

Scoop or drop the batter by spoonfuls onto very lightly sprayed or greased cookie sheets, keeping about 2 inches between cookies. I usually get between 24-26 cookies out of the dough.

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, or only until the cookies are just barely golden brown around the bottom edges. You do NOT want the cookies to brown like a traditional chocolate chip cookie!

Once they’re done (see how they are barely brown around the edges?), remove the baking sheets from the oven, and let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Make The Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

While the orange chocolate chip cookies cool, you can make the orange cream cheese frosting. The frosting makes these delicious cookies perfect, so don’t leave this out!

In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together cream cheese, fresh orange juice, and orange zest (zest is the finely grated peel of the orange, and has lots of citrus flavor in it). Once they are creamed together, add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, until fully incorporated. You will end up with a fairly thick frosting for the cookies.

Frost The Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

Once the cookies have COMPLETELY cooled, spread each one with the yummy orange frosting. There is enough frosting to generously cover the entire top of each cookie (I had 26 cookies). Let the cookies rest, which will firm up the frosting, before serving. In the second photo below, you can see that the bottoms of the cookies are barely browned. That is what they should look like.

Once the frosting has firmed up, the cookies are ready to enjoy! I’m confident you will like these soft, orange chocolate chip cookies. They are sooo good! The orange flavor, combined with chocolate chips is a favorite combination of mine, and I hope you like it, too.

Even though the cookies were so good that I could have eaten them ALL, I enjoyed taking small plates of these delicious cookies to several neighbors, so they could enjoy them, too!

I truly hope you have the opportunity to make these yummy cookies for yourself or for those you love. The recipe is so simple to prepare, and the results are wonderful! Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.

Looking For More COOKIE Recipes?

You can find all of my cookie recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few, delicious cookie recipes to explore, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Original recipe source: Annette Goetz

0 from 0 votes

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

11 mins

Total Time

21 mins

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies, topped with a creamy orange frosting, are a soft, delicious, and wonderfully decadent treat you will enjoy!

Category: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: orange chocolate chip cookies

Servings: 26

Calories Per Serving: 230 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

For Cookies:

3 ounces light cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening
2 large eggs
3 Tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 Tablespoon orange zest
2¼ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips I used mini-sized

For Orange Frosting:

3 ounces light cream cheese
1 Tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 Tablespoon orange zest
2 cups powdered sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix/cream shortening, granulated sugar and 3 ounces cream cheese until well combined. Add eggs, orange juice, and orange zest to batter. Continue to beat ingredients until batter is fluffy, and fully combined.
STIR flour, salt, and chocolate chips into the batter. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies (approx. 24-26 cookies).
Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes, or only until the cookies are barely golden brown around the bottom edges. You do NOT want cookies to brown like traditional chocolate chip cookies! When done, let cookies cool 2-3 minutes on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

To Make Frosting:

Use an electric or stand mixer to beat together cream cheese, orange juice and zest. When fully mixed, add powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Frosting will be slightly thick.
Spread each cookie with frosting. There's enough to generously cover the entire top of each cookie. Let cookies rest to let frosting firm up, before serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

Amount Per Serving (1 cookie)

Calories 230 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Cholesterol 19mg6%

Sodium 86mg4%

Potassium 37mg1%

Carbohydrates 31g10%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 22g24%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 76IU2%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 21mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!