Peanut Butter Bars

Peanut Butter Bars
3/4 c butter
1 c peanut butter
2 c graham cracker crumbs
2 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 c semi-sweet choco chips
4 Tbsp peanut butter

Directions: Melt butter & 1 c peanut butter. Add graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Mix until well blended. Press into ungreased 8" by 8" pan. Melt choco chips with 4 Tbsp peanut butter (either on stovetop or microwave) and spread on top of graham cracker mixture. Refridgerate for at least 1 hour.

Sugar Cookies

These are the best sugar cookies!  The almond extract is what sets these apart from all others.  I haven't exactly found an easy and tasty frosting recipe, so I buy that!

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
3 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar (I use sugar that I've stored vanilla beans in)
 2 sticks (salted) butter, cold & cut into chunks
 1 egg
 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling.

Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and freeze for 5 minutes prior to cooking and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

 

Homemade Nutrigrain Bars

Instead of 43 ingredients like the brand name bar, make these 9 ingredient healthy ones:

Homemade Nutrigrain Bars
Filling:
Low sugar organic jelly

Dough:
2 cups flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
2 tbsp quick oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup milk

Yum...Recipe from Giada de Laurentiis

Mascarpone Chocolate Toffee Bars

Vegetable cooking spray

1 pound refrigerated sugar cookie dough (recommended: Pillsbury)

2 (1.4-ounces) chocolate-toffee candy bars, coarsely chopped, divided (recommended: Skor)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (recommended: Ghirardelli)

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 cup (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted * see Cook's Note

Directions

1.  Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 7 by 10 3/4-inch nonstick baking pan with vegetable cooking spray. Lay a 6 by 18-inch piece of parchment paper in the pan, allowing the excess paper to overhang the sides. Spray the parchment paper lightly with cooking spray.
2.   In a medium bowl, combine the cookie dough, 1/2 of the chopped chocolate-toffee candy pieces and vanilla extract. Using damp fingers, gently press the dough into the prepared pan. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes.
3.  Place the chocolate chips and vegetable oil in a medium bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate has melted. Cool the chocolate mixture for 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese until the mixture is smooth. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate mixture over the cooled crust.
4.   Sprinkle the remaining chocolate-toffee candy pieces and sliced almonds over the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the chocolate layer is firm.
Peel off the parchment paper and cut into 1 1/2 by 2-inch bars. Serve at room temperature.
*Cook's Note: To toast almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned.

No Fail Chocolate Chip Cookies

Making the perfect chocolate chip cookie took 28 years in the making!  Thank you to Kristina for baking a magnificient batch of cookies last summer and sharing her recipe with me.  This recipe makes a lot of cookie dough so I froze pre-made balls of dough and plopped them into the oven when the craving hit, which is pretty much every night for my husband and I...

Original recipe from the NY Times.

No Fail Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 2/3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate 
Sea salt.

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.
Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.