chocolate chip bar cookies

I love my blondie recipe, but when I made this recipe with my mother over Christmas break, I realized it was a much more convenient option for the chocolate chip blondie. Half the butter, and it still tastes great!

CHOCOLATE CHIP BAR COOKIES
from Taste of Home

1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

COMBINE brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl until just blended.

MIX flour, baking powder, and salt; add to brown sugar mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.

BAKE at 350°F for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely, then serve.

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hazelnut blondies

I love blondies, and I love Nutella, so when I stumbled across this Martha recipe, I had to give it a try. I'm not a huge fan of straight hazelnuts, but toasted, they add a nice flavor to the blondies. And Nutella (or off-brand Nutella), that's been a special addition to my pantry here in China. My friend and I discovered the "Nussa" brand during our first months. While it is amazing on a pretzel roll from the German bakery, blondies are also a worthy partner.

You can find hazelnuts, real Nutella, and Nussa at the grocery store in the basement of Hisense.

HAZELNUT BLONDIES
from Martha Stewart

4 Tbsp butter, plus more for pan
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 ¾ cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
1 heaping Tbsp chocolate-hazelnut spread

MIX melted butter with brown sugar. Beat until smooth. Beat in eggs then vanilla. Add flour mixture and stir until combined. Add hazelnuts and chocolate-hazelnut spread. Pour into a greased or parchment-lined and greased 10x10 pan (or 9x13, 8x11, two 8x8, etc.).

BAKE at 350°F for 25 minutes, or until set in the middle.

COOL 15 minutes, then cut into squares. Top with additional chocolate-hazelnut spread, if desired.

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cookies and cream brownies

Do you need another recipe for brownies? You probably buy the Betty Crocker ones 10 for $10 on sale at the local grocery store. And why not---they're so good! But as I've mentioned before, it's not so easy on this side of the globe. A box is at least $7, so I make them from scratch. Or with cookie dough on top. Or how about cookies and cream brownies? What could be easier---crumble oreos into brownie mix and bake! Or try a third from scratch recipe, then crumble in oreos, bake, and call it a day.

Feel free to try the oreo mix-in with any brownie recipe, box or from scratch. It is a really simple way to make brownies special!

COOKIES AND CREAM BROWNIES
from Baking Bites

1 cup butter
6 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped (or super dark Dove bars)
3 cups sugar (or 2 5/8 cups, if using Dove bars--3 cups minus 6 Tbsp)
½ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 2/3 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups oreo cookies, coarsely chopped (approximately 20-24 oreos)

MELT together butter and chocolate in a medium-large saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Whisk in sugar, salt and vanilla, then turn off heat. Whisk in eggs one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.

STIR in flour and cocoa powder until mixture is uniform. Fold in chopped oreo cookies and pour batter into a 9 × 13 baking pan lined with aluminum foil and grease lightly. Spread into an even layer, then sprinkle with 3-4 additional cookies, finely crushed, if desired.

BAKE at 350°F for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs, but not coated with batter. Cool brownies in pan for about 20 minutes, then carefully lift brownies out of the pan using the aluminum foil as a handle and place on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

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cookie dough brownies

I love to eat cookie dough. I absolutely LOVE it. Forget the fact that I hate cooked eggs that are anything but scrambled (and preferably with cheese or in omelet-form), I will eat raw egg mixed with butter, sugar, flour, and chocolate chips by the spoonful.

One summer, while working at the camp kitchen, I was amazed by a new dessert. These brownies had a top layer of cookie dough. How could the camp serve such salmonella-prone delicacies and not get shut down by the health department? Mrs. Weaver told me the trick---the dough lacked eggs!

I recently stumbled upon a recipe for such a treat and decided to relive my summer memories. As the blog suggested, the dough is so-so on its own (does raw egg add that much flavor?), but on top of a brownie, it's fabulous.

While I have a go-to brownie recipe, I didn't think it was sturdy enough to hold a thick layer of cookie dough, so I doubled this recipe to fill a 9 x 13 pan. Feel free to use whatever brownie recipe you prefer, box or from scratch.

COOKIE DOUGH BROWNIES
adapted from Baking Junkie via Baking Bites

9 x 13 pan of prepared brownies
1 ½ cups butter, softened
1 ½ cups brown sugar
⅔ cup white sugar
8 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp vanilla
3 cups flour
½ tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

CREAM butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Add in flour and salt, mixing until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

SPREAD the cookie dough on top on completely cooled 9 x 13 pan of brownies.

FREEZE or refrigerate until set.

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pumpkin pie bars

This recipe comes from the Kraft Foods magazine. Though I enjoy many of the recipes in that magazine, most rely on Kraft products that are not readily available in China. This recipe is not unreasonable, especially if you prepare your own pumpkin.

PUMPKIN PIE BARS
from Kraft Foods magazine

1 1/3 cups flour
¾ cup sugar, divided
½ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup cold butter or margarine
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats, uncooked
½ cup chopped pecans
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 eggs
1 can (15 oz., approx 2 cups) pumpkin
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
(or 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ½ t. nutmeg, ½ tsp cloves)

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; grease foil. Mix flour, 1/4 granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in oats and nuts.

RESERVE 1 cup oat mixture; press remaining onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes. Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, eggs, pumpkin and spice with mixer until well blended. Pour over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

BAKE for 25 minutes at 350°F; cool 10 min. Use foil to transfer dessert from pan to wire rack; cool completely.

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black bottom banana bars

Ever have too many ripe bananas? If you don’t want to make banana bread, this is another great option, introduced to me by another staff member at our school.

BLACK BOTTOM BANANA BARS

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups mashed bananas
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¼ cup cocoa

CREAM butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until thoroughly combined. Blend in bananas.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.

DIVIDE batter in half. Add cocoa to half. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with a knife. BAKE at 350°F for 25 minutes.

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mima's lemon bars

Lemon bars are a sweet and tangy treat that is sure to delight. I was first exposed to this recipe when my roommate made 5 or 6 batches for our staff “Welcome Back” picnic. (I made oatmeal cookies and peanut butter cookies, again 5 or more batches of each. We were providing dessert for everyone.)

This recipe comes to her in a marble composition book, handwritten from her Mima (paternal grandmother).

MIMA'S LEMON BARS (makes two 8x8 inch pans)

1 cup butter
½ cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
6 Tbsp flour
2 cups sugar
6 Tbsp lemon juice
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Extra powdered sugar

BLEND the first 4 ingredients and press into two 8x8 pans. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until golden.

COMBINE eggs, flour, sugar, lemon juice, and rind. Beat thoroughly. Pour over warm pastry. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.

COOL, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

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brownies

Have you made brownies from scratch? Until I moved to China, the answer was no. Why would you? The boxes are so good and go on sale for just a dollar or two! But bringing years worth of brownie mix to China was not feasible, and when a box cost $7 here, I decided to try a recipe that was recommended by a friend. I didn’t try the recipe until my second year here because the ingredient list grossed me out. What kind of recipe has the same amount of oil as flour, and twice as much sugar? A good brownie, that is. Or perhaps, as the name suggests, the best brownie.

THE BEST BROWNIES
From the Tianjin Cookbook

½ cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
½ cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

BLEND oil, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add eggs.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl, then add to the mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in a 9 inch square pan.

BAKE at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.

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blondies

If I'm anything like my mother, there will be a disproportionate amount of dessert recipes on this site. Is that really a problem? This recipe is from one of my favorite food blogs, smitten kitchen. On first attempt, I thought they were horrible. Note for you: don't eat while warm! Despite the joys of warm brownies, these blondies are not so great until they're cool, at which point they become fantastic! One of the best things is the infinite amount of options for mix-ins. I've listed a few of my favorites at the bottom. And we can't forget my favorite part---this recipe uses MELTED butter, not softened! So much quicker and easier...

BLONDIES
from smitten kitchen (makes approximately 30 squares)

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
a pinch of salt
2 cups flour

MIX melted butter with brown sugar. Beat until smooth. Beat in eggs then vanilla. Add salt and stir in flour. Mix in any additions. Pour into a greased 10x10 pan (or 9x13, two 8x8, etc.).

BAKE at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle.

COOL completely, then cut into squares.


POTENTIAL MIX-INS (feel free to try your own combinations):
1-2 cups of chocolate chips
1 cup of white chocolate bits (cut up Dove bars) and 1 cup of dried cranberries
1-2 cups of cut of Dove bars (white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate)
1-2 cups of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips
1 cup of shredded coconut and 1 cup of chocolate (consider decreasing the butter by a tablespoon if using coconut)

For snickerdoodle blondies, courtesy of Baking Bites, use white sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 Tbsp vanilla. After the batter is in the pan, generously sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar. Bake a little longer, 30 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. As an added note, you may consider lining the pan with aluminum foil to help remove the bars.

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