Snickerdoodle Bars

These are really, really good.
Much easier than rolling and baking the cookies too.

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Makes a 9x13 pan

Dough
1 c unsalted butter
1 3/4 c sugar
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour

Filling
1 1/2 T cinnamon
2 T sugar

Glaze
1 1/4 c powdered sugar
2 T milk
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter with sugar and other ingredients through salt.  Beat in eggs one at a time and vanilla.  Stir in flour.  Spread half of dough in a greased 9x13 pan.  Mix sugar and cinnamon for filling and spread on top.  Drop remaining dough by spoonfuls on top.  Bake 30-35 minutes at 350F.  Bang pan when you take out to get rid of air.  Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle on top.

Pie Bars

This cuts up nicer and is a bit more portable than the normal pie.

Makes a 10"x15" Pan

Crust
2 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1/4 c milk

Filling
8 c fruit
sugar
flour/corn starch
lemon juice, vanilla, almond extract
butter

Glaze
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
milk
vanilla, almond extract

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.  Cut in butter to pea size.  Mix egg yolk with 1/4 c milk.  Blend in flour mix.  If dough isn't starting to come together, add more milk.  Wrap in two disks and chill 3+ hours.  Meanwhile combine fruit, sugar, flour or cornstarch in pan.  (Here, I used a combo of sour and sweet cherries, sugar, corn starch, and Amaretto.) Cook until thick and bubbly.  It should be thick like a pie filling if not add more thickening or liquid to get it right.  Add butter and flavorings as desired.  Let cool.  Roll one disk in a rectangle large enough to place in a jelly roll pan.  Put crust in pan.  Sprinkle with flour and sugar.  Top with filling.  Roll out second crust and place on top.  Bake 1 hour at 375F.
While still hot, mix powdered sugar with enough milk and flavorings to make a glaze.  Drizzle on top.

Post Egg Hunt Magic Bars

Makes a 9x13 Pan

Preheat oven to 350F
Place 1 stick butter in a 9x13 dish.
Stick the dish in the oven until butter melts.
Stir in 2 c graham cracker crumbs and flatten.
In a separate bowl, mix 5 cups of chocolate, nuts, and coconut with ratios of your choice.  (I used 1 c M&Ms, 1 c chopped chocolate eggs, 1 c chopped peanut butter cups, 1 c white chips, and 1 c coconut.)
Spread all but 1/2 c of mixture over graham crackers.
Drizzle over 1 can sweetened condensed milk.
Sprinkle last bit of mix over top.
Press down on gently with palms.
Bake 25 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Bars

One bowl.  Very easy. Very good.  Enough said.

Makes a 9"x13" or 10"x15" Pan

2/3 c unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 c light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla
2 1/2 baking powder
2 3/4 c flour

In a 2 quart pot, melt butter over medium heat.  Remove from stove.  Stir in salt and sugar.  Stir in eggs one at a time and vanilla.  Stir in baking powder, then flour.  Add chips.  Spread in preferred pan.  Bake 9"x13" for 35 to 40 minutes at 350F or jelly roll for 25 minutes.

Lemon Bars

Makes a 9" Square Pan

Crust
1 1/3 c cake flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 T powdered sugar
2 T granulated sugar
1/2 c unsalted butter
2 T half and half

Top
1 c lemon juice
1/4 c unsalted butter
2 T cream
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar, for decoration

Whisk dry crust ingredients.  Cut in 1/2 cup butter to pea size.  Stir in half and half.  Press in a 9" square pan.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350F.

While crust bakes, whisk juice, butter, cream, and salt in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat.  Whisk sugar and eggs in a separate bowl.  Whisk hot juice mix into eggs.  Return to saucepan and cook over medium heat until it starts to thicken, 8 minutes.  Pour over crust and bake another 15 minutes.  Cool completely.  Dust with powdered sugar.

S'mores Bars II

I will now always have a box of graham crackers,
a bag of marshmallows, a bag of chips, and a can
of sweetened condensed milk in the pantry.

Makes 18 squares.

Place enough graham crackers to cover the bottom of a 9" x 13" pan.  Toast crackers in the oven at 400F for 8 minutes.

While the crackers are in the oven, mix 1 can sweetened condensed milk with 12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips in a microwave safe dish.  Microwave 2 minutes at 50% power.  Stir to combine.

Top graham crackers with half of a 16 oz. bag mini marshmallows.  Bake another 4 minutes or until the marshmallows start to get puffy.

Spread melted chocolate mixture over the top of marshmallows.  Sprinkle another quarter of the bag of marshmallows on top of the chocolate.  Broil until the marshmallows start to brown.  Smear them slightly using a spatula.

These are actually I think better the second day after sitting in the fridge.

Whiskey Brownies

These are supposed to be Irish, but the only thing
slightly Irish are the green looking raisins.

Makes a 10" x 15" Jelly Roll Pan

1 c walnuts, toasted at 325F for 10 minutes
1 1/2 c raisins
1 1/4 c whiskey, Irish if you have
12 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 c sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/4 c flour

In a small saucepan, simmer 1 cup of whiskey with raisins until they start to get syrupy.  Microwave chocolate and butter on half power until melted.  Cool these two concoctions, slightly.

In a mixer bowl, using a whisk attachment, beat sugar, salt, and eggs until thick like a mousse.  Slowly whisk flour in, making three additions.  Stir in chocolate, raisins, nuts, and remaining 1/4 c whiskey.  Pour onto a greased and floured jelly roll pan.  Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

Strawberry Rhuabarb Lemon Bars

Makes a 10" x 15" Pan

Crust
8 T unsalted butter
1/4 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 c flour

Cream butter with sugar and salt.  Beat in vanilla and eggs.  Stir in flour.  Press in a jelly roll pan.  Bake 8 minutes at 350F.  I baked it 10 minutes in an air bake pan.

Lemon Layer
1 1/4 c sugar
2 T corn meal
2 T corn starch
1/2 tsp citric acid
1/2 tsp salt
4 lg eggs (I used 6 medium)
8 T unsalted butter, melted
1/2 c lemon juice

While crust bakes, whisk sugar through salt in the same mixing bowl.  Whisk in eggs, then butter, then juice.  Poor on crust when baked.  Return to oven for 28 minutes.  Let cool.

Rhubarb Strawberry Top
4 c chopped rhubarb
1 1/2 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 c corn starch
1/4 c water
red food coloring
1 to 2 c diced strawberries

Mix rhubarb, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.  Cook until the rhubarb softens and breaks up.  Mix water and corn starch.  Add slurry to saucepan and cook until thick.  Stir in food coloring.  Cool over an ice water bath.  Gently fold in strawberries.  Spoon over lemon layer after it is cool.

S'mores Bars

Charlie looked at this picture and said, "I want that, again, tonight."

The original recipe was found on BAKINGBLONDE'S WEBLOG.  I'm not sure why mine look so different.  These were so very easy to make.  I added salt and used more marshmallows on top.

Makes a 9"x9" Pan

1 bag graham crackers, 9 large crushed

1 1/2 c marshmallows, plus more for top

3/4 c chocolate chips

1/2 c sugar

1/3 c unsalted butter

1 egg

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Mix cracker crumbs with 3/4 c marshmallows and 1/2 c chocolate chips.  Melt butter in a saucepan.  Add sugar, egg, salt, and vanilla.  Cook until it starts to boil, stirring constantly.  Mix into the crumb mix.  Add 3/4 c marshmallows and 1/4 c chocolate chips.  Press into a square pan lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.  Press mixture down to flatten.  Sprinkle additional marshmallows over the top.  Broil to brown.  Place in the freezer for a 1/2 hour to set.