Brownies & Bars – The Fancy Pants Kitchen

Chocolate Cream Pie Bars

Francine — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 14:33:50 +0000

Chocolate Cream Pie Bars are a creamy, dreamy dessert that are simple to make and delicious to eat!

Layered bars that replicate chocolate cream pie, they begin with an Oreo cookie crust that gets a chocolate cream cheese filling over top and then covered with a whipped cream layer.

Shave some chocolate over the top and you have a wonderful bar to serve up any time!

Begin by crushing up Oreo cookies (the cookie only) to make 2 cups and combine the crumbs with melted butter. Press the crumbs into a square baking pan and bake for 10 minutes. Let the crust cool.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler (or microwave) until smooth. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.

While it’s cooling, whip together heavy cream and powdered sugar until firm peaks form. Place it in the fridge to keep cold while you are working on the filling.

In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt and mix until smooth. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and continue to mix on a low speed until it’s well combined. That should take about 30 seconds.

Take half of the whipped cream from the fridge and fold it into the chocolate mixture. Before it’s fully combined, add the remaining half of the whipped cream. Fold that in until there are no white streaks remaining.

Transfer the filling to the top of the cookie crust and use an offset spatula to press it into the corners of the pan and level the top. Chill for 3 hours or overnight.

Before serving, whip up another cup of heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. Transfer it to the top of the bars and spread it evenly.

Sprinkle shaved chocolate over top.

Chill the bars for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to cut. Use a warm knife to cut the squares and wipe the knife off in between each cut.

Share Your Thoughts...

Lastly, if you make Chocolate Cream Pie Bars, be sure to leave a review down below at the bottom of this page (stars are also appreciated)! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every review. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!

Chocolate Cream Pie Bars

Makes: 16 squares

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookie Crust:

2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs (about 20 cookies with filling removed)
5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Cream Filling:

1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
2 tbsp powdered sugar
5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate bar)
4 tbsp unsalted butter
6 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (I like Hershey’s Special Dark)
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Shaved chocolate for topping, if desired

Instructions

Chocolate Cookie Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Allow the paper to hang over the sides of the pan by a couple of inches for easy removal of the bars once baked. Set aside.

Pulse about 20 Oreo cookies (with the filling removed) in the bowl of a food processor until finely ground. You should have about 2 cups of cookie crumbs.

Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and add the melted butter. Stir with a fork until all of the crumbs are coated in the butter. Transfer the cookie crumbs to the prepared pan and use your hands or the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs evenly into the corners of the pan.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool while you make the filling.

Chocolate Cream Filling:

Use a double boiler to melt the butter and chocolate over medium-low heat. To create a double boiler, place a heat safe bowl over a medium pot filled with 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a simmer and stir frequently as the chocolate and butter melt. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the pot, being careful not to let any of the condensation from the water drip into the chocolate mixture. You can also use a microwave at 30 second intervals to melt the butter and chocolate together. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

While the chocolate is cooling, whip together 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar until firm peaks form. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to keep cold.

In a large bowl, add the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Use a hand mixer to mix until smooth, about 1 minute.

Add the cooled chocolate mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds until well combined.

Remove the whipping cream from the refrigerator and use a large spatula to fold half of the cream into the chocolate mixture. Before it is fully combined, add the remaining whipped cream and gently fold together until no white streaks remain.

Transfer the filling to the top of the cookie crust and use an offset spatula to press it into the corners of the pan and level the top. Chill for 3 hours or overnight.

Before serving, whip 1 cup of heavy whipping cream together with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip until smooth and firm.

Transfer the whipped cream to the top of the filling and use an offset spatula or spoon to spread it evenly across the top. Top with chocolate shavings or curls if desired.

For best results, chill the bars for 30 minutes before using a sharp knife to cut into squares. Clean the knife between each slice with hot water and wipe with a dry dishtowel.

Recipe from Browned Butter Blondie

Chocolate-Dipped Toffee Blondies

Francine — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 15:42:17 +0000

This Valentine’s Day, show the love with Chocolate-Dipped Toffee Blondies. Brown sugar and brown butter combined with toffee bits create these chewy, flavorful blondies that are cut into heart shapes for that whimsical Valentine’s Day treat!

Dip these bad boys in melted chocolate (or don’t) and sprinkle a little flaky sea salt and you will have your loves swooning!

One of my favorite ways to deeply flavor chocolate chip cookies is to brown the butter. Adding browned butter to these blondies achieves the same desired effect.

In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter while stirring it until it foams and then subsides. You’ll start to smell this luscious nutty scent and the butter will turn brown. Let it cool for 5 minutes in a bowl.

Add brown sugar and then egg, vanilla and salt to the browned butter. Fold in the flour and then the toffee bits and chocolate chips.

Scrape the batter into an 80inch square pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Cool them completely in the pan and then lift them out of the pan to a work surface and cut hearts out with a 2’inch cookie cutter. You can also cut circles or squares.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave and then dip half of each heart in chocolate, sprinkle with sea salt and let set up for about 30 minutes before serving.

Share Your Thoughts...

Lastly, if you make Chocolate-Dipped Toffee Blondies, be sure to leave a review down below at the bottom of this page (stars are also appreciated)! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every review. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!

Chocolate-Dipped Toffee Blondies

Makes: 16 squares or hearts

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour & 5 minutes

Ingredients

Blondies:

10 tbsp unsalted butter
1 & 1/4 cups light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup toffee bits
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
flaky salt, for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Cook butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it foams, turns clear, and then turns a deep brown, about 6 minutes. Pour brown butter into a medium bowl and let cool for 5 minutes.

Add brown sugar to bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in egg, vanilla, and salt until combined. Fold in flour just until incorporated, then fold in toffee bits and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared pan and use a piece of parchment paper coated with nonstick spray to press batter evenly into pan; tap pan sharply to remove air bubbles.

Bake for 26 to 30 minutes, until golden and set in the middle, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Carefully lift parchment to remove bars from pan and place on a cutting board; punch out hearts with a 2-inch heart cookie cutter or cut into squares.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place chocolate chips in a glass bowl and microwave in 10-second bursts, stirring until melted and smooth.

Dip half of each blondie in melted chocolate. Place dipped blondies on baking sheet and sprinkle with flaky salt. Let chocolate set before serving.

Recipe by Tutti Doce

Salted Caramel Brownies

Francine — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 19:41:40 +0000

Salted Caramel Brownies…ahhh sweet music to my ears! I love salted caramel; brownies are a close second. Put them together and I’m doing the happy dance!

I know that you all love that combination as well…you send me comments and likes constantly when I post anything with that combo, so you’re welcome!

It’s simple: you’ve got a rich chocolate base, topped with an easy-to-make-caramel sauce that is swirled over and baked. Chocolate chips are melted over that and caramel sauce is drizzled on and sprinkled with sea salt. There you go! Delish!

To begin this brownie recipe, melt the butter. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with vanilla. In another bowl, add all the dry ingredients. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients, add the melted butter, and pour into a prepared baking pan.

Make the caramel swirl by melting the caramel bits with the heavy cream. If you can’t find bits, just use Kraft or Werthers soft caramels in their place. Save a couple of tablespoons of the caramel and pour the rest over the brownies. Swirl the caramel sauce into the brownies.

Bake the brownies for 30 or so minutes. Immediately sprinkle the semi-sweet chocolate chips over the top. Let them sit for a minute or so and then spread with an offset spatula.

Top the brownies with the reserved caramel sauce and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let the brownies cool a bit and then cut them, serve them, devour them!

Share Your Thoughts...

Lastly, if you make Salted Caramel Brownies, be sure to leave a review down below at the bottom of this page (stars are also appreciated)! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every review. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!

Salted Caramel Brownies

Makes: 16 squares

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

Brownies:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted, then cooled
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Caramel Swirl:

1 cup (5.5 ounces) caramel bits
1 tbsp heavy cream

Toppings:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp sea salt (or more depending on preference)

Instructions

Brownies:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Melt butter and set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk two eggs with the vanilla.

In a separate medium bowl, add in all dry ingredients. Gently stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients.

Pour the melted butter into the brownie mixture and mix until the butter is no longer separated and the mix is fully combined.

Spread batter into the prepared 8-inch square pan. Set aside as you melt the caramel.

Caramel Swirl:

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the caramels with the heavy cream in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.

Reserve 1-2 tablespoons of the caramel. Pour the rest of the caramel evenly over the brownie batter. Use a knife to swirl the caramel into the batter.

Bake the brownies for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.

Toppings:

After removing the brownies from the oven, immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Let the chocolate sit for a minute or two to melt. Then, using a knife or offset spatula, spread the chocolate over the brownies.

Top with the reserved caramel sauce and sea salt. (If the caramel has hardened, simply warm it up in the microwave.) Let the brownies cool a bit before cutting into squares.

Recipe by I Am Baker

Scandalous Brownies

Francine — Tue, 16 May 2023 00:15:43 +0000

These Scandalous Brownies caught my attention from their original name. Don’t shoot the messenger, but they were originally called Slutty brownies. There are lots of recipes on line for them and there are lots of reasons for the name (such as there are so many different things that go into them ) but my favorite is because they are scandalous!

Scandalous because of what’s in them and how unbelievably good they are! This is a layered brownie of chocolate chip cookie, salted caramel sauce, Heath bits, Oreo cookies, fudgy brownies and more Heath bits. Bake them all together and you end up with an outrageously scandalous dessert!

The bottom layer is a chocolate chip cookie base. It’s made by creaming together butter with white and brown sugar. Add the vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients including mini chocolate chips. Press the batter into the bottom of your baking pan.

Making the salted caramel sauce is not hard; you just have to watch it so that it doesn’t burn. No multi-tasking allowed for the few minutes that you’re making this!

Whisk the sugar over medium heat until it starts to melt. It will look granular and chunky as it begins to melt. That’s okay…keep whisking it until the sugar dissolves.

At this point, stop whisking and let the caramel cook to a deep amber color. Watch carefully as this is where it can burn quickly!

Remove it from the heat and stir in the butter until it’s incorporated and then add the cream and salt.

Let it cool a bit and then pour 1/2 cup over the cookie base. You’ll have some left over to pass on the side, pour over ice cream or to just eat spoonfuls of!

Sprinkle Heath bits over the caramel layer and then spread out Oreo cookies. Feel free to add more cookies if you want a more intense Oreo taste. If you use the quantity specified, you will get a little bit in each bite.

To make the brownie layer, whisk melted butter with white and brown sugars until they are combined. Stir in the eggs and vanilla and finally add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Spread the batter over the Oreo cookie layer and top it with more Heath bits.

Bake the brownies for 25 minutes and then cool completely. I like to pop them in the fridge for an hour or so to make it easier to cut them.

Enjoy these scandalous treats!

Share Your Thoughts...

Lastly, if you make Scandalous Brownies, be sure to leave a review down below at the bottom of this page (stars are also appreciated)! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every review. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!

Scandalous Brownies

Makes: 25-30 brownies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Chocolate Chip Cookie Crust:

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 & 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 & 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Salted Caramel Sauce:

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed
1 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup Skor or Heath bits
18 Oreo cookies

Brownies:

3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup Heath or Skor bits

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. For the chocolate chip cookie crust, using an electric mixer, on medium speed cream butter, sugar and brown sugar until well combined. Add vanilla extract. On low speed, add the flour, salt and mini chocolate chips. Mix just until combined. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.

For the caramel sauce, in a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan add sugar over medium heat. Once the sugar starts to melt, whisk until it is completely melted. Once melted, stop whisking and allow the sugar to cook to a deep amber, caramel color. Immediately add the butter and whisk until it is incorporated. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the cream and sea salt. Pour into a glass bowl and allow to cool slightly. Pour 1/2 cup caramel sauce over chocolate chip cookie crust, sprinkle 1/2 cup Heath bits over caramel. Place Oreos over top of caramel and Heath bits.

To prepare the brownie batter, in a large bowl whisk melted butter, sugar and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to whisk until smooth. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir just until flour has disappeared. Spread batter over Oreos and top with remaining 1/2 cup Heath bits. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Once cool, refrigerate for 1 hour for easier cutting.

Recipe by Bite Me More

Bailey’s Irish Cream Brownies

Francine — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 22:25:52 +0000

For a fudgy nod to St. Patrick’s Day, try Bailey’s Irish Cream Brownies. These dense, moist morsels have the right amount of Irish Cream in the brownie and the frosting to make them the perfect choice for this special holiday!

And, not needing a mixer helps on cleanup and simplicity. There’s no excuse to not make this Easy Peasy recipe!

Melt butter and mix it with sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl. The texture will be granular, like the above photo. Stir in the vanilla and Irish Cream and then add the eggs one at a time. Finally, add the flour and beat briskly. Scrape the batter into a prepared pan and bake the brownies until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

The frosting is super-easy to make! Combine all of the ingredients and whisk until smooth and glossy.

Spread the frosting over the cooled brownies, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and serve with a glass of milk or Bailey’s. Be sure to toast the luck of the Irish!

Share Your Thoughts...

Lastly, if you make Bailey’s Irish Cream Brownies, be sure to leave a review down below at the bottom of this page (stars are also appreciated)! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every review. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!

Bailey’s Irish Cream Brownies

Makes: 12 brownies

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 24 minutes

Total Time: 54 minutes

Ingredients

Brownies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp Irish Cream
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup flour

Frosting:

3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 tbsp Irish Cream
1 tbsp milk
flaky salt, for topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F and line an 8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper.

Place melted butter, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir the mixture until combined – the texture will appear granular at this point. Stir in vanilla and Irish Cream; add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each one. When the batter is thick and shiny, add the flour and stir until completely incorporated, then beat briskly for 40 more strokes.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth with an offset spatula; gently tap pan once to remove air bubbles.

Bake for 23 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting, combine melted butter, vanilla, salt, powdered sugar, cocoa, Irish Cream, and milk in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined. Whisk frosting one more minute, until smooth and glossy. Use an offset spatula to spread frosting over brownies. Sprinkle with flaky salt and cut into squares with a sharp knife.

Recipe by Tutti Dolci

Best S’Mores Bars

Francine — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 14:45:49 +0000

Campfires and s’mores go together but these Best S’Mores Bars go with anything, any time! This is my new go-to recipe when I crave compliments (duh, always)…these bars are everyone’s favorite.

It’s hard not to love S’mores. That delicious combination of chocolate and toasted marshmallows sandwiched between two graham crackers is reminiscent of summer camp, dog days of summer, campfires and toasting marshmallows over a barbecue grill. All of those activities included building S’mores treats.

We’ve decided to take a traditional S’mores and make it into a bar. We’ve also added an ingredient that you won’t find in a traditional S’mores (but should!) and that’s peanut butter. Put it all together, and you have a treat worthy of the pickiest dessert eaters.

Best S’Mores Bars have two crusts, a bottom and a top. To make the crusts, beat butter with white and brown sugar and then add the egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt, and then fold in graham cracker crumbs.

You can make the crumbs by putting graham cracker sheets into a baggie and smashing with a rolling pin or you can buy graham cracker crumbs. Either works equally as well in this recipe.

Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment and press one half of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Once you’ve done that, lift the dough out of the pan with the parchment ends and set it aside (leave it on the parchment). That will be your top crust.

Now, repeat the process so that you have the bottom crust.

Top the dough with two large Hershey’s chocolate bars. You can use any chocolate bars, but Hershey’s are just so traditional! Spread creamy peanut butter over the top of the chocolate bars.

Spread the marshmallow creme over the peanut butter, spreading to the edges.

Lift the top crust of dough, using the parchment, and flip it over onto the marshmallow creme. It will slowly release from the parchment, but you might have to help it along.

All that’s left to do now is bake the bars for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. It’s best to let these cool completely as they are very difficult to cut when warm.

I can’t tell you how delicious these are. You have to try them yourself! Try not to eat the whole batch. Just sayin’…

Share Your Thoughts...

Lastly, if you make Best S’Mores Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!

Best S’Mores Bars

Makes: 16 bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
1 & 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp salt
6 graham crackers, crushed into crumbs or 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup peanut butter
two 4–ounce chocolate bars (the extra big, extra-thick size)
one 7-ounce jar of marshmallow creme

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and both sugars. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs.

Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with non-stick spray. Line with parchment and press 1/2 of the dough into the bottom of the pan. Lift out the parchment with the dough on it and set it aside – this will be your top cookie layer.

Line pan again with parchment and press the remaining dough into the bottom of the pan. Layer with the chocolate bars, peanut butter, marshmallow creme, and top cookie layer.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let cool completely for best serving results.

Recipe by Pinch of Yum

Espresso Millionaire Shortbread

Francine — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 15:22:40 +0000

There is nothing more decadent than Espresso Millionaire Shortbread. The bars are layers of tender shortbread topped with a crazy good espresso caramel layer and finished with a shiny dark chocolate topping gussied up with white chocolate ribbons. Are you drooling yet?

What’s the deal with the name, you might ask? The “millionaire” prefix to millionaire shortbread implies a level of decadence and wealth to the sweet treat, that it is an upgrade from regular shortbread. Some say they originated in Scotland, some claim Australia. It doesn’t matter to me, really. I just know these are amazing! And so pretty!

These bars start with a buttery shortbread that comes together easily in a stand mixer. Combine softened butter, flour, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt together and beat until it just comes together.

Dump into a prepared baking pan and press into the pan and to the edges. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to evenly press the dough into the pan, but fingers work very well too! Prick the dough all over to ensure even baking and pop it into the oven. Once the dough is browned, remove from the oven and let cool.

Once cooled, make the caramel by combining sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, golden syrup, espresso powder, vanilla and salt together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Use a candy thermometer to bring the caramel to a soft ball stage or 225°F and then pour the hot caramel over the cooled crust. Let this sit in the refrigerator for an hour or more to firm up the caramel.

Melt the dark chocolate and butter together to create a shiny smooth topping. Spread it over the espresso caramel.

Melt the white chocolate and using a piping bag, pipe thin lines of white chocolate across the dark chocolate. With a toothpick or skewer, pull it back and forth through the dark chocolate to create a pretty pattern. Refrigerate the bars until the chocolate is set.

Remove from the pan, cut into bars and serve this rich, decadent treat!

Share Your Thoughts...

Lastly, if you make Espresso Millionaire Shortbread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!

Espresso Millionaire Shortbread

Makes: 16 bars

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

Shortbread:

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Espresso Caramel:

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp golden syrup (such as Lyle’s), dark corn syrup or brown rice syrup
2 tsp espresso powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp fine salt

Chocolate Layer:

9 ounces dark chocolate 70%, coarsely chopped
2 & 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 ounces white chocolate, chopped, for feathering

Instructions

Shortbread:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Allow the parchment paper to overhang the sides to make it easier to lift the shortbread out once cooked.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the flour, butter, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla and salt and beat on medium speed until combined and a dough starts to form.

Level in pan and bake. Tip the dough into the prepared pan and using your hands, press the mixture into the pan until totally level. Using the base of a measuring cup or glass might help to level at the end. Prick the base with the tines of a fork. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden. Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

Espresso Caramel:

Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, golden syrup, espresso powder, vanilla and salt together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and boil gently, whisking constantly, until the caramel is thick and the temperature registers 225 degrees F, about 6 minutes. Pour the caramel over the warm crust; place in the refrigerator for one hour until caramel is set.

Chocolate Layer:

Melt dark chocolate and layer. Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not come into contact with the water. Once melted and glossy, pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel.

Melt white chocolate and decorate. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring well after each. Spoon melted white chocolate into a small piping bag and pipe horizontal straight lines about ¼-inch apart over the dark chocolate. Score the lines using a skewer by dragging it up and down the top of the chocolate, perpendicular to the lines that you piped.

Chill in the fridge until completely set, at least 1 hour or at room temperature for a couple of hours. Remove from the pan by using the parchment paper. Cut into slices or squares using a sharp, hot knife, wiping between each cut.

Recipe adapted from Once Upon a Chef & Emma Duckworth Bakes

Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Bars

Francine — Thu, 05 May 2022 16:52:13 +0000

A beautiful spring or summer dessert is Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Bars. They remind me so much of Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake frozen bars. You remember those, don’t you? The bars with the strawberry ice cream in the middle, surrounded by a crunchy exterior with strawberry bits on the outside? I was not a strawberry ice cream kind of kid (loved licorice ice cream, however…don’t ask) but something got me about these frozen treats. I just loved them!

So, to recapture your youth and give mom something to smile about this Mother’s Day, you ought to make Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Bars!

The first thing we are doing to make this awesome dessert is make the crust and the crumble topping at the same time. That helps to make this a quicker recipe to create. Cream butter and brown sugar in a mixer until creamy and then add the egg, beating until it’s combined. Next comes the flour, salt and vanilla. Once mixed together, firmly press 3/4 of the mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

Bake this until the edges are light brown. Once the crust comes out of the oven to cool, take the remaining quarter of crust mixture and crumble it over a baking sheet that’s lined with parchment paper. Bake the crumble until it is golden, about 10 minutes. Let this cool completely.

Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with confectioners’ sugar until it’s combined. Move it to a large bowl and set it aside.

Clean out of the bowl of the mixer and beat the heavy cream until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and then fold the strawberries in. Spread this over top of the cooled crust.

Finally, crush up the shortbread crumble over the top of the filling and sprinkle with freeze-dried crushed strawberries. Refrigerate this for at least two hours and up to overnight.

Now tell me this doesn’t look like one of those Good Humor treats just in a bar form (and not frozen)! Don’t eat too many of these tasty bars!

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Lastly, if you make Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!

Strawberry Shortcake Crumble Bars

Makes: 12 bars

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Bake Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes plus cooling time 2 hours

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
3 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
2 tbsp crushed freeze-dried strawberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13×9-inch baking pan with baking spray with flour. Line pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over sides of pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar at medium-high speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg, beating until combined. Add flour, salt, and vanilla, beating until a dough forms. Firmly press three-fourths of dough into bottom of prepared pan.

Bake until edges are light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Leave oven on.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Crumble remaining dough onto prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.

Clean bowl of stand mixer and paddle attachment. Using the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium-high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low, and add confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Transfer to a large bowl, and set aside.

Clean bowl of stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat cream at medium-high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. By hand, fold the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture in two additions. Fold in chopped strawberries, and spread in an even layer on top of cooled crust.

Crush shortbread crumbles into smaller pieces, if necessary. Sprinkle evenly on top of filling. Sprinkle with freeze-dried strawberries and refrigerate, uncovered, for 2 hours or up to overnight.

Using excess parchment as handles, remove from pan, and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Recipe by Bake from Scratch

Coffee Blondies

Francine — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 01:11:13 +0000

Coffee Blondies are amazingly chewy bars that will remind you of a brownie, except they are blond (what a funny description for a food color).

These delicious blondies are filled with toasted nuts and chocolate chips and have a lovely coffee flavor that just takes them over the top!

Begin to make the blondies by melting together butter, brown sugar and salt. Off the heat, stir in the strong coffee (just how I like it!) and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Then, add in the egg and vanilla and transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Add the flour and baking powder to the cooled mixture and stir until just combined. Add the toasted pecans and chocolate chips.

Bake the blondies for 18-24 minutes until they start to crack and are set around the edges (see photo below). Cool them completely, cut into squares and devour!

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Lastly, if you make Coffee Blondies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!

Coffee Blondies

Makes: 24 bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Bake Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
12 tbsp unsalted butter, cold
1 & 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp Kosher salt
2 tbsp strong coffee, room temperature (or 2 shots of espresso)
1 large egg
1 & 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted and chopped
3/4 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven 350°F. Grease 9×13 inch pan and line with a parchment sling.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar, and salt. Remove from the heat and stir in the coffee until well combined. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk until combined. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add the pecans and chocolate chips and stir gently.

Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake 18 to 24 minutes, until the blondies are set on the edge and top is golden and brown and just beginning to form cracks. A wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the blondies should come out with a just a couple crumbs.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Use the parchment sling to gently lift the blondies from the pan. Cut them into squares.

Recipe from The Vanilla Bean Blog

Sugar Cookie Bars

Francine — Sat, 12 Feb 2022 15:34:55 +0000

Sugar Cookie Bars are the perfect treat to take for the class Valentine’s Day celebration or just to welcome the kids home from school! No kids? No problem…make them for yourself and enjoy the heck out of them. No judgement, you hear???

You remember those cookies that you can get at the grocery store…thick sugar cookies piled high with vanilla frosting? They’d change themes for every holiday but it was always the same cookie. These delicious cookies are still available but why not make a quick pan of homemade sugar cookies but in the form of a bar?

These are delightful, buttery and creamy all at he same time. I’ve decorated them for Valentine’s Day but they can adapt to any holiday, just like the afore-mentioned store bought ones!

It doesn’t take much to make these yummy bars…you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry.

Begin by combining your dry ingredients in a bowl: both flours, baking powder and salt. And, just so you know, the bread flour that you use gives an extra bit of texture to the bars. I love it!

In your mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix.

Pat the dough into a prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake these until the edges are beginning to brown. That’s it for the cookie bar base.

Make this delicious buttercream while the bars are cooling by combining butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy and then add in the confectioners’ sugar. Add vanilla, salt and cream until the frosting has reached the consistency you like.

Once the bars are completely cooled, spread the buttercream on top, add some festive sprinkles and begin to devour!

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Lastly, if you make Sugar Cookie Bars, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!

Sugar Cookie Bars

Makes: 16 bars

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Bake Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Bars:

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup bread flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 & 3/4 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1–2 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sprinkles for topping

Instructions

Sugar Cookie Bars:

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees and spray a 8 x 8 inch baking pan with non stick baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and mix until just barely combined. Do not over mix.

Transfer the sugar cookie dough to the prepared pan and use your hands or a spatula to press the cookie dough into an even layer, pressing into the corners. Bake the sugar cookie dough for 20-25 minutes or until edges are slightly golden brown. The center of the bars should look slightly under baked. Do not over bake.

Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting with the vanilla cream cheese buttercream. To speed up the process, place the sugar cookie pan in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium high and beat for 1 minute. Add the vanilla and salt and beat for one minute more on medium high speed. Add the heavy cream and beat for an additional minute. (If frosting is too thin, add more confectioner’s sugar. If too thick, add more heavy cream.)

Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cooled cookie bars. Top with sprinkles. Chill before cutting into 16 squares. Serve chilled.

Chef’s Notes:

Recipe may be doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch pan.

Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Sugar cookie bars may be frozen before frosting. Defrost at room temperature before adding frosting and sprinkles.

Recipe from Browned Butter Blondie