Chocolatey Marshmallow Peanut Butter Bars

April 29, 2013 By

Chocolate Marshmallow Peanut Butter Bars

The weather today is beautiful where I live.  I don’t know if it was 80 degrees and sunny where you live, but baking probably isn’t on the top of your priority list if it is.

However, these chocolatey marshmallow peanut butte might change your mind.  I love baking with marshmallows because they disappear when you bake them and I’m a kid at heart and magic still impresses me.  (It’s magic, not science, okay?)

Chocolate and peanut butter also still impress me, so this recipe is perfect for all you kids-at-heart out there.  I also thought I’d stick with the kid theme by using a word in my title that is not actually a word.  It happens.

These bars are ooey and gooey and the flavors are seriously perfect. (If you’re wondering why there’s a red spot in one of my pictures, I used red velvet chocolate instead of chocolate chips…I suggest it if you can find red velvet chocolate!)

What’s your favorite ingredient to bake with?

Chocolatey Marshmallow Peanut Butter Bars

disappearing marshmallow brownies

peanut butter marshmallow brownies

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Chocolate Marshmallow Peanut Butter Bars
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • Bottom Layer:
  • ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
  • 4 tablespoons chocolate chips
  • 1½ cups marshmallows
  • Top Layer:
  • ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ⅔ cup peanut butter
  • ⅔ cup cornflakes, crushed

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until fluffy.
  3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa; add to creamed mixture.
  4. Spread in a greased 9×13 inch pan.
  5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Sprinkle marshmallows evenly over cake; return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Cool.
  6. For top layer, combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until melted and well combined.
  7. Remove from heat; stir in cereal. Spread over bars immediately. Store in an airtight container.

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disappearing marshmallow peanut butter brownies

Filed Under: Bars, Brownies, Chocolate Chips, Chocolate Drizzle, Chocolate Frosting, Peanut Butter Tagged With: , , , , , ,



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Banana Bars with Peanut Butter Frosting + S.A.D. Lightbox Food Photography

February 1, 2013 By

banana bars with peanut butter frosting

I discovered something really great two nights ago when I made these banana bars.

I really wanted to take pictures of them that night, but I’m so terrible at taking light box pictures.  Like, really bad.  They always turn out orange and dark no matter how hard I try.

So I said “see ya” to the light box, but I wanted to try to take a good quality night photo.  I wasn’t going to give up (even though I really sucked.  Seriously).

Anyway,  we have a light box at our house for Seasonal Affective Disorder.  (Side note: I recommend these even if you don’t have SAD…it’s nice to get a little “sun” in the winter time).  I decided that since the light box is supposed to mimic the sun, maybe it has the same sun qualities for food photography.

Welllll… here’s how they  turned out:

uses for overripe bananas

fluffy peanut butter frosting on banana bars

jif peanut butter frosting on banana bars

Pretty good, right?  I mean they’re not super amazing, but none of my photos are professional level anyway.

In conclusion (lol) you should get a Seasonal Affective Disorder light box if you’re wanting to try food photography without natural light.  It’s cheap and you can get more use out of it than just food photos.

Oh yeah, and these banana bars are pretty good, too, but you can’t really go wrong with peanut butter and banana. ;)  Plus, this lovely recipe is from Betty Crocker and she knows dessert.  The fluffy frosting is from AllRecipes.

5.0 from 1 reviews

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Banana Bars with Peanut Butter Frosting
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • Bars:
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Frosting:
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom and sides of a 9×13 inch pan.
  2. In large bowl, mix granulated sugar, bananas, oil and eggs with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
  3. Spread in pan.
  4. Bake bars 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
  5. Meanwhile, place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer.
  6. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

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SAD lightbox for food photography

Filed Under: Banana, Banana Bread, Bars, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Frosting Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,



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Congo Bars (Kudos Bars)

January 15, 2013 By

congo bars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m so thankful for Chelsea writing this blog post for me.  I’m always stalking her delicious recipes on her blog… she makes the most decadent desserts!  Plus, I have the honor of actually knowing Chelsea in real life, so that’s pretty cool.  She’s so sweet!  And so are her desserts, so be sure to check out her blog.

———————————————-

Hi! I’m Chelsea from Whatcha Makin’ Now? and I’m super excited to be guest posting for Katie. I mainly post dessert recipes that are quick, easy, and could be made in an evening after work or fast on a weekend. I do try to mix in real meals from time to time too; we can’t always just eat dessert. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, I’m sharing my hubs favorite – Congo Bars, but he always called them Kudos Bars. I love this recipe because it makes TWO 9 x 13 pans of cookie bars so it’s great for pot-lucks or a party. But if you’re making it for the family, simply cut the ingredients in half.

These congo bars are soft and chewy with the perfect amount of chocolate. They taste great on their own, but we’ve been known to serve them warm with a scoop of ice cream. Yum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks again to Katie and I hope you guys will check out my blog for more goodies. Or, follow me on twitter or facebook.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Congo Bars (Kudos Bars)
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter (2 sticks)
  • 3 cups brown sugar, packed
  • 4 eggs
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2⅔ cup flour
  • 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions
  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Lightly butter TWO, 9 x 13 pans and set aside.
  2. Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time and mix until combined.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together baking powder, salt, and flour. Gradually add flour to the butter mixture.
  4. Spread dough into two 9 x 13 pans. Sprinkle ½ cup chocolate chips over each pan and lightly press the chocolate chips into the dough.
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. (Depending on your oven, you might want to cook each pan separately.)
  6. Once cooled cut into bars and serve. Store in an airtight container.

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Source: My mother-in-law, Gail Fanders

Filed Under: Bars Tagged With: , , , , ,



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Pecan Pie Filled Sugar Cookie Bars

November 21, 2012 By

pecan pie filled sugar cookie bars

I can’t even tell you how excited I am that tomorrow is Thanksgiving!
Today I’m thankful that I’m home with my family and that I get to see all of my friends tonight at an “Annual Turkey Day Party” that we have every year.  I’m so excited.
A normal Thanksgiving for my family used to be spent at my brother’s house, but things have changed.  This year, it will be a quiet dinner (catered by Country Mart…it’s easy that way!) with me and my parents, and I’m okay with that.  I do wish that I could see the rest of my family, but both my brother and sister are feeding the homeless tomorrow, so I’d say that’s completely excusable.  I’m very proud to call them my family!
Anyway, if you’re looking for a last minute dessert other than pie for Thanksgiving dinner, I highly recommend these pecan pie filled sugar cookie bars.

gooey sugar cookie bars with pecan pie filling

sugar cookie bars with pecan pie filling and chocolate chips

Adapted from Karo and Pies and Plots.
Print
Pecan Pie Filled Sugar Cookie Bars
Recipe type: Dessert
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 

 

Ingredients
  • Bars:
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • Filling:
  • 1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
  • 1 egg
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) chocolate chips
  • ½ cup chopped pecans

Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Make the bars:
  3. Rim a 9×13 in baking sheet with foil and butter the foil.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  5. Add eggs and mix to combine. Add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.
  6. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to butter mixture and mix until thick.
  7. Dump half of the dough into the prepared pan and spread it evenly using spoon and fingers.
  8. Make the filling:
  9. Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Pour filling on dough.
  10. Crumble the other half of the dough mixture on top of the filling.
  11. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

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pecan pie sugar cookie bars

Filed Under: Bars, Happy Thanksgiving, Melt in your mouth sugar cookies, Pecan Pie, Pecan Pie Filling, Pecans, Pie, Sugar Cookie, Sugar Cookies Tagged With: , , , , , , ,



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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars

September 16, 2012 By

cookies cheesecake 8-5=12 459

I just need to tell you guys that Brandy is awesome because without her, I would have never discovered these gems.

I made these cheesecake cookie bars for my family a couple of weeks ago and they were devoured in a day.  Mind you, my family consists of my mom and dad… that’s it.  We have dessert issues.

If you like cheesecake, you’ll like these.  If you like cookie dough, you’ll like these.  If you like them both, you’ll love these.

Also, to add to how happy these cheesecake bars make me, I’m just going to post some more things that are making me happy right now  (*Note: the only pictures that are mine are the cheesecake bar photos):

 

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the-office-season-9-small

starbucks-pumpkin-spice-latte

seasaltcaramelgelato

MMs-CandyCorn

24927490_26025723_trimmed

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cookies cheesecake 8-5=12 418

What are you loving right now??

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
From:  Brandy

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:

  • 10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8″ square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Leave your oven on while you prepare the dough.
3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside. (*Note: This mixture is going to be dry…that’s okay. You’re going to crumble it on top of the cheesecake layer.)
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Use your hands to form “clumps” of the cookie dough, smoosh it together and flatten it out.  Distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least a couple hours.
6. Lift the bars out by the overhang and cut into squares for serving.

cookies cheesecake 8-5=12 424

Filed Under: Bars, Candy Corn, Caramel, Cheesecake, Chocolate, Chocolate Bark, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chips, Graham Crackers, Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies, Salty and Sweet combination Tagged With: , , , , , , ,



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Simple Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

June 22, 2012 By

baking 6-10 457

I spend a lot of time trying to come up with new and creative recipes.

But ya know what, sometimes I just want a simple chocolate chip cookie.

That’s what these are.  Simple chocolate chip cookies in a pan.

What’s your go to chocolate chip cookie recipe?

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Simple Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Adapted from:King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, very soft
  • 1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) packed brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 3/4 cups (11 5/8 ounces) All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chocolate chips
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Place the very soft butter in a medium-large mixing bowl. Add the sugars, salt, vanilla, and stir well.
  3. Add the egg and stir until well blended.
  4. Add the baking soda and flour, mixing until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Place dough in a well oiled 9×13 inch pan (smaller for thicker cookies) and spread out evenly.
  6. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned.
  7. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool.  Cut into squares and enjoy!

baking 6-10 427

Filed Under: Bars, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Chips, Cookies Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,



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Apple Pie Bars

May 19, 2012 By

apple-pie-bars-with-vanilla-icing

When I went to the cafeteria at school, I’d always take an apple or 2 or 3 with me when I left.

Since I did that every time, I ended up moving out of the dorms with 10 extra apples.

I don’t like to waste food, so of course, apple pie was my first thought.  I was feeling a little more creative, though, so I made apple pie bars instead.

These are great…every slice is like a mini pie.  The crust is super thin and the filling isn’t overwhelmingly sweet and they would taste awesome with ice cream.  I suggest making them when you want to make pie for a big crowd, but pie won’t serve enough.

steps for making apple pie bars

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apple pie bars with cinnamon topping

What’s your favorite dessert to make in the summertime?

Apple Pie Bars
From: Land O Lakes

Ingredients:

Crust

1 Land O Lakes® All-Natural Egg, separated, reserve egg white
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold Land O Lakes® Butter, cut into pieces

Filling

1 cup crushed corn flakes
8 to 10 medium (8 cups) apples, peeled and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 reserved Land O Lakes® All-Natural Egg white
2 tablespoons sugar

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

 Directions:

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Beat egg yolk in small bowl. Add 1/2 cup milk; mix well. Set aside.
  2. Combine flour and salt in medium bowl; cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg yolk mixture with fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half.
  3. Roll out half of dough on lightly floured surface into 15×10-inch rectangle; place onto bottom of ungreased 15x10x1 inch jelly-roll pan. Sprinkle with corn flakes; top with apples.
  4. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and nutmeg in small bowl. Sprinkle over apples. Roll remaining half of dough into 15 1/2×10 1/2-inch rectangle; place over apples.
  5. Beat reserved egg white with fork until foamy; brush over top crust. Combine remaining cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar in small bowl; sprinkle over crust. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until lightly browned.
  6. Combine powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl. Drizzle over warm bars.

 

 

 

vanilla icing dribbling from apple pie bars

Filed Under: Apple Pie, Bars, Gooey, gooey apple pie, Pie, Pie crust Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,



Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

August 16, 2011 By

Rice Krispie treats remind me of school.

When I was little, my elementary school was right around the corner from my house.  My neighbor and I would walk home from school every day and eat an after school snack.  7 out of 10 times Rice Krispie Treats would be involved.

Now, as an “adult” (according to society at least), Rice Krispies are a comforting snack for me because of my childhood memories.  Thanks to Deb, I can make Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats and feel like I’m playing my adult role… since brown butter is sophisticated and all. And only adults add salt to stuff because they we like to have high cholesterol and hypertension.

If you’re still a kid at heart, these still taste de-freakin’-licious!  I like the hint of salt blended with the sweetness of the marshmallows and you can even taste the nuttiness of the brown butter.  Perfect snack for kids and adults!

What was your after school snack?



Salted Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
Smitten Kitchen 
Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars

Ingredients:
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

Directions:

  1. Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.
  2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.
  3. As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.
  4. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I liked to use a piece of waxed or parchment paper that I’ve sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almost as well.
  5. Let cool, cut into squares.

P.S. Check out Karly. She’s featured in a book! How cool is that?

Filed Under: Bars, Cereal, Marshmallows, Rice Cereal, Rice Krispie Treats, Rice Krispies



Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

July 21, 2011 By

Hi all!

Let me tell you about this crazy rest of the summer I have.

Friday morning, my sister, nieces and I leave around 6 for a 10-11 hour drive to Chicago for a family get-together sort of thing.

Sunday morning, I drive back home with my parents so I can be dropped off with Kellen because…

Monday morning, Kellen and I leave for Portland with his family because his brother is getting married!

The following Monday night, we fly out of Portland to come home.

Friday and Saturday (Aug. 5th and 6th), Kellen and I are going to KanRocksas (my birthday present to him).

Thursday (Aug. 11th) I leave for school.

I’m not gonna lie, I’m stressing out a little bit.  I tend to do that…

Anyway, I decided I should probably bake something for the looonnng drive to Chicago, so I made peanut butter and jelly bars.  Since I’m not eating sweets this week, (Thank God for this.) the taste tester (dad) grade: A. I’m starting to think he might be biased.  Also, he doesn’t give details.  All I got out of him was a muffled “mm good” while he still had food in his mouth.  I’ll take it.

Peanuut Butter and Jelly Bars
barely adapted from: First Look, Then Cook

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup grape jelly or other jelly or jam

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Line an 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving 2-inch overhang around edges and pressing firmly into corners and up sides of pan. Coat foil with nonstick spray.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl.
4. Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter, sugar, and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; beat on low-speed until smooth.
5. Add flour mixture; beat on low-speed just to blend.
6. Transfer half of dough to prepared pan (about scant 1 1/2 cups). Place remaining dough in freezer for 10 minutes.
7. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto bottom of pan. Spread jelly over in even layer.
8. Remove dough from freezer; using fingertips, break into grape-size pieces and scatter over jelly layer.
9. Bake bars until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool bars completely in pan on rack.
10. Using foil overhang as aid, lift bars from pan. Gently peel foil from edges. Cut into 16 squares.

I only have 1 guest poster for the whole time I’ll be gone (thanks, Gen!!), so if anyone else would like to volunteer I would really, REALLY appreciate it! Please… pretty please!  It can even be something you’ve already written/posted. 

What are/have you all done this summer? When I was younger, the only traveling my family ever did was to Branson, MO, so I’m taking full advantage of all of these opportunities!

Filed Under: Bars, Cookies, Jelly, Peanut Butter



Thin Mint Cookie Bars/ My Playlists

March 9, 2011 By

I think that music can tell a lot about a person.

I’m not saying that you can judge a person by the music they listen to, but I do think that you can gather impressions about them.  Especially considering that most people listen to music that contains lyrics that they can relate to or songs that mean something to them, for some reason or another.  Music is just another form of communication. People have songs that they listen to when they’re sad, angry, mad, happy, etc.  And then there are ‘comfort songs’ that people listen to just to feel content and at ease.   I’m reading “Sing You Home” by Jodi Picoult and she wrote something like: your comfort songs are like the cardigan you pull out on Sunday that you put on and immediately feel at ease.  I completely agree.

I really think you’re putting yourself out there when you tell somebody what music you listen to.  With that being said, here is my Top 25 Most Played list on my iPod

…and my last 25 “liked” songs on Pandora.

Take what you want from it.  :)   What would your music list have?

Now, moving on to other important things…

Thin Mint Cookie Bars…. Who do you know that doesn’t love Girl Scout cookies?  Probably not many people, if any.  I wanted to recreate one in bar form, but the only recipe I could find in bar form was for Samoas… and I wanted thin mints, so I made my own!  They were super good, too!  I brought them to my classes with me, and they were gone by the end of the day.

Thin Mint Cookie Bars
Servings: 48 (or so…maybe 24 if you cut yours like mine ;) ) 

Ingredients:

Cookie:
  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup chocolate animal crackers, crushed into crumbs
  • 1/2 cup butter

Top layer: 

  • 6 squares chocolate almond bark
  • 1/4 tsp mint extract (or to taste)
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Grease a 15×10-inch pan. 
  3. Combine flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in small bowl.
  4. Beat butter, both sugars and vanilla in large mixer bowl.
  5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
  6. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture.
  7. Spread into prepared pan.
  8. Bake 10 minutes.
  9. Take out of oven.  The cookie will still be wet-ish.
  10. Mix together butter and animal cracker crumbs.
  11. Crumble mixture over cookie and lightly press down
  12. Put in the oven again for about 10 more minutes.
  13. Melt almond bark and mix in the extract. 
  14. Drizzle over cookie crumbs.
  15. Don’t cut until the chocolate has hardened.
Filed Under: Bars, Chocolate, Cookies, Thin Mint



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