Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars

I've been meaning to post this recipe for weeks now.  I made it for hubs to bring to work for a recent potluck.  I look forward to his potlucks at work.  Now that I am not teaching or living close to family and friends, I don't have as many people to bake for. I don't like to bake just for hubs and I because we end up eating it and we don't need all the sweets I make!  

I found this recipe on one of my favorite bloggers, The Mix and Match Mama.  

She calls this treat Thanksgiving in a bar, and I couldn't agree more.  It tastes just like pumpkin pie, just in a handy dandy bar.  It received 5 star reviews from hubs coworkers and I enjoyed the piece I kept at home for myself.  I will be making this every year from here on out.  Enjoy!! 

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars

Adapted from Mix and Match Mama

Ingredients: 

1 box of spice cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs

1 stick of butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar +1 TBS
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice +1TBS
1 cup flour
1 can of canned pumpkin (about 1.5 cups)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish with Pam.

In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, veggie oil, and 2 eggs with an electric mixer.  Spread  mixture across the bottom of your pan.

In a second mixing bowl, cream together your butter and sugar.  Slowly beat in your remaining 2 eggs and vanilla.

In a smaller bowl, combine your baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and flour with fork.  Slowly beat this dry mixture into your butter mixture.  Beat in your pumpkin.

Spread the pumpkin mixture down on top of your cake mix layer in the pan. 

Mix the extra TBS of pumpkin pie spice and sugar together.  

Sprinkle mixture over the top of the pumpkin mixture.  

 Bake 38 to 40 minutes.

Let your bars cool at least one hour before slicing and serving.

Easy Peanut butter Chocolate Chip Cake Bars

A few weeks back we went to a friends house for dinner. 

I knew about it all week. 

Knew I was going to bring dessert. 

But all three times I went to the store, I forgot to get something to make. 

I can't tell you how often this happens. 

So, I set off in search of a recipe I could make with ingredients I had at home. 

I always keep a variety of cake mix in the house.  

There are just so many options to do with it.  

Thankfully, I found the following recipe on Pinterest and made some changes using ingredients I had. 

The bars took me no time to make and were delicious. 

Peanut butter, chocolate, a thick chewy bar....my kind of dessert! 

                                                          

 Adapted from I'm a lazy mom

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

2 eggs beaten

5 T melted butter

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup chocolate chips 

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. 

Pour into a brownie pan (this one is my favorite) 

Peep Brownies

How cute are these?

A friend of mine posted a picture a few days before Easter of this adorable dessert.  

I knew I had to make them.  

Ingredients: 

Brownie Mix

Green Icing

Peeps

Peanut M&M's 

Directions: 

Make the brownies according to the package directions.  

Bake them in a brownie pan (I love my Pampered Chef pan) 

When they're done, let them cool on a cooling rack.

After they are completely cooled, use the green icing to make it look like grass.
I cheated and bought the Betty Crocker Cupcake Icing with tips.
It was so easy, worth the extra few dollars.
After that, place a peep and some M&M's on top.

These treats are sure to be the talk of the party! 

Red Velvet Fudge Brownies

Last weekend, we hosted a couples game night at our house.  We asked all of the guests to bring a dish and their drink of choice.  With a baby and with work being really busy, I didn't have time to plan a typical over the top party that I usually throw. I decided to "sign-up" for dessert.  Desserts are always my choice because they are simple and usually a favorite.  I had already made regular brownies and rice krispie treats but needed one more dessert for my 3-tier serving dish.  When I realized this, it was only 3 hours away from party time.  I knew I had tons of red velvet cake mixes in the pantry, so I searched for a recipe I could make with it.  I didn't want a cupcake or cake, so I decided on brownies! 

Results:  I liked these, didn't love them.  I thought they were a bit cake like.  But, hubs LOVED them.  And a lot of the guests at the party said they were good.  Hubs did tell me that the chocolate chips made it.  He said he had one without a lot of chocolate chips and it was so so, but the one he had with loads of chips was amazing.  Next time I make them, I'll add more chips.  Another variation which would put these over the top is adding cream cheese icing! The recipe does have icing with it, but I left it out because I wanted to stack the brownies on a plate.  Enjoy!

Red Velvet Fudge Brownies

Courtesy of Duncan Hines 

Hands-On Time:	10 minutes
Total Time:	55 minutes
Servings:	Varies
Rating:	4.5 stars

Description:

Brownies.

Ingredients

• 1 Duncan Hines box Red Velvet cake mix
• 3/4 cup butter, after melted
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups walnuts, chopped (optional)

Marble Frosting:

• 8 oz. butter cream frosting
• 4 oz. triple chocolate frosting

Baking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Combine egg, butter, water in a bowl. Add box mix, stir until the ingredients are combined, and lumps are gone.
3. Add chips and 1 cup of nuts, and pour mixture into the greased 9x13-inch baking pan.
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes and place the cake on wire cooling rack.
5. Frost brownie with butter cream frosting. Heat or microwave chocolate frosting for easy pouring. Pour 2 oz. chocolate frosting over butter cream layer.
6. Use a fork to blend two frostings for a marbled appearance, to desired pattern. Sprinkle brownie with remaining nuts.
7. Drizzle remaining chocolate frosting over the butter cream.
8. Put the brownie in the freezer to cool. Allow 10 minutes, cut and serve.

Pumpkin Bars

Hands down one of the best pumpkin recipes I've ever made.  I made these for Halloween and my neighbors kept coming back for more.  Mine came out a little thicker than bars, more like a cake. Next time I'll make them into cupcakes so that you can eat them with your hands in a few bites. Enjoy!! 

Pumpkin Bars

Courtesy of I Heart Naptime 

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 16 oz can pumpkin
• 2 cups flour sifted
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. In a large bowl beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until fluffy. In a medium sized bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, soda, and spices. Add to pumpkin mixture. Spread in greased 15x10 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool.
2. For frosting cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy. Frost on pumpkin bars.

Pumpkin Magic Bars

I made a fall bucket list a few weeks back and this was one of the recipes I said I wanted to bake. Magic Layer Bars are one of my favorite desserts and so addicting!  When I came across one recipe made with pumpkin, I had to give it a try!  I made a few changes to the recipe which I noted below. The bars were AH-MAZING. The middle pumpkin layer tasted like pumpkin pie & the rest of it was just icing on top.  Enjoy!    

Pumpkin 7-Layer Magic Bars

Recipe Courtesy of BakersRoyale

Makes one 8×8 pan | 

Preparation: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Create a foil sling with a 1 inch over hang.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 16 whole crackers)
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 11 oz. golden delicious apples, shredded (about 2 regular size apples) *OMITTED
• 11/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 cup salted almonds, coarsely chopped *USED PECANS
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Combine graham crackers and butter  and stir until well blended. Press mixture onto bottom of pan
2. Combine sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and stir until well combined. Pour mixture over graham cracker crust.
3. Peel and core apples. Use the large side of the  grating box to shred the apples. Layer shredded apples on the sweetened sweetened condensed milk. Sprinkle on chocolate chips, followed by the almonds and then finish by sprinkling coconut on top.
4. Place assembled pan in the oven and bake for about 25-35 minutes. Let cool in pan completely and then transfer finished pan to the refrigerator to chill before cutting. 
5.               *I KEPT THE DESSERT IN THE FRIDGE UNTIL IT WAS GONE*

Chocolate Caramel Candy Bars

Chocolate is my weakness.  I love it.  Eat it every. single. day.  Can't get enough of it.  Maybe that's way this baby weight is not coming off as quick as I want it to....

In the most recent issue of Kraft Food & Family, I found these gems.  

They're like a DIY Twix bar.  Sign me up! 

They were a little messy but totally worth it.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Caramel Candy Bars

Courtesy of Kraft

What You Need

35 LORNA DOONE Shortbread Cookies

1 pkg.  (11 oz.) KRAFT Caramel Bits

1 Tbsp.  milk

3 squares  BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

3 squares  BAKER'S White Chocolate

Make It

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides; spray with cooking spray. Arrange cookies in single layer on bottom of prepared pan.

MICROWAVE caramel bits and milk in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until bits are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Pour over cookies; spread to completely cover cookies.

MICROWAVE chocolates in microwaveable bowl 2 min. or until almost melted, stirring every 30 sec.; stir until chocolates are completely melted. Pour over caramel layer; spread to completely cover caramel layer.

LET stand 2 hours before cutting into bars.

Chocolate Marshmallow Fluff Squares

This is a weight watchers recipe that I found while searching for yummy desserts that were low in points.  I always loved peanut butter, jelly & fluff sandwiches growing up, so I knew I would love this combination.  This recipe reminded me how much I love marshmallow fluff!  What I loved about this dessert is that you don't have to make too many, you can make one a night if you wish.  I didn't drizzle the chocolate over the top as the directions suggested, I just dipped the ends in the amount of chocolate called for.  The chocolate on the top made the dessert! Enjoy!

8 whole reduced-fat cinnamon graham crackers
3 Tbsp reduced-fat peanut butter, creamy style
3 serving(s) Culver's® Toppings Marshmallow Crème Topping, (tablespoons), or other brand
2 oz semisweet chocolate, chips variety, melted (1/4 cup)
3 Tbsp peanuts, oarsely chopped  

    * Break each graham cracker in half to make 16 squares. Spread each of 8 squares with 1 rounded teaspoon peanut butter. Spread each of the remaining 8 squares with 1 rounded teaspoon marshmallow crème. Press the peanut butter and marshmallow squares together to form sandwiches; place on a wax paper–lined baking sheet.

    * Drizzle the melted chocolate over each sandwich in a zigzag pattern and sprinkle with the peanuts. Freeze until the chocolate is partially set, about 10 minutes. Yields 1 sandwich per serving.


Each Square is 4 points

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies.  So, I made sure to pin this recipe as soon as I saw it.  I made them this past week for my husband to bring to work.  It was his first week back after the baby was born and he wanted to do something to say thank you to his team for doing a great job while he was gone.  So,  I baked for them.  I'm a fan of this recipe because it didn't call for a lot of ingredients therefore it was quick to throw together.  I followed the recipe below but did increase the amount of cinnamon I added to the mixture by a tsp (or two).  Next time, I will add cinnamon and white chocolate chips to the batter to give it a little more texture and flavor.  Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Recipe Courtesy of Baking Bites

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in salt, egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Add in flour and stir until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour dough – it will be thick – into prepared baking dish and smooth it into an even layer.

Stir together remaining 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Sprinkle dough evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until bars are set and the edges are just very lightly browned. Cool in the pan before slicing.

Makes 16.

Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

After making the Kit Kat brownies a few weeks back, hubs requested Peanut Butter Cup brownies.  So this week I gave them a try.  They were simple to make, especially since I used the boxed brownie mix. Hubs and I had them for dessert on Sunday night and they were absolutely divine.  I immediately packaged them up and sent them to work with hubs the next day, or else I would have had a large weight gain this week at the DR! When I talked to him at work the next day he said they were gone in minutes and people requested 9 batches of them.  To say these were a hit is an understatement!   

All you need is brownie mix (9x13) and 2 packages of king size peanut butter cups. 

Prepare the brownie mix according to the directions on the package.  Pour HALF of the mix into a greased pan, just enough to cover the bottom. 

Open the candy and cut each one into 4 pieces. 

Place the pieces on top of the brownie mix.  I tried to place them so that there would be candy in every bite. 

Pour the rest of the brownie mix on top.  Make sure to cover the candy completely. 

Bake for about 18 minutes or as long as is directed on the box.  Le them cool before you cut them & enjoy! 

You could also use the new mini candy pieces sold in the bags but I am not going to change this recipe one bit.  They were perfect they way they were!

Kit Kat Brownies

I've seen lots of candy brownie combinations floating around lately.  My favorite candy bar is Kit Kat.  After teacher appreciation week I came home with about 10 kit kat candy bars, so I decided to see how they would taste in a brownie.  I used a dark chocolate Betty Crocker brownie mix and prepared the mix as directed on the box. Pour half of the brownie mix into a 9x13 greased baking dish.  Break apart the bars and lay them across the pan.  You can break them into smaller pieces if you choose.  After all the candy bars are on the mix, top it off with the remainder of the brownie mixture.  Make sure all the candy bars are covered.  Bake as directed on the box.  These brownies are best the day they are made. Enjoy!

Cake Batter Blondies

 I've recently set a goal to make one dessert on Sunday that hubs and I can enjoy after dinner throughout the week.  The recipe I made last night was cake batter blondies.  Originally found on Pinterest.  I picked this recipe for the week because I didn't have to buy any ingredients and this is a eat what we have in the house week.  So, it worked out perfectly!  I enjoyed the crunchy edged of this dessert and hubs enjoyed the gooey center.  It was best of both worlds...ENJOY! 

Cake Batter Blondies

Courtesy of Girl Meets Life. 

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1/4 – 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles 1/2 cup white chocolate chips (optional)
*Instead of using yellow cake mix and sprinkles, I used confetti cake mix


Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix and sprinkles in a large bowl, then mix in the oil and egg. Add the milk slowly just until the batter is combined – you want it to remain as dense as possible. Place better in a greased 8×8 pan or 8-inch cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or just until the edges turn golden. Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting because the gooey center needs to set. The result will be a decadent, cake-batter texture.

Avalanche Bars

It's been far too long since I've posted a sweet recipe on this blog.  I've definitely been enjoying sweets throughout this pregnancy but I haven't been baking as much.  I'm usually too tired to do anything after dinner.  

Tonight, I decided that needed to change.  I made a tasty dinner, but didn't have to spend too long cooking.  So, while the meal was baking I decided to whip up these bars from Cookies & Cups (one of my favorite sweet treat blogs).  They were ah-mazing.  I didn't make any changes to the recipe.  I'm looking forward to having them for dessert this week. Hubs said these taste exactly like a nutter butter.  Make sure to enjoy them after they've had some time to set. 

Avalanche Bars

Courtesy of Cookies & Cups

Ingredients: 

12 oz bag of White Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups Rice Krispies, or “Puffed Rice” if you’re buying generic

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips + 2 Tbsp for garnish.

Lightly grease a 9×9 pan (or 8×8 if you prefer thicker bars)

Directions: 

1.  In microwave-safe bowl dump in white chips and heat on med power for 1 minute.  Stir and continue in 30 second increments until chips are melted.

2.  Combine the peanut butter with the melted chips

3.  Add the krispies.

4.  Let cool approx 15 – 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes or so to help cool.

5.  Add the marshmallows and the mini chocolate chips and stir to combine.

6.  Dump mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly, pressing lightly with the back of your spoon, but do not compact too much, otherwise they will get hard.

7.  Press the remaining chocolate chips into the top for garnish.

Hot Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Thank you to Pinterest for another fabulous sweet treat!  I love making rice krispie treats for my class.  They are very easy to make and take no time at all.  A few weeks back I saw hot chocolate rice krispie treats on Pinterest.  I decided to give them a go for our Polar Express movie day.  I didn't follow a recipe, I just winged it.  

I followed the directions on the box for regular rice krispie treats.  When the marshmallows were melted, I added a packed of hot chocolate.  I mixed the hot chocolate with the melted marshmallows.

   

Then I poured in the 6 cups of rice krispie treats.  After the marshmallows were mixed with the rice krispies, I added another half of bag of mini marshmallows.  I lightly mixed these in because I didn't want them to melt.  I packed them into a well greased 13x9 baking dish and pushed it down with the bottom of a glass.  After they were cool, I cut them into pieces.  They were a hit with my students.  Enjoy!