Cream Cheese Brownies

These little bars taste as lovely as they look. I did not have enough unsweetend chocolate on hand, so I successfully swapped 3 Tbsp of cocoa and 1 Tbsp oil, butter, or shortening for every ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate you are substituting. The cream cheese brownies were easy to assemble, I do hope you get a chance to try them!

Cream Cheese Brownies (from Joy of Baking)

Brownie Layer:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (see note above)
1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg

Cream Cheese Brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 9 inch square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan.

In a stainless steel (heatproof) bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon) after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and beat, with a wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan (about one minute). Remove 1/2 cup of the brownie batter and set it aside. Place the remainder of the brownie batter evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

Then, in the bowl of your food processor (or with a hand mixer), process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and egg and process just until creamy and smooth. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the brownie layer. Spoon small dollops of the reserved brownie batter evenly on top of the cream cheese filling. Then with a table knife or wooden skewer, swirl the two batters without mixing them.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are just beginning to brown (for me I think I baked these close to 40 minutes, while upping the oven temperature to 350 degrees for the last few minutes.) Either way keep an eye on your oven and your bars and remove them when they match the description of finished product.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate the brownies until they are firm enough to cut into squares (at least two hours). Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. It is a good idea to have a damp cloth nearby to wipe your knife between cuts.

These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Nutella Brownies

As always, our trusty Nutella has never steered me wrong. I think, for me, anytime I see Nutella in the name of a recipe, I can almost instantly assume that it will be a hit. The original recipe calls for caramel and hazelnuts, which unfortunately I did not have on hand. I tossed around the idea of making my own caramel sauce, but just decided that was to be too much work, I forged ahead without. The results were just as lovely without, however, I feel there should be a way to work in a cream cheese swirl. Let me know if anybody figures out a way to work that in :)

Nutella Brownies (Inspired by bell'alimento at Tasty Kitchen)

½ cups All-purpose Flour
⅓ cups Cocoa Powder
¼ teaspoons Baking Powder
1 pinch Salt
1 cup Sugar
½ stick Unsalted Butter
2 whole Eggs
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
½ almond extract
¼ cups Nutella (1/4 cup Nutella, melted if desiredfor garnishing)
Nuts, if desired (I used pecans because thats what I had on hand) hazelnuts would be ideal though.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Into a mixing bowl, add your flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Using a whisk, mix together and set aside. Into your stand mixer or in a bowl using a hand mixed, add the sugar and butter; cream together. Add in eggs one at a time and mix well. Add in your vanilla and almond extracts. Gradually add in your flour mixture until it’s well combined. Batter should be thick and sticky.

Spray an 8"x*" ovenproof dish with cooking spray. Place a piece of parchment paper (slightly larger than your dish to allow for handles) inside. It will adhere to the bottom of the dish. Pour the batter in the prepared dish. Spoon the Nutella over the batter, and swirl throughout the batter using a spoon or a spatula. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until sides are firm and center is no longer giggly.

Allow brownies to cool completely before removing. Cut your brownies to your desired size using a serrated knife. Make a small indentation with your finger into each brownie. Take your melted Nutella and drizzle over the tops of the brownies. Garnish with the nuts.

Key Lime Bars

This is my go to recipe for lemon bars, yes that's right I said lemon bars. You see that's what the original recipe calls for, and any other day I would go for that, but I thought I was in the mood for some Key Lime Treats. These bars are creamy, with just enough tartness of the lemon (or lime in this case.) The crust is perfect made with the vanilla wafer cookies. This is an all round summer classic in our house, whenever I make these people often ask for the recipe and I have to point them to the Kraft website!

Key Lime Bars (adapted from Kraft Food and Family)

20 Reduced Fat vaNilla Wafers cookies, finely crushed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold margarine
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Neufchatel cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. grated key lime peel, divided
1/4 cup fresh key lime juice
1/4 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
2 tsp. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside. Combine wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and the brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min.

Beat Neufchatel cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and 2 Tbsp. flour; mix well. Blend in 1 Tbsp. Key Lime peel, Key Lime juice and baking powder; pour over crust.

Bake 25 to 28 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining 2 Tbsp. grated key lime peel just before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftover squares in refrigerator.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars

I wish I could have gotten a better picture of these tasty bars, because I really don't think that this does these bars justice. Oh well, it's a learning process right! I took a moment to do some Googling, who was Granny Smith and how did she get an apple named after her? Well I found out that a lady named Maria Ann Smith cultivated an unintentionally cross bread seedling to yield these tasty green apples. Additionally, the Beatles' Apple Records adopted the Granny Smith as their icon in 1968.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars (From Good Things Catered)

2c plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

small pinch of ground cloves

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 c packed brown sugar
1 c white sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and diced

about 1/4 cup cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 pan, lined with foil and baking spray.

In a medium bowl combine sugars, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves.

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine sugars, melted butter. Set on medium high speed and mix until batter is light and fluffy. Add eggs one by one, also add the vanilla at this time. Turn mixer on low and add the flour mixture slowly, incorporating it fully before adding more.

Once the mixture is fully combined, remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in apples . Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared 9"x13" pan. Very generously sprinkle the top with the cinnamon sugar. Use more than you would think, because after the bars bake up, the cinnamon sugar will form a nice little crust on top.

Bake for 30 minutes until cooked through and the top springs back when pressed gently

Cool and serve!

Swirled Pumpkin-Bourbon Cheesecake Bars

I, along with many others, are going pumpkin crazy this year, I just can’t get enough! I know this season will fly by like it always does so we have to make the most of it right? I had some left over pumpkin cream cheese in the ‘fridge so I ought to put it to good use, and why not a cheesecake bar?

Swirled Pumpkin–Bourbon Cheesecake Squares (Source Kelsey’s Apple A Day)

For crust:

about 20 gingersnaps, broken into large pieces

1/4 c. granulated sugar

3 TBSP butter, melted

1 TBSP bourbon

Cheesecake Filling:

11 oz. low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature (I used a mixture of pumpkin cream cheese and low-fat cream cheese)

1/4 c. low-fat sour cream

1/3 c. granulated sugar

1 TBSP all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

1 TBSP (packed) dark brown sugar

3 TBSP bourbon

Preheat oven to 325 F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9x9x2 in. square pan with foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.

To make the crust: Process the gingersnaps in a food processor until very finely chopped. You should have one cup of crumbs. Combine crumbs, sugar, butter, and bourbon. Pat into an even layer in the bottom of the pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Cool on a rack.

To make the filling: Beat the cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add egg, vanilla, and bourbon and beat until smooth.

Scoop 3/4 c. of the cream cheese mixture into a medium bowl and stir in pumpkin puree and brown sugar. Spoon the plain cream cheese mixture evenly over the crumb layer in the pan. Dollop pumpkin mixture on top and swirl with a fork to make a decorative design.

Bake for 28-32 minutes, or until firm in the middle when gently shaken. Cool in the pan for one hour. Chill thoroughly. To serve, lift cheesecake and foil from pan. Cut into squares.

Bourbon Spiced Pumpkin Bars

I thought I had pumpkin bars down, I have a recipe that each fall my husband requests time and time again. Don’t get me wrong it’s a fine recipe. Then I stumbled upon these little gems! These pumpkin bars did what any good bar recipe should do and that is 2 things: make your house smell yummy and make tummies happy-simple right?

Bourbon Spiced Pumpkin Bars (Adapted from Good Things Catered)

1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree, drained on a paper towel lined fine strainer
1 egg
2 Tbsp bourbon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Frosting (I used the already prepared kind from the supermarket, but if you prefer the homemade version more power to you!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line and prepare an 8x8 baking pan. (I used a glass 8x8 baking dish so I simply sprayed mine with a little baking spray)

In medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, spices, and salt. Whisk to combine thoroughly and set aside.

In bowl, add egg, sugars, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. I used a hand mixer, but a stand mixer will work great also. Add bourbon, vanilla and mix to combine.
Hand stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until just barely combined.

Spread evenly into prepared pan. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Macadamia Nut Blondies

When I was first introduced to Blondies it was many years a go at Applebees, and it had that buttery, gooey sauce dripping from the heaping scoop of ice cream melting on top of the Blondie. And man was that delicous! Recently I learned that a blondie is a brownie, but without the chocolate. There are countless recipes and combinations for these little darlings, but I love mine with macadamia nuts and white chocolate. Also I use almond extract versus vanilla for a little something different. Enjoy this one bowl wonder.

Macadamia Nut Blondies

7 Tbs butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup Macadamia Nuts
*1/4 cup white chocolate chips optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray. In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg.

Add salt, stir in the flour, almond extract and baking powder. Mix in white chocolate chips if using. Pour into prepared pan and use a spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Bake for 21-22 minutes or until set in the middle. We generally like things on the lesser done side of things, so if you prefer a more done bar add 2 minutes to cooking time.

Cool on rack before cutting. Then swoon.