Espresso Brownies

I've never been a coffee drinker.  There are lots of mornings where I wake up and wish that I liked coffee because I could really use the caffeine boost, but it's just not something I've ever gotten into.  That being said, I looooove coffee flavored desserts.  Coffee ice cream, yes please!  Mocha anything, sign me up.  Espresso Brownies, I can't get enough.  The only problem with these brownies is having enough willpower not to eat them for breakfast after another early wake up call from my human alarm clock.  

These Espresso Brownies are easy enough to make for no reason at all, but the espresso makes them special enough to serve to guests.  We recently went to a barbecue and I volunteered to bring a dessert.  I knew that I wanted to bring some sort of brownie, but I had a hard time deciding which one.  I love caramel so I was debating between these Peanut Butter Caramel Swirl Brownies  and these Salted Caramel Brownies, but then I remembered these Espresso Brownies.  I used to make these brownies all the time, but I haven't made them in years.  Since everyone at the barbecue had a baby or a toddler I figured that a little caffeine boost would be a welcome treat so Espresso Brownies it was.

To make these Espresso Brownies you will need two packages of brownie mix.  I used my favorite Ghiradelli Triple Chocolate brownie mix that I buy in a six pack at Costco, but feel free to use your favorite mix.  In a large bowl, whisk together equal parts water and vegetable oil along with four eggs and 1/4 cup of espresso powder.  I know that sounds like a lot, but remember that you are using two packages of brownie mix.

Stir in the brownie mix until everything is well combined.  Now you know that I love chocolate, A LOT, so I like to add a little bit more.  Stir a heaping cup of semisweet chocolate chips into the batter and then pour it into a baking pan sprayed with baking spray.  You have two options when it comes to your baking pans.  Some people like their brownies to be a little bit crispy, I am not one of those people.  I'm a soft and gooey brownie girl all the way!  If I'm just making these for my family, I like to use two square baking dishes because then I get all super soft and gooey brownies.  Also, I can freeze one pan for another day.  When I'm making these brownies for a crowd, I bake them in a 9 x 13 inch pan.  This will leave you with slightly crisper edges and softer, gooier brownies in the center.  That way everyone gets their brownies just the way that they like them. No matter what type of brownie lover you are, you will love these Espresso Brownies.  They are super chocolatey and the espresso powder gives them that little special something to make them out of this world!

Espresso Brownies

• 2/3 cup water
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup instant espresso powder
• 2 packages brownie mix
• 1 heaping cup chocolate chips

1. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with baking spray and preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl whisk together water, vegetable oil, eggs, and espresso powder.
3. Stir in brownie mix until well combined
4. Stir in chocolate chips and pour into baking pan.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
6. Let cool completely before cutting.

 I'm linking up with Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Whimsy Wednesday, Cook It Craft It Share It, Crafty & Delicious, Create It Thursday, Creativity Unleashed, Pin Junkie, Thrifty Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, Link Party Palooza, Best of the Weekend, Weekend Potluck, Best Recipes, and Pinworthy Projects.
 

Salted Caramel Blondies

We have officially entered the season of potluck celebrations and homemade gifts.  If you are like me and love to bring desserts to dinner parties or give baked goods at the holidays, you NEED to add these blondies onto your list of goodies to make.  They are out of this world good, unbelievably easy, and are made in one bowl, well actually one saucepan.  Every time I make these, I set a couple aside for myself before I serve them because otherwise by the time I go to eat one they are already gone.  You will definitely be asked for the recipe, though you may not want to share because then people will know that they aren't nearly as fancy as they look. 

Start out by melting 2 sticks of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once the butter is melted, turn off the heat and add in some brown sugar, white whole wheat flour, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir it all together until its completely combined.  Then pour the batter into a baking pan sprayed with baking spray.

Now for the tricky part, just kidding, there is no tricky part.  Sprinkle some Maldon sea salt all over the top.  You want to use a nice flaky salt for this.  Table salt is not nearly the same thing.  The Maldon salt is so worth the price.  If you want another use for it, try these Salted Caramel Brownies.  Better yet, make both and serve them together as two sides of the salted caramel coin so to speak.

Anyway, back to the blondies.  Bake the blondies at 350 for 15-18 minutes.  These were baked for 17 minutes.  Let them cool completely before you cut them into bars.  These Salted Caramel Blondies are deliciously rich.  I recommend enjoying them with a tall glass of cold milk.

Salted Caramel Blondies
Recipe adapted from iVillage

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 tsp. Maldon sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 11 x 7 baking pan with baking spray.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
3. Turn off heat and add sugar, flour, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir together until completely combined.
4. Pour into baking pan and smooth with a spatula.
5. Sprinkle sea salt all over the top from high above the pan.
6. Bake for 15-18 minutes.  Cool completely before cutting.

I'm linking up with Two Cup Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Whimsy Wednesdays, Wednesday Whatsits, Create It Thursday, and Pin It Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Cook it Craft It Share It, Weekend Social, Best of the Weekend, Link Party Palooza, Best Recipes, Weekend Potluck, Celebrate It, and Pinworthy Projects. 

Frosted Peanut Butter Chewy Bars

My stepmom and I share a deep and abiding love for peanut butter.  On our recent trip to England she mentioned these amazing Frosted Chews that she makes.  They are similar to a Rice Krispie treat except that they are made with peanut butter instead of marshmallow.  As she started describing them to me, I knew that I needed to make them ASAP.  I also knew that it wouldn't be a good idea for me to have an entire batch of these in my house because I have zero willpower (as you already know if you regularly read my blog).  Luckily, I had a potluck coming up and these were the perfect treat to bring.

Not only are these amazingly delicious, they are no-bake which is a huge plus during these horrendously hot summer months.  Add in the fact that these are make-ahead (and can even be frozen) and we have a winning dessert!

These Frosted Peanut Butter Chewy Bars are super easy to make! Start out by bringing equal parts sugar, corn syrup, and honey to a boil (stirring occasionally).  If you prefer, you can use just honey or just corn syrup instead of a combination of the two.  Once your sugar mixture boils, take it off the heat and add in some peanut butter, stirring it together until it is all nice and melted.  Y-U-M!  Control yourself and don't eat it yet (well, maybe one little taste, I won't tell).

Stir in your cereal of choice.  I used Kashi Go Lean because that makes these a health food, and I'm all about health foods obviously.  I actually really love Kashi Go Lean.  When I was pregnant I used to mix it with cottage cheese and eat it for snack.  I highly recommend it.

Anyway... back to the bars.  Once you have completely coated the cereal with the peanut butter mixture, press it into a 9 x 13 inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.  I used a deep cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Stick this in the fridge to cool while you make the frosted part of this addictive little treat.

In case you can't tell how deliciously peanut buttery these are, here's a closer look.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine some chocolate chips and some butterscotch chips.  I used a ratio of 2 to 1 chocolate to butterscotch so it wouldn't be over the top sweet but if you like things super duper sweet, go ahead and do half and half.

Microwave the chips in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.  It took me 1 minute.  When I pulled them out of the microwave after the 2nd time they still looked pretty solid, but once I finished stirring, they were perfectly smooth and melted.  Remember, you can always put them back in to melt more, you can't undo it if you go too far, you'll just have to start over, so I like to err on the side of caution.

Take the chews out of the fridge and use a spatula to spread the melted chips over the cereal mixture.

My "frosting" didn't reach completely to the edges but that is okay.  When you cut them into bars, just cut those parts off and thriftily pop them in your mouth.  It will be our little secret ;)

Cool completely before cutting into bars.  I prefer to eat them cold, but they are just as delicious at room temperature. If you have any leftovers (wow, you have amazing powers of restraint) freeze them and you can eat them straight from the freezer.  Mmm, mmm, mmm!

There is honestly no way to describe how unbelievably addictive and good these Frosted Peanut Butter Chewy Bars are.  The crunch from the cereal, the sticky sweet peanut butter, and the smooth chocolate and butterscotch topping combine to make a dangerously delicious, no-bake treat. 

Frosted Peanut Butter Chewy Bars

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 6 cups Kashi Go Lean (or cereal of your choice)
• 2 cups (12 oz.) chocolate chips
• 1 cup (6 oz.) butterscotch chips

1. Cook sugar, honey, and corn syrup in a large pot over medium heat until it boils, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from heat and add in peanut butter, stirring until melted.
3. Add in cereal and stir until evenly coated.
4. Press into a 9 x 13 inch pan lined with parchment paper.  Cool in fridge.
5. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals stirring well after each until melted and smooth.
6. Spread melted chips over cereal mixture.  Cool completely before cutting into bars.

I'm linking up with Creativity Unleashed, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Best of the Weekend, Link Party Palooza, Weekend Potluck, Super Saturday, Pinworthy Projects, Show Stopper Saturday, Saturday Night Fever, Munching Mondays, Inspiration Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Craftastic Monday, Busy Monday, and Monday Funday, Mad Skills, Lou Lou Girls, Create Link Inspire, Tasty Tuesday, Two Cup Tuesday, Wonderfully Creative Wednesday, Wednesday Whatsits, Whimsy Wednesday, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Create It Thursday, Pin It Thursday, Cook It Craft It Share It, Project Stash, and Showcase Your Talent Thursday.

Snickerdoodle Cinnamon Chip Blondies

Snickerdoodles are my husband's favorite cookies but I don't make them very often because to be honest, I'm too lazy to roll them up and then roll them in cinnamon-sugar.  Yep, I'm super-duper lazy.  One day, I was feeling guilty about this and decided I would try to find something with the same flavors, but a lot less effort.  I came across these delicious Snickerdoodle Blondies on Brown Eyed Baker (one of my favorite blogs).  I've made them several times with a few minor tweaks and they always get rave reviews.

Recently I picked up a bag of Hershey's cinnamon chips and I instantly knew that they would be the perfect addition to Snickerdoodle Blondies.  These are super easy to whip up, I only use one bowl.  The original recipe calls for a 9 x 13 inch pan but I usually use two 8-inch square pans so that I can give one away or freeze it for another day.  That's right, these freeze well too!

Start out by creaming together 2 sticks of butter and 2 cups of brown sugar until it is light and fluffy.  Then add in a couple of eggs and a good splash of vanilla.  Beat it all together.

Dump in some flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and a little salt.  Before you turn your mixer on, wrap it in plastic wrap so you don't make a mess (my favorite little kitchen tip).  Turn the mixer on low until everything is combined.

Stir in some cinnamon chips, making sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl in case any part of your dough isn't thoroughly combined.

Spread the batter into your pans (sprayed with cooking spray).  It is really thick so you will need to use your spatula to spread it around.

Now for the finishing touch, you are going to top these little beauties with cinnamon-sugar.  I have an empty spice jar that I washed out and filled with cinnamon-sugar.  That way I'm always ready to make a piece of cinnamon toast.  Take your shaker and just shake, shake, shake until the top is totally covered with cinnamon-sugar.  If you don't have some ready to go, just mix together some cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it all over the top.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until the top springs back lightly when pressed.  Let these cool completely before cutting if you want nice, neat bars.  If you just can't wait because the delicious scent of cinnamon and sugar has been wafting through your kitchen, at least let them cool off enough that you won't burn your tongue and then eat it over a plate because they won't be firm enough yet.

The cinnamon chips add that extra layer of cinnamon-goodness to these blondies.  The topping gives a nice little crunch but the bars themselves are soft and chewy.  You'll forget all about snickerdoodle cookies once you sink your teeth into these blondies.  You're welcome! ;)

Snickerdoodle Cinnamon Chip Blondies

• 2 sticks butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbls. vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups cinnamon chips
• 2 tbls. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon for the topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray 2 8-inch square or one 9 x 13 baking pans.
2. Cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
4. Add in flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Wrap your mixer with plastic wrap and beat on low until combined.
5. Stir in cinnamon chips.
6. Spread batter into pans using your spatula to make it as even as possible.
7. Combine the 2 tbls. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle all over the top of the blondies.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.  Cool completely before cutting. 

I'm linking up with  Thrifty Thursday, Pin Junkie, Get Him Fed Fridays, Bakerette, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Show Stopper Saturday, Best of the Weekend, Two Cup Tuesday, Tasty Tuesdays, and Create Link Inspire.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip & Peanut Butter Caramel Cookie Bars

If you've been reading my blog for the past few months then you know that I had to give up peanut butter for the last few months of my pregnancy.  For some of you that may not sound like much of a hardship, but for me it was really, really hard.

Now that peanut butter can be a part of my life again, I knew I wanted to make something over-the-top peanut buttery to celebrate.  These bars were inspired by the Pioneer Woman's Knock You Naked Brownies.  Instead of making brownies, I made my favorite peanut butter cookie dough.

Once the dough is mixed up, spread half of it in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and bake it for 10 minutes at 375.  Then set it aside.

To maximize the peanut butter flavor I combined peanut butter with an equal amount of salted caramel and melted it in the microwave until it was pourable.  I used the Trader Joe's fleur de sel caramel sauce.  You can make your own caramel or use any good caramel, but don't use the caramel flavored ice cream topping.  It's too thin.  All I can say about this peanut butter caramel is DO THIS!  Greatest. Idea. Ever.

Pour the peanut butter caramel over the par-baked cookie dough and spread it around leaving a small amount around the edge with no caramel to keep it easy to get out of the pan.  Then sprinkle on about a 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

Take the other half of the cookie dough and use your hands to flatten it out and put it all over the top.  I just did a little bit at a time and pieced it together like a puzzle.  If it doesn't completely cover, don't worry about it.  The dough will spread out when it bakes.

Put it back in the oven and continue to bake for about 20 minutes more.  Then put the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.  These are very gooey so if you don't let them cool you will need a spoon to scoop them out (Not that there is anything wrong with that).

These peanut butter chocolate chip and peanut butter caramel cookie bars may be a mouthful to say, but they are an over-the-top, rich, peanut buttery treat.  You will definitely want a glass of milk with these.  They were everything I had been missing and really hit the spot.  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip & Peanut Butter Caramel Cookie Bars

For the cookie dough:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
•  2 eggs
• 1 tbls. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

For the center layer:

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 3/4 cup salted caramel  

1. Preheat your oven to 375 and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Beat butter and peanut butter in stand mixer (or use a bowl and hand mixer if you don't have one) on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the sugars and baking soda and beat until combined, scraping the bowl if needed.
4. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
5. Beat in the flour and the salt. (I wrapped my bowl with plastic wrap to minimize mess.)
6. Scrape the bowl and give it one more mix by hand, then stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.  Then set aside.
8. Put the 3/4 cup peanut butter in a glass measuring cup and microwave on high for about 30 seconds.  Add the salted caramel to the partly melted peanut butter and microwave another 30 seconds.  Stir it together really well then pour over the par-baked cookie dough layer spreading it around without going all the way to the edge.
9. Sprinkle the 1/2 cup chocolate chips over the peanut butter caramel.
10. Flatten out the other half of the cookie dough and lay it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips trying to cover as much of it as you can.  
11. Bake 20 minutes.  Then cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

I'm linking up with Thrifty Thursday,  Pin Junkie, Get Him Fed Friday, Link Party Palooza, Best of the Weekend, Show Stopper Saturday, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Inspiration Monday, Create Link Inspire, Mad Skills Party,  Two Cup Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, Made By Me, Whimsy Wednesday, Wake Up Wednesday, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Pin It Thursday, Showcase Your Talent Thursday, and Create It Thursday.

Fresh Cranberry & White Chocolate Chip Blondies

I've never been a big fan of white chocolate because it is overly sweet to me, but I heard that the white chocolate chips that Trader Joe's has at holiday time are really good so I picked up a bag.  They've been sitting in my cupboard waiting for inspiration to strike.  A bunch of people have been posting copycat Starbuck's Cranberry Bliss Bars and they got me thinking.  Those usually use dried cranberries, but I thought that might be a little too sweet for my taste with the white chocolate.

Since I bought the big bag of fresh cranberries at Costco I decided to make my own version of Cranberry Bliss Bars but with fresh cranberries and no frosting.  I started out with a plain blondie base, kicked up the vanilla flavor by using vanilla paste, if you haven't tried this stuff it is basically vanilla extract on steroids, and then stirred in some fresh cranberries and white chocolate chips.

I bought mine at Sur La Table but Williams Sonoma and Amazon have it too.

It comes together really quickly, all in one bowl, so you can have a delicious holiday treat with minimal effort and minimal dishes.  The sweetness of the blondie and the white chocolate with the tart bursts from the cranberries are the perfect balance for each other and leave you with a delicious, seasonal treat.

Start out by creaming your butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy.  Then beat in an egg and the delicious vanilla paste. (If you don't have vanilla paste you can use vanilla extract instead.)  Once that's all mixed together, add in some flour, baking powder, and a little salt.

Stir in the cranberries and white chocolate chips and then spread the batter in a square baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.  The batter is very thick so you will need to spread it around.  I forgot to take a picture before I put it in the oven so I pulled it out after about 3 minutes so you can see how thick the batter is.

Bake at 350 for about half an hour or until the top is golden brown and it's puffed up.  You want it to be fully cooked, but think of this like a giant cookie, keeping it a little bit underdone when you pull it out will keep your blondies soft and chewy.  They will continue to cook a bit after removing them from the oven from the residual heat of the pan.

Once they are baked, let cool for a half hour or so before you cut into it.  If you let it cool completely, it will cut even more neatly, but if you are impatient, 30 minutes is enough to be able to get a piece out without it falling apart and you won't burn your tongue.

Fresh Cranberry & White Chocolate Chip Blondies

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla paste 
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt 
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup white chocolate chips (depending on how sweet you like it)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 and spray an 8 x 8 in. pan with cooking spray.
2. On medium-high speed, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Beat in the egg and the vanilla paste.
4. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until just combined.
5. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.
6. Spread in the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
7. Cool at least 30 minutes before cutting.

I'm linking up with Whimsy Wednesday, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Less Laundry More Linking, Pin It Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Create It Thursday, Pin Junkie, Link Party Palooza, Show Stopper Saturday, Future Expat, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Marvelous Monday, and Whimsy Wednesday.

Caramelized Pear & Spiced Crumb Heaven

A couple of weeks ago I made these Pumpkin Spice Crumb Bars from Crunchy Creamy Sweet.  I changed up the spices a little in the crust and they were really good.  The crust was out of this world and had me dreaming about different fillings I could use with the crumb topping/base.   As I've mentioned before, I love pretty much any cooked fruit dessert.  Now that it is officially fall, I decided something with pears or apples was in order.  Having recently pinned Kleinworth & Co's caramelized pear pie filling, pears it was.

The first thing you want to do is to spray a square metal baking dish with baking spray (not just regular cooking spray) and then stick the pan in the freezer.  I don't know why, but this helps the bars come out super easily.  I got this tip from a lady at Williams-Sonoma once and it has never failed me.

Peel, core, and roughly chop some pears (I used Bartlett).  Put them in a medium saucepan and toss with a little bit of lemon juice.  Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.

While the pears are cooking, mix up some brown sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Then melt some butter and add it to the dry ingredients.  Once it is well mixed, set a little less than half aside and press the rest into the baking dish.

By now your pears should be softened.  Mix up some brown sugar, corn starch, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Then stir the sugar and spice mixture into the pears and cook for another couple of minutes.

Pour the pear mixture onto the crust in your baking dish and spread it out so it covers the crust completely.  Then take the crust dough you set aside and sprinkle it all over the top of the pears as evenly as you can.

Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.  At this point, you have two options, which is why I really struggled with what to name this delicious treat.   I finally decided on Caramelized Pear & Spiced Crumb Heaven because fall flavored heaven is exactly what you will get.

If you are impatient and the smell of delicious pears and warm spices has you dying for a delicious fall treat, cut a piece and then use a spoon to scoop it into a bowl.  Top with some vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce if you want, and honestly, why wouldn't you?  Then enjoy it like you would a crisp, except with twice as much delicious crumb topping because you have the bottom layer as well.

Option two, is for those of you with patience (or leftovers).  Let it cool to room temperature.  Then cover and refrigerate.  Once it is totally cold you will be able to cut it into bars and enjoy them like that.

Both are equally scrumptious and it really just depends on your patience level and what you are in the mood for.  No matter how you decide to enjoy them, you will be rewarded with a delicious treat filled with the sweet taste of pears and the warm flavors of the pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and cardamom.

Caramelized Pear & Spiced Crumb Heaven (or bars)
Adapted from Pumpkin Spice Crumb Bars & Caramelized Pear Pie Filling

For the crust:

• 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom

For the pear filling:

• 3 pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 tbls. lemon juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbls. corn starch
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom

1. Spray an 8 x 8 metal baking pan with baking spray and put in the freezer.  Preheat oven to 375.
2. Toss the pears with the lemon juice in a medium saucepan and saute, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes over medium-high heat.
3. Meanwhile, whisk together all crust ingredients except for butter.  Then stir in butter until well combined.  Set aside 3/4 cup of crust dough and press the rest into the prepared baking pan.
4. Combine the brown sugar, corn starch, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and cardamom.  Add it to the pears and stir until they are well coated.  Cook for an additional two minutes.  Then pour onto the crust.
5. Take the reserved crust dough and sprinkle it over the top of the pears, covering it as evenly as you can.
6. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.  
7. Serve warm with ice cream and caramel or cool to room temperature then refrigerate until cold and cut into bars.

I'm linking up with Flashback Friday, Linkapalooza, Best of the Weekend, Pin Junkie, Weekend Potluck, Naptime Creations, Show Stopper Saturday, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Sunday Linky, Sweet & Savoury Sundays, Marvelous Mondays, Inspiration Monday, Busy Monday, Craftastic Monday, and Monday Funday.

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, & Reese's Cookie Bars

Oh peanut butter, words just can't describe the deep and abiding love I hold for you.  I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said that before I got pregnant I ate 1/2 of a PB & J on whole wheat bread for breakfast 95% of the time.  To me, peanut butter is one of the most perfect foods.  How may you ask can you improve on perfection?  Simple of course, add chocolate.

So during my first 17 weeks of pregnancy food was not my friend and as a result peanut butter and I took somewhat of a break.  Even now, breakfast is still tough for me so yogurt has become my new morning standard.  That being said, my love for peanut butter stays true.  Imagine my chagrin when I realized that in just over a month I will have to give peanut butter up for the remainder of my pregnancy at my allergist's recommendation.  With that realization came a renewed determination to fill my days with peanut butter.

About a month ago I saw the Reese's minis at Target and knew that I needed to have them but I didn't really have a plan for them.  Today, inspiration struck.  I wanted cookies but frankly I was too impatient and lazy to take the time to make individual cookies so I decided on cookie bars.  

I started with my old standby peanut butter cookie recipe from the red and white checkered Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  I left out the baking powder, added some more vanilla, and then stirred in some chocolate chips and Reese's minis.  *Some might be a relative term.  The sad part is that as I was devouring eating these I thought to myself "hmm, these would be even better with more chocolate chips".  I have no shame.

Then I pressed that delicious dough (well it smelled delicious, darn pregnancy and the prohibition on raw dough) into a square pan and baked it up.

After waiting a torturous 30 minutes for them to cool/firm up I finally cut in.  You will not be disappointed.  The peanut butter flavor is nice and pronounced and the chocolate and Reese's just take them over the top.  I highly recommend eating these with a nice cold glass of milk.   Yum!

Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip, & Reese's Cookie Bars
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (I used JIF, I can't attest to how these will turn out with natural peanut butter)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup Reese's minis
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet but dark or milk would be great too)

1. Preheat your oven to 375.
2. Beat butter and peanut butter in stand mixer (or use a bowl and hand mixer if you don't have one) on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
3. Add the sugars and baking soda and beat until combined, scraping the bowl if needed.
4. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
5. Beat in the flour. (I did it 1/2 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup so it wasn't just all dumped in at once which can lead to a big mess.)
6. Scrape the bowl and give it one more mix by hand, then stir in the Reese's minis and chocolate chips.
7. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and press the dough into the pan.
8. Bake at 375 for about 22 minutes until golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean (assuming you don't hit some of that amazing chocolate).  Let cool about 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

*I wanted them nice and thick but if you prefer your bars a little bit thinner, you could make these in a 9 x 13 instead.  Just reduce the baking time.  I would probably check them at about 15 minutes.

I'm linking up with Tatertots & Jello for the Link Party Palooza