Marshmallow Bars-12 Weeks of Christmas Treats

I seemed to have let the end of September creep up on me so I am a few days late in posting my first recipe for this years 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Brenda from Meal Planning Magic.

This recipe has become a “go-to” recipe for me since I first made it earlier this year.  I saved this to my computer way back in 2000, and it was posted by a Phyllis A. on some email list I subscribed to at that time.  Sometimes you find a recipe that you can use as a base for making several different variations.  This is one of those.  This is also a bar cookie and the butter is melted so that means it is quick and easy.

One note.  Don’t let the name mislead you.  The marshmallows almost completely melt in this cookie, and it will be difficult to tell they were even there.  They add a nice softness to the cookie.

The original recipe called for melted butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and nuts.  I have made these with melted white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, chocolate chips (both semi-sweet and milk chocolate) and cinnamon chips.  I vary the other chips and nuts according to what melted chips I am using.  I have used almonds with the white chocolate chips, peanuts with the peanut butter chips, pecans or walnuts with the chocolate chips, and pecans or cashews with the cinnamon chips.  I have also made these without the nuts.

When I use chips where the package is not quite 12-oz., I use a scant 1 c. of chips for melting. There doesn’t seem to be a difference in the finished recipe
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If you need a quick and easy recipe for a holiday cookie tray, give these a try.

Marshmallow Bars
scant 1 c. or 1 c. butterscotch, white chocolate, chocolate, or cinnamon chips
1/2 c. butter or margarine (I use butter)
2 large eggs
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed (I use white sugar with white chocolate chips)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 c. miniature marshmallows
1 pkg. (11 to 12 oz.) chips of your choice
1/2 c. chopped nuts, preferably toasted

In a microwave safe bowl combine the scant 1 c. or 1 c. selected chips and butter.  Cover and heat in microwave 1 to 2 minutes at 50% power.  Stir.  If not completely melted, heat for another minute at 50% power.  You may also combine the chips and butter in a small saucepan and melt over low heat.  Cool for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar and vanilla.  Beat well.  Add chip/butter mixture and mix to combine.  In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix well and add to wet ingredients.  Stir until well blended.  Stir in marshmallows, chips and nuts.  The mixture will be thick.  Spread into a foil-lined 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minute or until bars test done with a toothpick.  Cool and cut into bars.  Makes about 36.  Store in a zip top bag.

Visit Brenda's post here to find the info about joining in this year's 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars-Saturday Sweet

I seemed to have let January slide by without posting a Saturday Sweet.  Shame on me.  I am going to do better in February
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Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bars just may become my new favorite.  It is interesting, that with all the cookie recipes I have seen, I had not come across this one before.  It is from a little cookbook called Favorite Bars and Cookies-50 All Time Best Recipes from Better Homes and Gardens published in 2002.

These delicious bars have an oatmeal toffee crust, some of which is saved for the topping, a peanut butter/condensed milk filling, and a topping of the reserved crust ingredients and chocolate chips.  Chopped peanuts were included in the original recipe.  Since I am having a challenge eating nuts right now, I left them out.  I used milk chocolate chips in the topping, but semi-sweet or peanut butter chips would be great, too.

Because my hands don’t work the way they used to, I make the crust in my Kitchen Aid Mixer using the whipping attachment.  I put all the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl and combine them well.  I slice the butter into thin slices and add them a little bit at a time while the mixer is running on low, letting the mixer run until that butter is well blended.  The dough will be clumpy, not crumbly.

The bars are baked in a 10x15-inch pan, so the recipe makes a lot.  The cookbook says the recipe makes 48 bars, but they are very rich so I cut mine a bit smaller and got 60 bars
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If you are a chocolate/peanut lover, give these a try.  I think you will like them.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
2 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1 3/4 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour (or use all-purpose flour)
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 c. butter
1 egg, beaten
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk (or make your own)
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1 (11-12 oz.) pkg. milk chocolate chips, semi-sweet chocolate chips or peanut butter chips
1/2 c. chopped peanuts (optional)

Combine oats, brown sugar, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a large mixer bowl.  Place bowl on mixer and mix well on low speed.  While mixer is still running, slice butter into thin slices and carefully add to mixer bowl a few at a time.  Mix until butter is well blended and the mixture is clumpy.  You may also use a pastry blender to mix ingredients.  Remove 1 3/4 cups of mixture and place in a medium mixing bowl.  Set aside.  Add egg to remaining mixture in large bowl.  Mix well.  Press into a foil-lined 10x15-inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.  Meanwhile, combine sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter until smooth.  Remove  crust from oven.  Pour peanut butter mixture over the hot crust, carefully spreading evenly.  Add chocolate chips and peanuts (if using) to reserved crust mixture.  Sprinkle over peanut butter mixture.  Return to oven and bake an additional 12 to 15 minutes, until edges or lightly browned.  Don’t overbake or crust will become hard.  Remove from oven and cool on a rack.  Cut into bars while still slightly warm.  Makes 48 to 60 bars.  Store tightly covered in a zip-top bag.

Fish in Chips Cookie Cakes-Improv Challenge

The two ingredients for the June Improve Challenge, hosted by Kristen at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker are fish and chips.

Since my hubby does not eat fish, I was planning to skip this one; then Kristen sent out an email that said to be creative, and things like Swedish Fish or fish crackers and candy chips could be used.  Since I love sweets, that changed my mind; and I thought that I would have some fun.

I decided to see what I could do with Swedish Fish and some cookie dough.  I purchased two boxes of Swedish Fish at the Dollar Store so I had 28 of them.  I used the Toll House Bar Cookie recipe from Nestles as my base recipe and used 1/2 c. each of chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch and white chocolate chips.

I baked the cookie cakes in my silicone cupcake cups.  The cakes needed to bake about 20 minutes.  I baked them 10 minutes, inserted the Swedish Fish, and baked them 10 minutes more.  I think baking the cakes 15 minutes before inserting the fish might have been better.  Because of the length of the fish it was necessary to insert them diagonally.  I liked the look of that, but the fish could have been trimmed down so that they would be more vertical and centered in the cookie cake.  These do not have the consistency of cupcakes.  They are much more like a thick, chewy cookie.

I added a simple green tinted powdered sugar glaze to give the illusion of (what I hoped) was fish jumping out of water.  These might be fun to serve at a party that has a fishing or outdoor theme.

Fish in Chips Cookie Cake
24 to 28 Swedish Fish candies
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/2 c. each chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, white chocolate chips (or all one kind)
2 c. sifted powdered sugar
2-3 T. milk
blue and yellow food coloring

In a large mixing bowl combine butter, sugars and mix well.  Stir in eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt and mix well.  Stir into creamed mixture until well blended.  Stir in chips.  The dough will be somewhat stiff.  Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of dough into silicone cupcake cups or paper-lined muffin tins.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Insert a Swedish Fish diagonally into each cake.  Return to oven and bake 5 to 10 minutes more.  Do not over bake.  There will be liquid bubbling inside the fish, do not touch them.  Allow cakes to cool completely.  Remove silicone cups or paper liners.  Mix together the powdered sugar and milk to a glaze consistency.  Add a drop or two of blue and yellow food coloring to make glaze green.  Brush glaze around the fish and over the top of the cakes.  Let glaze set.  Makes about 24 to 28 cakes

The ingredients for July's Challenge are peaches and herbs.  You will find all the information for joining in the challenge on Kristen's Improve Challenge page.   You may join at any time.

Check out the links below to see what other bloggers have created with fish and chips.  There might even be some "real fish" in some of the recipes.

Linking to these great parties:
Full Plate Thursday
Fantastic Thursday
Thursday's Treasures 
Your Creative Time Out 
Showcase Your Talent Thursday
Catch a Glimpse Thursday 
Tasty Thursday