Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars!

I feel it....Spring is in the air.  Well I felt it yesterday morning, but not this morning!  Anyway, only three more weeks of Winter, and Spring will be here.  I sure hope.

This past weekend was a busy one.  My daughter Becca had a sleepover with some girlfriends.  So I baked  and cooked up a storm for them.  These girls can EAT!  I made them my homemade pizza, homemade waffles, homemade peanut butter ice cream, and homemade chocolate ice cream, homemade pretzels, (Yes, I like "homemade"  just tastes better, dontcha think?) and these really delicious Homemade Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars. It was a fun sleepover, if only next time they would SLEEP!

Here's the recipe, so simple, give it a try!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

1-3/4 stick of cold butter, cut into pieces
1-1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 cup regular Oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. 

Sprinkle half the mixture into the pan and pat lightly to pack it a little tight. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly on top of the first layer.  Sprinkle the other half of the oatmeal mixture over the top and pat lightly again.

Bake until light golden brown on top, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan.

When cool, cut into squares and serve. Enjoy...so YUMMO!

Variation:  Use Jam in place of the chocolate chips, So GOOD!  

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies.....Jam Thumbprints!

Are you all running around crazy getting ready for Christmas?  I sure hope you all are baking.  I feel Christmas just wouldn't be Christmas without home-baked Christmas Cookies.  I love giving them away to my children's teachers, special friends, and setting up a a beautiful tray displaying them on my dining room table, all ready to enjoy! 

Here's another delicious Christmas Cookie that I make every Christmas without fail.  They are so easy, and everyone loves them.  YUMMO!

Jam Thumbprints

3 sticks butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Raspberry, Apricot or Strawberry Jam (whatever kind of Jam you wish)

Mix the flour, and salt together with a whisk.  In mixer (remember I use my Kitchen Aid Mixer to mix all my cookie recipes) cream the butter until smooth, add the sugar, add the vanilla.  Slowly add the flour and salt mixture and mix until the dough starts to come together. Take the dough out of the mixer and put it on a piece of plastic wrap, and then roll it together with your hands, wrap it up and chill in the frig for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough into little balls, and put them on a greased cookie sheet, and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger....hence "thumbprint".....Drop 1/4 tsp of Jam into each indentation.  Bake 20 minutes.  Remove and cool.  Enjoy!

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies......Christmas Biscotti!

I started baking Christmas Cookies on Sunday!  I love baking for Christmas, especially Christmas Cookies!  It was great on Sunday, because my family helped, and we had a really nice time baking in the kitchen.  We put the Christmas music on, and it went really fast.  I usually bake about seven different kinds of Christmas Cookies, I know, crazy right.... but I think this year will be a little less. Just too many around the house for me to eat! 

This Christmas Biscotti is a most delicious recipe, it's easy, and festive!  Biscotti is a cookie that is "baked twice", they are first baked as a large log, and let it cool for 30 minutes, then you slice them and toast them until they are lightly brown.  They become hard and perfect with a cup of coffee!  To top them off, I dip one end in melted chocolate, oh so delicious! Try this recipe, you will love them!

Christmas Biscotti

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. almond extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup coarsely chopped almonds

Cream the butter and sugar in the mixer.  In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix real good.  Add the cranberries and almonds and mix.  Take the dough out of the mixer and put it on a floured board and with floured hands knead a little.  Grease a foiled cookie sheet, and bring the dough over and shape it on the cookie sheet into a long 13x3 inch log. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Right out of the oven from the first bake

Take out of the oven and cool for 30 minutes.  Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick slices.  Arrange them cut side down, on the baking sheet.  Bake until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

Slicing the Biscotti for the second bake

Melting the Chocolate
1 bag 16 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate
2 TBS Crisco Shortening or oil

Dipping the Biscotti into the Melted Chocolate!

In a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate, crisco shortening or oil, microwave on high for 25 seconds, stir, microwave again for 20 seconds and stir again, do not let it burn!  Is the chocolate melted and smooth?  Or do you have to melt it more?  You want the chocolate melted and smooth, almost liquid looking, that's what the crisco or oil are for.  Dip one end of each cookie into the chocolate, and put onto a foiled line cookie sheet.  Let them dry completely.  You may have to put the trays in the frig for one hour or so to get the chocolate nice and hard.  ENJOY!

Brittle Bar....Tis the Season of Baking....Get Started!

I love this time of year!  It's chilly outside, the Christmas Tree is up and decorated, the house is just about finished, and I want to start baking Christmas Cookies!  I have this great recipe for Brittle Bar, it's delicious, and EASY.  I love easy recipes, hey I'm busy, and I need all the help I can get.  My friend Kim gave me this recipe about 2 years ago, she made it for a church function, and I had to ask for the recipe.  It's made with.....are you ready....Saltine Crackers!  Yes, Saltine Crackers, so if you like sweet and salty, this is perfect for you!  You can bag them in those pretty treat bags, and give them away as gifts.  I know everyone loves receiving delicious treats as gifts this time of year,  or just let your family enjoy them.  I usually give one recipe away, and make an extra for my family!  Try this recipe, you will love it!

yes, these crackers!

Brittle Bar

1. Line a cookie sheet with foil and coat with veggie spray.
2. Arrange Saltine Crackers in a single layer covering the whole cookie sheet.

Arrange crackers and pour butter and brown sugar over

3. Melt in a sauce pan, 2 sticks butter with 1 cup Brown Sugar
4. Pour over the crackers, spreading evenly
5. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes
6. While baking - melt 1 bag of Chocolate Chips in Microwave (I like to add 1 TBS of shortening at   this point just makes the chocolate more creamy and easier to pour/drizzle)

melt chocolate

7. Stir until smooth making sure the shortening is all melted and combined.
8. Take tray out of oven and immediately settle crackers back into place
9. Spread melted chocolate over crackers
10. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, or whatever nut you prefer

Spread chocolate all over and top with nuts, let cool!

11. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until hardened
12. Break into pieces
13. Store in a sealed container in the frig.

SO YUMMO!