Bars n' Brownies | Just About Baked

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S’Moreo Cheesecake Bars

July 14, 2015
Mir
Bars n' Brownies, Cupcakes and Cheesecakes
32 Comments

Well, it only took a month to get here.

Seriously, I bought these s’more-flavored Oreos a month ago. And I was all excited about making something with them with the vague intention of having it be s’moreo cupcakes. Life got in the way, and it didn’t happen. The cookies just sat in my cabinet until a few days ago, when fate intervened.

I was trying to make cheesecake bars and realized after I began (hate it when this happens) that I was out of both graham cracker crumbs and graham crackers. But instead of giving up, which is not what a baker does, I remembered the s’moreos. And suddenly, these cheesecake bars crystallized in my head and came to life!

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Snickers Peanut Blondies

Why, oh why did this take me so long?

Last week I was driving around and suddenly it occurred to me that I just don’t bake with Snickers very much. And why? No good reason! Seriously, folks. What is wrong with me?

So to make up for this gross error in judgment, here’s a whopper. It’s a peanut butter blondie filled with Snickers and peanuts. It doesn’t get any better than this for you lovers of all things chewy, caramel, peanut, and chocolate. And it’s all made in just one bowl, no mixer involved!

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Pecan Squares

Fill in the blank for me: “As American as _____________.”

Did you say “apple pie?” If you did, I salute you. That’s the expression. But I’m not here for apple pie today. I’m here to talk about an oft-neglected staple of American dessert cuisine: the pecan.

We never really think about something until it’s gone, which I learned with the pecan from my sister-in-law’s mother. She hails from Ecuador, and apparently, the pecan action there is rather lacking. She once told me that when she comes to the U.S., she gets her fill of pecans and chocolate chips. They’re not available everywhere. Remember that next time you turn down that slice of pecan pie!

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Red, White and Blue Bars

Now that I’m on board with July 4th being around the corner, my kitchen has changed color. We’re looking very patriotic these days. I blame the sprinkles and M & Ms.

About two months ago, I spied patriotic M & Ms at Target. So I bought them, hid them from Kenny, and forgot about them. Until today. If you want a bar that’s as close as possible to white to set off the glory of these holiday-themed M & Ms, this white chocolate base is perfect. It has the consistency of a brownie but it’s made with white chocolate. Holy stars and stripes forever!

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German Chocolate Brownies

Aw yeah. I went there.

Full confession: until a few years ago, I turned my nose up at all coconut desserts. All of them. And then one day, the angels spoke to me and I ate an Almond Joy. Boy, did I feel like an idiot. It was delicious.

Since then, I’ve come to realize how much a heap of coconut on top of a dessert can change the game. And when that heap of coconut happens to be couched in easy, gooey German chocolate frosting, so much the better.

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Cheesecake Brownie Chunk Ice Cream

June 15, 2015
Mir
Bars n' Brownies, We Scream for Ice Cream!
37 Comments

Whatever ice cream you love, whatever your favorite is, that is about to change. That’s how (over)confident I feel about this. Prepare yourselves!

Years ago, I tried Ben and Jerry’s Cheesecake Brownie flavor. And it was such a great flavor. After all, what could be better than cheesecake ice cream with brownie chunks? I asked myself that very question while I made this ice cream.

Answer? Cheesecake ice cream with BIGGER brownie chunks and chocolate chunks to boot! You’re welcome. Feel free to send me an award of some kind.

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Graham Cracker Bars

Every now and then, you run across something unusual in a torn out recipe at the bottom of a drawer that seems so nutty it might actually work.

This recipe is one of those finds. Four ingredients, guys. Four. In other words, any novice or reluctant or lazy baker can tackle this one!

If you have a can of sweetened condensed milk, a box of graham cracker crumbs, some baking powder and chocolate chips, pay attention. This recipe might be for you! But only if you like those ingredients. Me? I happen to love them.

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Smoky Salted Almond Toffee Bars

These. Bars. Are. Epic.

There are certain desserts I can’t stay away from. Snowball cookies (a.k.a. Russian Tea Cakes) are in that category. If they’re on a plate, I’m eating every last one. There’s no doubt about it. And when I’m presented with toffee bars, the same dang thing happens.

Add caramelized smoked almonds, and guess what? It’s known in my brain as, “Give these away now now now before I eat every last one.”

Sometimes when I’m busy brainstorming recipes to post three times a week or stuck in a baker’s block rut, I don’t take the time to fully appreciate what drew me to create this blog. Luckily, I had a reminder the other day.

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Brownie Mix Cheesecake

May 29, 2015
Mir
Bars n' Brownies, Cupcakes and Cheesecakes, Gluten-Free Goodness
32 Comments

This one is for all of you who love mixes. Don’t worry: you’re not alone!

From time to time when I bake for people, they ask if I used a mix. I’m never sure how to take that question, other than to find it rude. The thing is, I bake mostly without mixes, or as a layperson would put it, “from scratch.” But when I use mixes, I usually doctor them or put them into a form for which they weren’t intended.

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Lemon Pie Crumb Bars

If you’ve ever heard the expression “easy as pie,” you know that it was coined by someone who eats pie, not someone who makes it. Pie is not crazy difficult to make, but if I had to make up an expression about something being easy, I would not pick pie. Maybe “easy as microwave popcorn?” Nah. That’s hard. I burn it a lot.

Besides, if you’re going for ease, you should probably pick a finger food. Pie is easy to eat if you have plates and forks, but I cannot tell you how often someone brings a pie into the office and there are no implements with which to consume said pie. When given the choice, I turn my pie into bars. And when given further choice, I make lemon pie bars. With endless crumbs on top!