Easy Blondies, Super Bowl, #equinoxmademedoit

Until I met my husband, I could have cared less about football. Well, that’s not true, I went to almost every A&M football game during college, but I was never really “in to it” or knew what was going on.

Football really sparked my interest just a few years ago as the Aggies went on to the SEC, Johnny Manziel become “Johnny Football”, the Aggies starting winning, and I finally got used to nothing but football on TV every Saturday and Sunday in the fall.

The Super Bowl last night marked the end of football season, and I’m honestly a little sad. I’ve come to love having the game on television as background noise while I cook, and I have even come to just ENJOY watching it on the couch! Something I never would have considered doing a few years ago.

Last night my parents invited us over for hotdogs and hamburgers and to watch the Super Bowl. For dessert, my mom made these super easy blondies. What’s great about them is you will more than likely already have all the items you need in your pantry!

In addition to being super easy, these delicious bars are so buttery and moist. The chocolate just melts in your mouth, and the walnuts add a nice crunch. Its like eating a more buttery chocolate chip walnut cookie in a bar form!

This can’t be a good habit, but our three month old LOVES television; football for that matter. Maybe its because during her first few weeks of life, she lay on her daddy’s chest watching the Aggies play. 🙂

Super Bowl 49 (Seahawks vs. Patriots) was no different, as she thoroughly enjoyed the first quarter of the game laying on the floor on her cozy little pink blanket!

Need a good excuse to eat these buttery blondies? It’s called working out, and we’ve already got a personal trainer at Dallas’ Equinox: Aunt Brittany!!! #equinoxmademedoit

Blondie anyone? We’ve got our own Aunt Brittany as a personal trainer to fight off all those calories from the blondies. haha! #equinoxmademedoit

Easy Blondies

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 16

Adapted from: “Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies” by Alice Medrich

Ingredients

1 cup (4.5 oz) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (6.125 oz) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup (2.33 oz) broken or coarsely chopped walnut pieces
1/2 cup (3 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to beat in the egg and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture followed by half of the walnuts. Spread the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and the chocolate chips evenly over the top.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the nuts look toasted, the top is golden brown, and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan on a rack. Lift the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. Use a long sharp knife to cut into squares. May be kept in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

Notes

UPGRADES:[br]NUTMEG OR CINNAMON BLONDIES: Just before serving, grate a little nutmeg or cinnamon stick over the bars.[br]PEANUT BUTTER BLONDIES: Reduce the amount of brown sugar to 2/3 cup. Add 1/2 cup (3 oz) well-stirred natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth) with the brown sugar. Substitute 1/2 cup (2 oz) roasted salted peanuts for the walnuts.[br]PEANUT BUTTER HAZELNUT BLONDIES: Reduce the amount of brown sugar to 2/3 cup. Add 1/3 cup (3 oz) well-stirred peanut butter (chunky or smooth) with the brown sugar. Substitute toasted skinned hazelnuts for the walnuts. Before baking, sprinkle the top very lightly with tiny pinches of flaky sea salt.

S’mores Cookie Bars

If you like S’mores, you should love these decadent, buttery blondie cookie bars infused with a graham cracker base, gooey marshmallows and sweet milk chocolate chunks running throughout.

My sister or mom found this recipe online via Mel’s Kitchen and bookmarked them to make soon. Of course, church/social functions and potlucks always make for an opportune time to try a new recipe, so my sister and mom baked these up for their most recent potluck.

These were a hit among all the desserts that were brought, and I can see why. These bars are no doubt rich, so a little will go a long way. In addition, the texture was extremely unique due to the magically delicious marshmallow fluff (don’t use real marshmallows or mini marshmallows or else they will disappear after baking). The graham cracker crumbs also added a nice texture, while the milk chocolate make you feel like you are eating one gourmet backyard s’mores!

Enjoy!

S'mores Cookie Bars

S’mores Cookie Bars

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 24

Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cps packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups marshmallow topping, like Marshmallow Fluff or Creme
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 short sides. Grease the foil with cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture, mixing until combined. Divide the dough in half.
Press half into the bottom of the prepared pan until the dough is evenly flattened. Dollop the marshmallow topping on top of the cookie base and gently spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Scatter the remaining dough over the top in climbs. Don’t worry about completely cover the top, the marshmallow and chocolate chips should peek through.
Bake the bars until golden brown, about 30-32 minutes. Cool completely. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil overhangs. Cut into bars and serve.

Notes

Don’t be tempted to substitute mini-marshmallows for the fluff/creme. Mini marshmallows will completely dissolve in the oven. The marshmallow fluff/creme stays gooey and soft in the oven.

German Chocolate Bars

Tis the season for a little something sweet, right? As mentioned, I write a monthly resident recipe article for our 70-page full color neighborhood magazine. For the month of December I’m featuring a wonderful *pecan coconut bar recipe submitted by this super sweet family who live just down the street from us.

*I actually changed the name of these bars from “Pecan Coconut Bars” to “German Chocolate Bars”. With a chocolatey crust and a sweet coconut filling, after just one bite, they will definitely remind you of a german chocolate cake, in dessert bar format.

Below you’ll find an excerpt from the article:

Spread the holiday cheer this year with sugar, savory pecans and lots of butter with these delicious pecan coconut bars submitted by Faozia and her three kids. Bringing a smile to her family and friends, these tasty bars are always a hit at parties. Faozia adds, “Baking in our house is a wonderful activity for my kids to have fun, learn how to cook and for me forming fond memories when we do it together. These pecan coconut bars are decadent and part of what makes life more enjoyable!” Happy Holidays and enjoy!

German Chocolate Bars

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups sifted flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
2/3 cup butter
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped roasted pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
FOR THE CRUST: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press mixture on bottom of ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool slightly.
FOR THE FILING: In a medium bowl, combine eggs, condensed milk, coconut and roasted pecans. Pour over partially baked crust. Bake 18-20 minutes or until set in center. Cool and cut into bars and enjoy!

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars and a GIVEAWAY

Has anyone ever tried Truvia natural sweetener or baking blend before? Well, now is your chance! (SPOILER ALERT: Scroll down to the bottom of this post for details on the GIVEAWAY!!)

If you haven’t heard, Truvia sweetener is a zero calorie sweetener made from the stevia plant. Their newest product, Truvia Baking Blend is a mix of Truvia sweetener and sugar, and is specifically used in baking and has 75% less calories per serving than sugar.

Since many of my readers are from Dallas, Truvia reached out to me so that I could help them spread the word about their “Turning the Town Truvia” campaign that is coming to Dallas, TX this week!

From now until May, you can nominate your favorite food establishment via Truvia’s Facebook Page for a chance to win $5,000! Because of your nomination, Truvia sweetener may end up on the tables of your favorite cafes and restaurants.

Plus, beginning THIS WEEK, Society Bakery (on March 26 and April 23) and Tu-Lu’s Gluten Free Bakery (on March 27 and April 26) will be offering customers special reduced-calorie, reduced-sugar versions of their favorite desserts. As Dallasites, you’ll be able to buy guilt-reduced Chocolate Crostatas from Society Bakery or a gluten-free Lemon Pies from Tu-Lu’s, both of which are made from Truvia Baking Blend.

With that said, if you live too far from Dallas to check out these two bakeries or you just don’t have time, I’ve included the recipe for lightened-up raspberry oatmeal bars using Truvia Baking Blend.

For these bars, you’ll want to have a bag of Truvia Baking Blend on hand… that is if you want a healthier bar with only 4 grams of sugar. 🙂

Measure out 4 cups of freshly washed raspberries.

Put the berries in a blender with Truvia, corn starch and lemon juice. Blend until its uniform. (I wanted the berries all nice and pureed. You could probably mix the berries by hand, which would yield a thicker filling with chunks of raspberries.

Meanwhile, mix the oats, flour butter, cinnamon, Truvia, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl to form your crust and topping. Place 2/3 of the crust in the bottom of a greased baking pan. Pour raspberry filling on top.

Sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture on top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 325 degree oven.

Remove from oven and let cool. Cut into bars and enjoy for breakfast, dessert or as a spring-time snack. Did I mention these bars have 35% fewer calories and 80% less sugar than the full-sugar version? Not a bad way to enjoy your dessert!

Ready for the GIVEAWAY??? Keep reading… its at the very bottom of this post… after the recipe part. 🙂

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars with Truvia Baking Blend

Cook time: 35 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 24

Ingredients

CRUST/TOPPING
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup Truvia Baking Blend
FILLING
4 cups raspberries
1/3 cup Truvia Baking Blend
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup corn starch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Place oats, flour, cinnamon, butter, salt, vanilla and Truvia Baking Blend in mixing bowl, mix at low speed for 1 minute.
Scrape sides of bowl, mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Portion 2/3 of oat mixture into greased 13″x9″ baking pan; set aside remaining 1/3 of mixture for topping.
Press oat mixture into bottom of pan to form crust.
For filling: Blend raspberries, Truvia Baking Blend, lemon juice, and corn starch until uniform. Spread over pressed oat mixture.
For topping, add remaining oatmeal mixture.
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.

Serving size: 1 bar Calories: 150 Fat: 6g Saturated fat: 3.5g Trans fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 22g Sugar: 4g Sodium: 40mg Fiber: 2g Protein: 3g Cholesterol: 15mg

Notes

Note: 1 cup sugar = 1/2 cup Truvia Baking Blend

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

For a chance to win a bag of Truvia Baking Blend, please leave a comment below telling me what recipe (banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, pudding, etc.) you would make with Truvia.

Want to increase your chances of winning? You can comment up to 4 separate times! GOOD LUCK!! The winner will be announced Monday, April 1, 2013.

LIKE Dallas Duo Bakes on Facebook, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.
FOLLOW Dallas Duo Bakes on Twitter, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.
FOLLOW Dallas Duo Bakes on Pinterest, and leave a separate comment saying that you did.

*This post and giveaway is sponsored by Truvia. All opinions are my own.

Sinful Saturdays: Mud Hen Bars

If you’re like me, you may tend to “blow it out” on Saturdays and eat HORRIBLE after a week of eating healthy. I’m not a nutritionist, but I’ve heard you need to have one “cheat” day and satisfy your deep cravings. This tends to be the case with me, and I normally bake up something sweet for my husband and me.

Since it’s Saturday, here’s a sinfully sweet recipe that will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth….maybe even a little too much! I made these mud hen bars a while ago, but waited to post them since I nearly made myself sick eating so much! I have never eaten a cookie bar like this one, so I kept cutting myself another piece to make sure I “liked them”.

I want to warn you…. these are very sweet! The brown sugar/egg white topping is surprisingly rich, so a little goes a long way. My husband thought these were “weird”, however my friend made these for a small group get-together at church and everyone loved them!

What do you think? Do you have a love or hate relationship with mud hen bars? I would eat them again, plus they are very pretty.

**By the way, did I mention these are from a Neiman Marcus compiled cookbook? I LOVE Neimans! 🙂

Mud Hen Bars
Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, whole
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pecans, chopped (I did about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup light brown sugar

Directions
1. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in 1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.
2. Spread into 9 x 13-inch pan which has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with pecans, chocolate chips and marshmallows.
3. Beat remaining 2 egg whites until stiff, then fold in brown sugar. Spread on top of cake.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes. Cut into squares

Yield: 10-12 servings
Pigtails and Froglegs: A Family Cookbook from Neiman Marcus