Cookies

Santa’s White Christmas Cookies (and a sneak peek at my book launch party!)

Santa's White Christmas Cookies by Wood and Spoon blog. These are chewy white chocolate cookies scented with coconut and espresso powder, inspired by Barnie's White Christmas Coffee. These coffee lover's cookies are a great dessert to serve at Christmas and holiday cookie exchanges. Find out how to make these simple easy Christmas cookies on thewoodandspoon.com

Y’all, I can hardly believe it: just ONE MORE WEEK until Her Daily Bread is released into the wild and onto coffee tables everywhere. Excuse me while I lose my mind and squeal (!!!) If you hadn’t heard (and how could you not? I feel like I’ve been jabbering on about this for months!), my first book is being published on December 14th, and I am so thrilled to get it into your hands. For now, I’m excited to share a few photos from the book launch party we hosted last week (as well as these Santa’s White Christmas Cookies!) with you today.

The Launch Party(!!)

Last Friday, we hosted a launch party in our little town of Selma to celebrate the pending release of HDB. What started as an invite list of a few close family and friends quickly expanded to include all sorts of fabulous women that I have grown to love and admire. One of my favorite things about small towns like Selma is that they are endlessly supportive of their neighbors. I found this event was no exception. At one point, just a few minutes before the party started, I looked around to see 30-or so women lighting candles, plating desserts, and freshening up flowers, everyone scurrying around and lending a hand to make sure everything was as beautiful as I envisioned. Truly, I felt so loved. The shared joy for this book felt so tangible. It’s a great picture of what love in a community of good humans looks like.

While Her Daily Bread is incredibly personal, the writing of the book was collaborative from the start. Most of the stories and recipes included in its pages aren’t exclusively mine to tell; they’re moments and bitesthat were first experienced alongside of people who have generously fed into my life for years. With just a few days left until the book is officially released, I hope you’ll consider continuing the collaborative effort. Buy a copy, and if something fills your heart (or belly!) in a unique or wonderful way, pass it on. Share a copy of the book, a nibble of food from one of the recipes, or an encouraging word to a friend. Everyone has a seat at the table, and I’m so excited that you’ve found your way to mine. For more information on the book, including pre-order incentive information and ordering links, you can click here!

Santa’s White Christmas Cookies

While I’m in full-on book mode, I know most of you are gearing up for Christmas. With that, I wanted to share a yummy new cookie recipe that I think will be perfect for cookie exchanges and Christmassy desserts: these Santa’s white Christmas cookies.

Santa's White Christmas Cookies by Wood and Spoon blog. These are chewy white chocolate cookies scented with coconut and espresso powder, inspired by Barnie's White Christmas Coffee. These coffee lover's cookies are a great dessert to serve at Christmas and holiday cookie exchanges. Find out how to make these simple easy Christmas cookies on thewoodandspoon.com

I grew up frequenting the Barnie’s Coffee shop at the mall with my Mom. Although I didn’t partake in the coffee at the time, I loved the smell of the shop, particularly around the holidays when their special blend, Santa’s White Christmas, was available for purchase. These cookies are a tribute to those flavors: espresso, white chocolate, and just a little hint of coconut. Truly, they are delightful!

Santa's White Christmas Cookies by Wood and Spoon blog. These are chewy white chocolate cookies scented with coconut and espresso powder, inspired by Barnie's White Christmas Coffee. These coffee lover's cookies are a great dessert to serve at Christmas and holiday cookie exchanges. Find out how to make these simple easy Christmas cookies on thewoodandspoon.com
Santa's White Christmas Cookies by Wood and Spoon blog. These are chewy white chocolate cookies scented with coconut and espresso powder, inspired by Barnie's White Christmas Coffee. These coffee lover's cookies are a great dessert to serve at Christmas and holiday cookie exchanges. Find out how to make these simple easy Christmas cookies on thewoodandspoon.com

These Santa’s white Christmas cookies are fancied-up with a little coffee-flavored icing, and take incredibly with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. If you’re planning to bake in the coming weeks, I hope you’ll consider popping this yummy coffee-scented dough into your ovens. These cookies make for a yummy treat for coffee and chocolate lovers alike! Happy Wednesday and Happy Baking!

If you like these Santa’a White Christmas Cookies you should check out:

Espresso White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
White Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Cookies
White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Toffee Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies
Mocha Cookies

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Santa’s White Christmas Cookies

These Santa’s White Christmas Cookies are chewy white chocolate cookies scented with espresso and coconut!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 36 Cookies
  • Category: Cookies

Ingredients

For the cookies:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso granules
  • 21/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 11/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup caramel baking chips
  • 1 cup white chocolate baking chips
  • 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

For the drizzle (Optional):

  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon instant coffee or espresso granules
  • 21/2 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more as needed.

Instructions

To prepare the cookies:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with pieces of parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed together until smooth. Add the vanilla and eggs, stirring on low until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir on low just until combined. Add the baking chips and coconut and stir. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated bits. Cover and chill the dough briefly if it appears too soft.
  3. Use a medium cookie scoop or a spoon to portion out 1 tablespoon sized mounds of dough. Roll to smooth in your hands and space balls of dough out 2” apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the edges are set and the tops are beginning to bronze, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool briefly prior to drizzling or enjoying.

To prepare the drizzle (optional):

  1. Combine all of the ingredients with a whisk in a small bowl. Drizzle or pipe onto cookies, adding more cream as needed to get to the desired consisitency.

Did you make this recipe?

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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Buttercream

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Buttercream by Wood and Spoon blog By Kate Wood. These are soft and fluffy cake-like cookies flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. These little cakes sandwich a rich brown butter buttercream that can be made in 5 minutes. Learn how to make pumpkin whoopie pies and American buttercream on thewoodandspoon.com

I’ll be honest- I don’t have a clue how these little cake-like sandwich treats got their name, but if you’ve never had a whoopie pie, it’s time to try. Today’s recipe, pumpkin whoopie pies, are fluffy and moist desserts filled with the most decadent brown butter buttercream. In just a few minutes, you can have a spiced fall treat that, in my opinion, is a welcome reprieve from all of November’s pies.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Buttercream by Wood and Spoon blog By Kate Wood. These are soft and fluffy cake-like cookies flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. These little cakes sandwich a rich brown butter buttercream that can be made in 5 minutes. Learn how to make pumpkin whoopie pies and American buttercream on thewoodandspoon.com

So, first off, Happy Sunday! In my house, we’re edging off a busy week full of all sorts of random things: work deadlines, book promotions, a football game, and more. I’m also the crazy lady who likes to finish her Christmas shopping in November (please don’t judge me), so I’ve also been unwrapping UPS boxes and wrapping Christmas gifts like it’s my 9-5. Sidenote: if you’re at all interested in a few fun gift guide, stay tuned for my next post- it’s going to be LOADED.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Buttercream by Wood and Spoon blog By Kate Wood. These are soft and fluffy cake-like cookies flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. These little cakes sandwich a rich brown butter buttercream that can be made in 5 minutes. Learn how to make pumpkin whoopie pies and American buttercream on thewoodandspoon.com

On a book note, we’re ONE MONTH out! My first book, Her Daily Bread, is coming out on December 14th, and I am neck-deep in anticipation, nerves, and random release stuff. Telelphone interviews? Doing them. Snagging parters for giveaways? Doing that too. Planning Instagram Live videos with other food bloggers? Yup, that too. I am feeling a bit like a fish out of water, but a really grateful one at that. If you haven’t read about my book, I hope you’ll pop over to my book page to at least check it out!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Buttercream by Wood and Spoon blog By Kate Wood. These are soft and fluffy cake-like cookies flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. These little cakes sandwich a rich brown butter buttercream that can be made in 5 minutes. Learn how to make pumpkin whoopie pies and American buttercream on thewoodandspoon.com

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

With so much going on, I knew I wanted to share a simple treat that was right for the times. Surely I’m not the only one in need of a little easy dessert? These pumpkin whoopie pies have all the fall flavors these weeks call for but without all the effort and time of a pie. Here, brown sugar, pumpkin, and spice cookies have an easy brown butter buttercream filling that is to die for. These treats taste like little pumpkin cupcakes (but in cookie form!) and make for an excellent pick-up treat to share with holiday guests. Let me tell you how to make them!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Buttercream by Wood and Spoon blog By Kate Wood. These are soft and fluffy cake-like cookies flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. These little cakes sandwich a rich brown butter buttercream that can be made in 5 minutes. Learn how to make pumpkin whoopie pies and American buttercream on thewoodandspoon.com

We start by making the batter. Brown sugar, egg, oil, and pumpkin puree are stirred together until smooth. Next, flour, leavening, and loads of pumpkin pie spice are added to the mix. A small cookie scoop is a great tool to dollop the batter onto prepared sheet pans before the little rounds get baked until tiny fluffy cakes.

Once cool, you can begin the filling for these pumpkin whoopie pies. A small bit of butter is browned and cooled before being creamed until more butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. If you’re new to the brown butter game, be sure to check out my tutorial on how to make brown butter– it will help simplify the process for you. Once smooth and fluffy, the buttercream is piped in-between two cookies before enjoying. And just like that, you have a fun and spiced fall treat that everyone will love. Voila!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Buttercream by Wood and Spoon blog By Kate Wood. These are soft and fluffy cake-like cookies flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice. These little cakes sandwich a rich brown butter buttercream that can be made in 5 minutes. Learn how to make pumpkin whoopie pies and American buttercream on thewoodandspoon.com

These pumpkin whoopie pies are a yummy treats that offer major bang for your effort in the kitchen. Give them a try and let me know what you think! Happy Sunday and Happy Baking!

If you like these pumpkin whoopie pies, you should try:

Bourbon Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
Browned Butter Cake with Candied Pecans
Pecan Scones with Brown Butter Glaze
Pumpkin Layer Cake
Pumpkin Pancakes

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Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Brown Butter Buttercream

These pumpkin whoopie pies are soft, cake-like sandwich cookies filled with a a brown butter buttercream!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 20
  • Category: dessert

Ingredients

For the pies:

  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 large egg
  • 11/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

For the buttercream filling

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter, divided and at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Milk, as needed

Instructions

To prepare the pies:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the oil and brown sugar. Add the pumpkin and egg, stirring until smooth and combined. Add the dry ingredients- flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice, stirring gently just until combined. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out rounds of batter 2” apart on the prepared baking sheets. If your rounds of batter turn out wonky, you can use a slightly wet finger to nudge or smooth the batter into place. Bake them one at a time for about 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely prior to filling.

To prepare the filling:

  1. Add ¼ cup of chopped butter into a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted begin to stir constantly while you brown the butter. You’ll begin to notice golden flecks at the bottom of the pan and the butter will become nutty and fragrant. Stir and cook just until the butter has become an amber-hued mixture and then pour into a large mixing bowl away from the heat. Add the remaining ½ cup softened butter and stir gently to combine. Set the mixture aside until it has settled to room temperature again.
  2. Once ready, use a hand mixer to cream the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt, stirring to combine. Add just enough milk, likely a tablespoon or two, to thin the buttercream out to a smooth piping consistency. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a round tip or a freezer Ziploc bag with the end snipped off. Pipe dollops of buttercream onto half of the cookies and sandwich the filling with a second cookie. Enjoy!

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Peanut Brittle Cookies

Peanut Brittle Cookies By Wood and Spoon Blog. These peanut brittle cookies feature a peanut butter dough, chopped homemade peanut brittle, and peanut butter chips. These chewy, sweet and salty cookies are a peanut butter lover’s dream! Find out how simple homemade peanut brittle is and get the recipe for these yummy fall cookies by Thewoodandspoon.com

This past week has been one for the books. What started as fun dinner party to celebrate my 34th birthday turned into a surprise visit from my brother, loads of encouragement surrounding the announcement of my first book, and the most fun weekend away with girlfriends. It may not take parties and vacations and heart-warming messages in your DMs to feel loved, but, man, I just feel so covered up in it. Thank you for being part of it!

On the recipe front, October has been quiet in these parts for a few reasons. First, this site got an overhaul! Have you noticed? Do you love it? Is it working for you? My computer designer has been hard at work to create a site that puts the FUN in functional, and I think we really landed on something good. In addition, I’ve been hard at work creating fun little surprises for the upcoming book launch- think special holiday treats, giveaways, exclusive recipes to share early on, and more! I’m learning that writing a book is hardly just writing. There’s edits and marketing and so much more involved than I ever could have imagined, and as a result there’s been a little bit of radio silence on the recipe end of things. Thankfully, I think we’re back and ready to move ahead full-steam, and I hope you are too!

Peanut Brittle Cookies By Wood and Spoon Blog. These peanut brittle cookies feature a peanut butter dough, chopped homemade peanut brittle, and peanut butter chips. These chewy, sweet and salty cookies are a peanut butter lover’s dream! Find out how simple homemade peanut brittle is and get the recipe for these yummy fall cookies by Thewoodandspoon.com

The Recipe

These peanut brittle cookies taste like the South to me. I didn’t try delicious peanut brittle until I moved to Alabama, but since then, I’m realizing it’s one of those cult following foods that some people are just seriously into. I decided to combine the caramelized bits of nuts and crunch with the sweet and salty goodness of a cookie, and the result is delightful: a chewy peanut butter cookie loaded of melted brittle, chopped peanuts, and peanut butter chips. If you’re a peanut butter lover, say hello to your new best friends.

To make these peanut brittle cookies, we start with the brittle. Sugar, water, and corn syrup cook on a stovetop until it reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter, chopped peanuts, and a bit of baking soda are quickly added before the mixture is carefully spread out onto a prepared pan to cool. Once room temperature, the brittle will be hard and ready to be chopped into bits for the cookie dough. Butter and peanut butter combine with white and light brown sugar to create a soft and chewy dough. Bits of the chopped brittle and peanut butter chips are added to the mix, and rounds of dough can be baked in the preheated oven. After cooling slightly, these peanut brittle cookies are seriously chewy and layered with peanut flavor.

Peanut Brittle Cookies By Wood and Spoon Blog. These peanut brittle cookies feature a peanut butter dough, chopped homemade peanut brittle, and peanut butter chips. These chewy, sweet and salty cookies are a peanut butter lover’s dream! Find out how simple homemade peanut brittle is and get the recipe for these yummy fall cookies by Thewoodandspoon.com

If you or someone you love is a peanut brittle fan, these peanut brittle cookies will be a dream. Give them a try and let me know what you think! I’m looking forward to sharing another recipe with you all next Tuesday, so stay tuned!

If you like these peanut brittle cookies you should try:

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Peanut Butter Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vegan Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Peanut Butter Cup Bars

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Peanut Brittle Cookies

These peanut brittle cookies feature a peanut butter dough and are loaded with chopped homemade brittle and peanut butter chips!

  • Author: Kate
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 30 Cookies
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the peanut brittle:

  • 2 cups (400 gm) sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 cups dry roasted peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 11/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the cookies:

  • 3/4 cup (170 gm) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 11/2 cups (300 gm) light brown sugar
  • ½ cup (100 gm) sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 21/2 cups (370 gm) all-purpose flour
  • 11/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 11/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup peanut butter baking chips
  • 2 cups peanut brittle, chopped into pea-sized pieces, plus more if desired for rolling

Instructions

To prepare the peanut brittle:

  1. First, read through the instructions completely and have your brittle ingredients prepared and close by. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir to combine the water, sugar, and corn syrup. Turn on medium heat and begin heating the mixture, stirring occasionally, until it comes to a boil. Hook a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and heat the mixture, continuing to stir occasionally, until it comes to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the peanuts and begin stirring with a rubber spatula continuously for about 10 minutes until the mixture reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the butter, baking soda, and vanilla. Be careful, as the mixture will eb hot. Pour the hot mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and carefully smooth it into a thin layer quickly. Allow to cool completely prior to storing in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to two days in advance.

To prepare the cookies:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. Melt the butter over medium heat on the stove. Stir regularly and remove the pan from heat immediately once all is melted. Pour into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the peanut butter. Add the brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Add the eggs and whisk to incorporate.
  3. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the mix immediately and fold to combine. Don’t waste a lot of time as the mixture will be harder to work with as it sits and cools. Fold in the baking chips and peanut brittle.
  4. Scoop tablespoon-sized scoops (I use a medium cookie scoop) of dough on the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. If desired, place some additional peanut brittle into a large plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush it into a sandy mixture. Roll the dough in your hands to smooth and roll briefly in the crushed brittle to pick up little shards of the candy on the dough. Bake in the preheated oven 10-11 minutes or until the edges are set. Allow to cool briefly before eating!

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Apple Crumb Bars

I gotta tell you- these apple crumb bars have been one of the most rewarding parts of my week. Before you think I’m entirely lame, let me just explain.

You ever go through one of those ruts where you feel out of sorts? Days when it seems like you’re out of step and nothing is working out the way you planned? This is me, as of late, in the kitchen. I’ve spent the past couple of weeks testing recipes and attempting to stock up goodies to share with you all in the coming months. With other big work projects just around the corner, I knew I would need to use this time to ready myself and this site for the days to come. Unfortunately, it’s just not happening. Everything I’ve been making has left me wanting, and, honestly, it just gets to be a bummer. There’s only so many failed loaves of bread and crumbly cookies you can shrug at before you never want to see a bag of flour again, okay?

Apple Crumb Bars by Wood and Spoon Blog. These layered apple pie bars are the perfect fall dessert. A buttery shortbread crust, simple apple pie filling, and oat crumble topping make these a delicious and textured treat for autumn desserts. Try these around the holidays for group gathering potlucks or simple dinners. The recipe is on thewoodandspoon.com

So when these apple crumb bars turned out to be straight-up BOMB, I was thrilled. It’s amazing how a single victory, albeit small, can give you a little extra kick in your step, you know? These apple crumb bars, with their buttery shortbread crust, spiced and slightly tart apple filling, and crumbly brown sugar and oat topping, are seriously textured, rich, and altogether wonderful- just the kind of treat you want to make this time of year. They were such a knock-out in my kitchen, I’m sure you’re going to love them too. Let me tell you how to make them.

Apple Crumb Bars by Wood and Spoon Blog. These layered apple pie bars are the perfect fall dessert. A buttery shortbread crust, simple apple pie filling, and oat crumble topping make these a delicious and textured treat for autumn desserts. Try these around the holidays for group gathering potlucks or simple dinners. The recipe is on thewoodandspoon.com

Make the Recipe:

To make these apple crumb bars, we start with the shortbread crust. Butter, sugar, and just enough flour come together to make a crumbly, doughy mixture that gets pat into an 8″ square pan. The crust gets baked briefly while we prep the filling. Here, sliced baking apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon add moisture, tang, and just enough spice, while the oat crumble adds texture and richness. Both get spread onto the semi-baked shortbread before being popped back into the oven for a second bake. Once the topping is golden brown, the bars are done and ready to cool.

Apple Crumb Bars by Wood and Spoon Blog. These layered apple pie bars are the perfect fall dessert. A buttery shortbread crust, simple apple pie filling, and oat crumble topping make these a delicious and textured treat for autumn desserts. Try these around the holidays for group gathering potlucks or simple dinners. The recipe is on thewoodandspoon.com

These apple crumb bars make for an excellent sharing dessert and can even be made ahead and frozen! Just be sure to pop them back in the oven to crisp up the crumble and crust again. Give them a try and let me know what you think. If you happen to find yourself in a baking rut, these apple crumb bars are the simple and rewarding dish you need in your life. Happy Baking!

If you like these apple crumb bars you should try:

Apple Crumb Cake
Apple Crisp Ice Cream
Caramel Apple Pie
Apple Crisp Cheesecake
Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Apple Crumb Bars by Wood and Spoon Blog. These layered apple pie bars are the perfect fall dessert. A buttery shortbread crust, simple apple pie filling, and oat crumble topping make these a delicious and textured treat for autumn desserts. Try these around the holidays for group gathering potlucks or simple dinners. The recipe is on thewoodandspoon.com
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Apple Crumb Bars

With a buttery shortbread crust and a brown sugar oat crumble, these apple crumb bars are the layered fall treat you’ve been waiting for!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 16
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the shortbread crust:

  • ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 11/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

  • 4 cups of peeled, cored, and sliced baking apples (I used granny smith)
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

For the topping:

  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

To prepare the crust:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line an 8 “square baking pan with foil. Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Begin by preparing the crust. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour and salt and stir just until combined to crumbs. Gently press the mixture down flat into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. In the meantime, begin making the filling.

To prepare the bars:

  1. Toss all of the filling ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, toss all the flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt together. Stir in the butter to form a clumpy mixture and set aside. When the shortbread crust has finished baking, remove from oven and evenly layer in the apple filling. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the apples and bake an additional 35 minutes, or until the topping is turning golden brown. Allow to cool completely prior to cutting into 16 squares.

Notes

  • These apple crumb bars make for an excellent sharing dessert and can even be made ahead and frozen! Just be sure to pop them back in the oven to crisp up the crumble and crust again. 

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Monster Cookie Bars

Full disclosure: I’m not into monsters, scary stuff, or anything that sounds even remotely spooky, but I am 110% into these monster cookie bars: a soft and chewy peanut butter oatmeal bar studded with chocolate chips and candy-coated morsels. If you’ve been looking for a simple and satisfying treat to make as a hump day treat, look no further than today’s recipe!

Monster Cookie Bars by Wood and Spoon blog. These chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip bars are studded with chocolate candies. These make the perfect treats for leftover candy and can be made with almond or peanut butter! Learn how simple these dessert bars are on thewoodandspoon.com.

With the kids back in school, we’re attempting to settle into our new normal: wake up, breakfast, school, homework, dinner, baths, repeat. Weekends, at least so far, have offered a reprieve from the scheduled nature of Monday-Friday, but I’m still always looking for ways to make the mundane feel special. As a result, treats like these monster cookie bars have stolen my heart. With simple ingredients, quick prep, and super yummy results, these cookies-turned-bars are a great go-to for grown-ups and kids alike.

Monster Cookie Bars by Wood and Spoon blog. These chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip bars are studded with chocolate candies. These make the perfect treats for leftover candy and can be made with almond or peanut butter! Learn how simple these dessert bars are on thewoodandspoon.com.

To make these monster cookie bars, we start with a bowl-full of butter and peanut butter. We cream the two together on medium speed until smooth and then add in the sugars. Next come the eggs and vanilla extract followed by the dry ingredients: flour, oats, and loads of chocolate. I chose to use semi-sweet chocolate chips and candy-coated chocolates, but you could certainly opt for other mix-ins; peanut butter chips, nuts, toffee, or even crushed chocolate sandwich cookies would certainly be at home here.

Monster Cookie Bars by Wood and Spoon blog. These chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip bars are studded with chocolate candies. These make the perfect treats for leftover candy and can be made with almond or peanut butter! Learn how simple these dessert bars are on thewoodandspoon.com.

If you’re looking for ways to make these back-to-school days a little more special, look no further than these monster cookie bars. Happy Wednesday to you all and Happy Baking!

If you like these monster cookie bars you should check out:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Brookies (Brownie Cookie Bars)
Crispy Millionaire Bars
Brownie Shortbread Bars

Monster Cookie Bars by Wood and Spoon blog. These chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip bars are studded with chocolate candies. These make the perfect treats for leftover candy and can be made with almond or peanut butter! Learn how simple these dessert bars are on thewoodandspoon.com.
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Monster Cookie Bars

These monster cookie bars are soft and chewy, loaded with chocolate chips, candy morsels, and peanut butter flavor!

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 16
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (140 gm) creamy peanut butter (not natural)
  • ½ cup (100 gm) light brown sugar, packed 
  • ¼ cup (50 gm) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (140 gm) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (90 gm) rolled oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup M&Ms or candy-coated chocolates

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8” pan with aluminum foil, allowing the ends to extend beyond the sides of the pan. Lightly grease with cooking spray and set aside. 
  2. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and peanut butter until combined. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla extracts, stirring until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and add in the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Stir on low until barely combined. Add in the chocolate chips and chocolate candies and stir until combined. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the edges and center of your bars are golden and no longer jiggly. Allow to cool completely prior to removing from pan and cutting. Enjoy!

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Wood and spoon. These are simple chocolate chip blondies with espresso powder and sea salt! These make rich, chewy blondie bars with crackly edges and comforting flavors. This recipe serves a crowd, freezes well, and can be made in advance! Learn how to make them on thewoodandspoon.com

Do we have time for one more recipe before the new year? How about something comforting and familiar to wind out the period-of-exhaustion-and-calamity-formally-known-as-2020? These chocolate chip cookie bars are nothing fancy, not too tricky to make or sophisticated in flavor profile, but what they lack in bells and whistles they make up for in flavor, chewy texture, and crispy, caramelized edges. Let’s talk about them.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Wood and spoon. These are simple chocolate chip blondies with espresso powder and sea salt! These make rich, chewy blondie bars with crackly edges and comforting flavors. This recipe serves a crowd, freezes well, and can be made in advance! Learn how to make them on thewoodandspoon.com

I’ll be honest: I’m not really sure what makes a blondie a blondie. I think these chocolate chip cookie bars are close. I almost chose “blondie” as a name but decided they would need a glossy top and gooey insides to qualify. Instead, I landed on cookie bars, because that’s exactly what they are: cookie flavored, cookie texture, and even a cookie technique involved to make them. All that’s missing is the cookie shape!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Wood and spoon. These are simple chocolate chip blondies with espresso powder and sea salt! These make rich, chewy blondie bars with crackly edges and comforting flavors. This recipe serves a crowd, freezes well, and can be made in advance! Learn how to make them on thewoodandspoon.com

So why make make these chocolate chip cookie bars over a regular chocolate chip cookie? One word: EASE. Here, we have no scooping, no rolling of dough, no spacing dough balls out on a sheet pan and praying they don’t roll around, spread out, or burn in the oven. Instead, we have a single dough that is smoothed into a small pan and baked in one batch in the oven until the edges are crisp and the insides are barely done. This recipe makes over 20 bars, closer to 40 if you cut them in manageable portions, and they’re crazy simple to make. So, all in all, that’s why these bars might suit you over a classic cookie.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Wood and spoon. These are simple chocolate chip blondies with espresso powder and sea salt! These make rich, chewy blondie bars with crackly edges and comforting flavors. This recipe serves a crowd, freezes well, and can be made in advance! Learn how to make them on thewoodandspoon.com

Even though we’re saying goodbye to 2020, I’m hoping to see more of you in the coming year. I’m currently wrapping up some heavy duty projects that will hopefully allow for more time spent on this site- more chatting, more recipes, more stories, etc. In the meantime, know that it’s been my pleasure to write and bake with you all this year, and I can’t wait to do it more in the future. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

If you like these chocolate chip cookie bars you should try:

Butterscotch Blondies
Brown Butter Blondies
Pecan Toffee Blondies
Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Brookies

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These chewy chocolate chip cookie bars feature warm brown sugar flavors, a hint of espresso powder, and loads of sweet and salty goodness throughout.

  • Author: Kate
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 20
  • Category: Dessert

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 11/2 cups brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 21/2 teaspoons of espresso powder or instant coffee
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 21/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 11/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 11/2 teaspoons salt
  • 21/2 cups semisweet/dark chocolate chunks (depending on your preference)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13” pan (or line it with foil and then grease for easy removal). Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and sugar  with the paddle attachment until fluffy, about 2 minutes.. Scrape the sides of the bowl, add the espresso powder followed by the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until each are incorporated. Add the vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks and press the dough into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes or until the center is set and no longer jiggling. Bake time may differ depending on the type of pan used. Allow to cool and then slice and enjoy!

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