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!
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.
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.
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:
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
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.
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!
Happy Tuesday from my little corner of the world to you!
Here in Selma, life is busy and full with back to school activities and the onset of football season. Of course we’re still in full-on house building mode, and although I’m sure we are still getting a little closer everyday, this truly feels like the never-ending project. In an effort to not get stir-crazy in the process, I’ve been baking up a storm.
Lucky for me, we are knee-deep in cookbook season! Autumn months are prime time for new cookbook releases, so keep your eyes peeled over the coming months for recipes that I’ll be sharing from some of my new favorite reads. Up first is this recipe for brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars, fresh from my sweet friend Rebecca’s first release, “The Cookie Book“!
I first met Rebecca at last year’s Saveur Blog Awards, but I became familiar with her long before that. Rebecca writes a hilarious, sugar-coated blog that I frequent for recipes and inspiration, and it was a dream to meet an online friend in real life. She thrives on creating accessible recipes that home bakers actually want to make, and her book is no exception. “The Cookie Book” is filled with tons of recipes that I can’t wait to dive right into.
Brown Butter Muscovado Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
These cookie bars are as simple as they are decadent. Rich and caramel-y muscovado sugar (like the sexy cousin of plain, old-fashioned brown sugar) combines with my all-time favorite ingredient, brown butter, to create a sweet and salty chocolate chip cookie bar that is to die for. I only wish I had thought of it myself.
Making the Bars
To make these brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars, we start with browning butter. For a how-to on that, be sure to check out my tutorial here. Brown butter is stirred into the blend of sugars before eggs, milk, and vanilla are added to the mix. Next come the dry ingredients, followed by a boat-load of chopped dark chocolate. Spread the dough into a prepared baking dish and bake away until the bars are golden and set. Rebecca recommends finishing off these brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars with a heavy hand of salt, and I couldn’t agree more.
These little treats would make a wonderful addition to your fall tailgates, dinner parties, and afternoon snacks. We have been munching on them since I discovered the recipe a week ago, and I am not mad about it. Give Rebecca’s book a looksie here and try on these cookie bars for size. I have a feeling they’re all the push you’ll need to spring for the book. Happy Tuesday and Happy Baking, y’all!
The brown butter muscovado chocolate chip cookie bars are sweet and salty, rich dessert bars that will take your average after-dinner treats and snacks to the next level. Try this recipe from Rebecca Firth today!
Author:Rebecca Firth
Prep Time:20
Cook Time:35
Total Time:55 minutes
Yield:16
Category:Dessert
Ingredients
1/2 cup (115 gm) unsalted butter
1 cup (210 gm) dark muscovado sugar, packed
1/2 cup (96 gm) sugar
1/3 cup (80 mL) sunflower seed oil or other neutral oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 tablespoons milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1–1/2 cups (205 gm) bread flour
1–1/2 cups (205 gm) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1–1/2 cups (180 gm) dark chocolate, chopped
Sea salt flakes for dusting on top, optional
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×11″ casserole dish and line with parchment paper, letting the excess fall over the sides.
Put the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crack up the heat to medium high. Continue stirring and look for small golden bits that will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. It will smell deliciously nutty and caramel-y. This should take around 3-5 minutes. Once this happens, take it of the heat and pour into a medium, heat-safe bowl to cool a bit.
When cooled slightly, whisk in the muscovado, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, egg yolk, milk, and vanilla until thoroughly blended.
In another medium bowl, whisk together the bread flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Add this to the butter mixture and stir until barely blended. Add in the chocolate chunks and continue to blend until just combined and the chocolate is evenly distributed.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Dampen your hands and gently press down so that is covers the bottom of the dish. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes. (Note: bake time is dependent on pan type and oven temp. If they look significantly gooey at 25 minutes, feel free to leave in an additional 5-10. Bars will continue to cook and firm up some once removed from the oven.) Sprinkle with sea salt flakes, if desired. Let cool completely before cutting. These are great the same day as they’re made and equally dazzling the next.
Notes
If you use a larger or smaller pan be sure to adjust your bake time accordingly. Additionally, these were tested in ceramic pans. Note, if you use a metal pan check earlier for doneness as it could affect the bake time.
Check out the link in my post for help on browning butter!
You guys- THANK YOU. Thanks for being an awesome blog family. Thanks for not judging the amount of butter and cream cheese we consume here. And thank you for loving me in spite of my rambling and grammatical errors. Y’all are great.
One of my goals for 2018 was to spend more energy on gratitude- to live out days overflowing with thanksgiving. I know, I know, we talk about that a lot here, but it’s primarily because I require so many reminders to be thankful. Life tends to beat us up sometimes; I can’t help but wonder if a heart filled with gratitude might somehow manage to find the gold, even in those moments. Don’t you think so?
Gratitude
My mom bought me this book called “The Five Minute Journal.” As its name suggests, the journal requires just a few daily moments spent creating a few lists of gratitude: 3 Things I’m Grateful For, 3 Things That Would Make Today Great, 3 Awesome Things That Happened Today, etc. I’ve now spent 26 days jotting on those pages, and I have to tell you- I LOVE IT.
As humans, we dwell on the negative. Sometimes we get discouraged, kicked down, blown off. We guilt trip ourselves over the things we did wrong, the areas we failed, and in doing so, we completely miss the beauty that was scattered throughout the process. We lose sight of the tiny bits of hope and joy and goodness that are chalked all over our days. In the end, we forget to make the next day better.
Admittedly, some moments are harder than others. Weeks pained with illness and anger and loss and exhaustion are no stranger to humans. The realities of this world are a heavy burden to bear, even for the strongest of souls. But what if, even in the midst of trial, we were set on finding the good? What if we squinted and searched through the dark to find a glimmer of light that may have, even if only briefly, cast its warm glow on our story? Wouldn’t it feel good to be reminded of the sweet spots in our days?
Your Turn
So “The Five Minute Journal” has been really good for me. It’s challenged me to be thankful (when I feel anything but) and find the right (when all I see is wrong). I would challenge you to do the same: share some gratitude today. Love on someone or something who makes your world pretty and don’t miss the opportunity to swell with hope from all of the lovely things that are sitting right under your nose. My guess is that you have a lot to smile about if you’re willing to look hard.
Butterscotch Blondies
Things I’m grateful for this morning: these butterscotch blondies. Buttery, sweet, and salty blondies filled with butterscotch chips and toasty pecans are just about the best thing to sit on my kitchen counter in months. These taste like comfort food to me, and on cold, bleak January days, they’re about all I need to stay warm.
Making the Blondies
To make these butterscotch blondies, we start with butter. First, cream butter with the sugar. Next, eggs and vanilla add to the mix, followed by a few dry ingredients. Finally, before baking, butterscotch chips and chopped pecans stir in with an extra sprinkle of salt. That’s it! Butterscotch blondies might be the easiest thing you make all week.
After baking, these butterscotch blondies keep well in the freezer, maybe forever, but will otherwise be cozy in an airtight container for 2-3 days. I find that butterscotch blondies are best shared with a friend or two, so maybe make a double (or triple?) batch and love the crap out of your neighbors. Give these yummy treats a try, and if you’re looking to share the love, I hope you’ll pour it out with a healthy dose of thanks. I love y’all- have a great weekend.
If you like these butterscotch blondies, be sure to check out:
These butterscotch blondies are a sweet and salty treat, loaded with toasted pecans and perfect for sharing!
Author:Kate
Prep Time:10
Cook Time:25
Total Time:35 minutes
Yield:12
Ingredients
½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 gm) packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (130 gm) all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (175 gm) butterscotch chips
¾ cup (75 gm) chopped pecans
Extra salt for sprinkling, if desired
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray an 8” square baking pan with baking spray.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Fold in the butterscotch chips and pecans. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted just barely comes out clean. Do not overbake. Slice and serve!
Happy Thursday from sweet home Alabama! This time of year, at least in these parts, means that college football season is near. Yes, in just a few short days I will kiss my husband goodbye and re-familiarize myself with that far-off gaze that only a football game and a plate of buffalo hot wings can render. So to start this season off on the right foot, I’m sharing TWO super easy, crowd-pleasing, one-bowl recipes that you can show off at the tailgate nearest you. Yes, these brown butter blondies will make even the least interested college football fan (guilty) show up at your party tent ready to rumble.
Go Sports!
Growing up, I was not what you would call a football fan. At the time, I had a healthy interest in professional and college basketball (GO CATS!), but football really wasn’t on my radar. It wasn’t until I moved to Birmingham, Alabama for college that I learned of the vicious football rivalries that existed in my new state. “So who do you pull for? Auburn or Alabama?” I heard that question a time or two and I’m pretty sure I laughed every time. I could have written a dissertation on the birthplace of jorts (thats “jean shorts” for those of you not from North Florida) with more interest than I could have aligned myself to one of two schools that I knew or cared nothing about. BYE FELECIA.
My Own Sports Career
By junior year, I had dated one (okay, one and a half) players from our school’s football team, so my knowledge in the sport had increased by at least 250%. I joined my sorority’s C-list flag football team, bought some knee socks and a fresh pair of Sophies, and determined I was ready to go pro.
Our team was, to say the least, bad. Okay, we were terrible. AWFUL. In one particular game, a girl on our team lost her shorts (and panties) to a flag pull gone wrong. Later, we executed our best play dubbed “The Eagle” where we all stopped running and began dancing on the field as some sort of means of distraction; it was not successful. The single time I touched the ball that evening was on a punt return where I caught the ball and ran towards the wrong end zone. I realized my mistake at the 15 yard line, immediatlely panicked, and hurled the ball at an unassuming teammate. (Spoiler alert: she didn’t catch the ball. We lost the game. I’m told that everything I did was wrong.)
If you, like me, aren’t a savvy football fan or wouldn’t know a tailgate if it sat on your face, let me help you. Learn from the mistakes of the diehards and wannabes that have gone before you. Here are a few football fan fun facts that will keep you on the invite list for games to come.
How To Not Be A Loser At A Football Game:
DO know which teams are playing in the game. People will laugh if you show up sporting your Keyshawn Johnson jersey and you don’t even know what team the Bucs are playing for the ring. Not like I know from experience or anything.
DO try to sit with people you know. You’ll regret that single scalped ticket if you wind up in the opposing team’s section next to a bunch of potty mouths.
DON’T show up to a tailgate empty-handed! Cookies, a dip, or Chex mix are always appropriate.
DO wear your team colors, but avoid silks, rayon, and form-fitting clothes that will most certainly show off your pit stains and swamp butt. That is not winning.
DON’T drink too much in first quarter of the game. The bleachers are no place to sleep one off.
DO avoid the concession stand at halftime. No amount of chili dogs are worth those lines.
DON’T sit next to the shirtless guys with the body paint unless you’re totally okay with the potential of this happening.
DON’T leave a game early. It only takes one second to miss something.
DO remember that tailgating is a marathon, not a sprint. Those Frito’s and sausage balls might go down smooth, but you don’t want to lug that with you to the upper bowl.
DO make all the brown butter blondies, all the time. FACT: people who bring blondies have more fun.
Brown Butter Blondies
These brown butter blondies are tailgating staples. This recipe make a huge pan of treats, perfect for sharing, toting across the quad, and shoving in your pockets to get through game day security. Even better, this same batter can be prepared two ways, so with the same handful of ingredients you can have a variety of chewy goodies to share with the world. Ya welcome.
Making the Blondies
To make these brown butter blondies, we start by browning some butter. Lucky for you, you’re a pro at browning butter, so you whip that up quickly and let the golden fat cool. From there, it’s a one bowl and done kind of recipe. Stir some brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla into your butter and then fold in the dry ingredients. That’s it! The batter is done.
Choose Your Own Adventure!
Next comes the fun part. Will it be white chocolate chips and coconut or cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle brown butter blondies? The world is your oyster here, so you take the pick. Hey, you could even go with dark chocolate and pistachios, toffee and pecans, whatever you darn well please. These brown butter blondies would taste good after sitting in a paper bag on the roof of your car for three days, but please, don’t ask me how I know that.
After baking, these brown butter blondies are chewy and oh-so flavorful. The white chocolate chip and coconut babies are a bit thicker and a little fluffier, while the snickerdoodle brown butter blondies are dense, intensely buttery, and perfectly spiced. The batter is the same for both variations, save for the toppings and the salt, and I think you’ll find both to be equally satisfying.
Don’t be a loser at this year’s football games. Don’t be like me. Just make these brown butter blondies and thank the heavens that someone (*raises hand*) has figured out the hard stuff for you. Get your game on this weekend and think of me when you sink your teeth into these bad boys.
Also, there’s only ONE MORE WEEK to vote for your favorite bloggers in the Saveur Blog Awards. You’ll find me in the best baking and sweets category. Click here to vote today and as often as you’d like!
If you like these brown butter blondies, be sure to check out:
Brown Butter Blondies made in two different ways- a cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle or a coconut white chocolate chip. Make your own variation with this adaptable recipe!
Author:Kate
Prep Time:30
Cook Time:30
Total Time:1 hour
Yield:24
Ingredients
1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, cubed into equals sized pieces
1–3/4 cups (360 gm) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (260 gm) all-purpose flour
1–3/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2–1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
1–1/2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 9”x13” pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
Add the butter to a light-bottomed pan over medium heat. Melt the butter, stirring regularly. Once the butter is melted and has stopped sizzling as frequently, begin to whisk constantly until the butter has browned to a medium-dark hue. (See notes for help.) Remove the butter to a separate large bowl. Allow to cool briefly, about 5 minutes.
Once slightly cooled, add the brown sugar to the butter and whisk to combine. Add the eggs and the vanilla to the brown butter mixture and whisk to combine. Stir the flour, baking powder, salt, and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon in a separate small bowl and then add it to the brown butter mixture, folding to just barely combine.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Combine the remaining cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over top of the blondie batter. Bake in the preheated oven, about 23-25 minutes or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted to the center just barely comes out clean.
Notes
See my previous post on browning butter if you need a little help in this area.
Brown Butter Blondies made in two different ways- a cinnamon sugar snickerdoodle or a coconut white chocolate chip. Make your own variation with this adaptable recipe!
Author:Kate
Prep Time:30
Cook Time:30
Total Time:1 hour
Yield:24
Ingredients
1 cup (230 gm) unsalted butter, cubed into equals sized pieces
1–3/4 cups (360 gm) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (260 gm) all-purpose flour
1–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1–1/2 cups (115 gm) sweetened shredded coconut
1–1/4 cups (200 gm) white chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9”x13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
Add the butter to a light-bottomed pan over medium heat. Melt the butter, stirring regularly. Once the butter is melted and has stopped sizzling as frequently, begin to whisk constantly until the butter has browned to a medium-dark hue. (See notes for help.) Remove the butter to a separate large bowl. Allow to cool briefly, about 5 minutes.
Once slightly cooled, whisk the brown sugar into the brown butter. Add the eggs and the vanilla and whisk well to combine. In a seprate small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the brown butter mixture and fold to combine. Add the coconut and white chocolate chips and fold just until combined.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and then bake in the preheated oven, about 25-30 minutes or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted to the center just barely comes out clean.
Notes
See my previous post on browning butter if you need a little help in this area.
Happy November to you from Alabama where it’s still hot as fire and we’re all frying eggs on the pavement. The only time nowadays that I don’t sweat like a baby gorilla is if I’m sitting inside or standing in front of an open refrigerator. And don’t judge me, but I do that a lot.
Last week, we celebrated my birthday with friends over a meal of stone crabs and layer cakes. I’ve only cracked crabs one other time in my life, back when Brett and I were dating and I was still trying to prove I was adventurous and fun. I typically don’t like food that requires you to work for it, but the stone crabs turned out to be a blast. Were it not for the bloodied knuckles, broken nails, and overall brute strength that was required for breaking through the shells of those tough little buggers, I probably would have cracked all night long. Plus, there was an abundance of crabs jokes, and even though lice in the nether-regions is not something to laugh about, I found it hysterical. So basically the night was a success.
Birthdays are always a big deal in my book. Even though I relish any moment for a celebration, birthdays somehow take the proverbial (and literal) cake. Any chance to celebrate people that I love with music and laughter and dessert is a winning event, if you ask me.
These pecan toffee blondies are not a birthday cake. These weren’t even served at my birthday party. But they are good and fall-ish and ridiculous easy to make so let’s dive in, shall we?
The blondie dough is made just the same as your average drop cookie recipe. We start by creaming the butter and brown sugar for a while until it’s light and fluffy. Next comes a few eggs followed by a dusting of flour and salt. Things get real at the end when we bring in our guests of honor: pecans and toffee bits. The sweetness from the brown sugar and toffee is offset perfectly by the pecans and salt and if you really like to get down and dirty, I’d recommend adding an extra sprinkle of each once the dough has been pressed out in the pan.
Pecan toffee blondies are one of those foods that you need in your arsenal of recipes. You can file this recipe under “fall recipes to make for a crowd” or “pecan desserts to go nuts for” or “blondies that really do have more fun.” This is the bar I’d be making every week if it weren’t still Africa hot here in the South. I’d eat them for dessert, or afternoon snacks, or even for breakfast if you swore you wouldn’t judge me. But who am I kidding- they’re worth even that.
These pecan toffee blondies are a cinch to make and are a terrific dessert for any occasion. If you get a chance to try them out, let me know what you think in the comments section below!
These pecan toffee blondies are a brown sugar blondies speckled with toasty pecans and toffee bits. They make a terrific treat to share and store well in the freezer.
Author:Kate Wood
Prep Time:10
Cook Time:30
Total Time:40 minutes
Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1–1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1–3/4 cups pecans, chopped and divided
1–1/2 cup toffee bits
Kosher salt for sprinkling, if desired
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a jelly roll pan with baking spray or line with a Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Scrape the bowl throughout this process as needed to ensure that all of the butter and sugar is evenly incorporated.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat until each are well incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add 1-1/4 cups of pecans and the toffee and stir to combine.
Gently spread the mixture evenly into the bottom of your prepared jelly roll pan. If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, a foil lined 9″x13″ casserole dish can be used as well. Sprinkle the remaining pecans on top. If you like extra salty desserts, feel free to sprinkle another teaspoon or two of kosher salt over top of the bars. Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until the blondies are golden brown on top and no longer jiggly in the center. Allow the blondies to cool completely prior to cutting.
