Tag: chocolate

I ‘Congo’ on and on about these great cookie bars

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date February 6, 2020

Congo bars combine brown sugar, chocolate chips and pecans into a delicious, soft cookie bar.

I’m always on the hunt for easy recipes to feed a crowd, and as I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I found a great cookie bar recipe that fit the bill.

And then I forgot to take a photo before my crowd inhaled every last one.

So, with the Super Bowl in my sights, I whipped up this recipe once again and made sure that I snapped a photo long before they hit the snack table.

With the added experience of baking these a second time, I can say with absolute confidence that not only are these incredibly easy to make, but they’re definitely a crowd pleaser, as well.

I suppose you could say the outcome of the game and the full bellies leaving our house afterwards were a win-win.

This awesome recipe comes from the blog “Six Sisters Stuff.” If you haven’t heard of their site, I highly recommend it. It’s written by six sisters who now live in various parts of the country. They co-write the site as a way to keep in touch, which I think is a fantastic idea. You can find the original post at https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/congo-bars-recipe/. I doubled the vanilla in my version.

Congo Bars

Congo bars combine brown sugar, chocolate chips and pecans into a delicious, soft cookie bar.

Course Dessert

Keyword bars, chocolate, pecans

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 9×13-inch baking pan by spraying it with cooking spray and set it aside.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until it’s light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs and vanilla, and then beat in the flour, baking powder and salt.
Once everything is well incorporated, mix in the chocolate chips and pecans.
Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the top is nicely browned. (You don’t need to do the toothpick test on this one. The bars will finish setting up as they cool.)
Let the bars cool completely and slice for serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

I told Joey that I don’t remember making cookie bars that used 100-percent brown sugar and no granulated sugar before this recipe. I think that addition is what made these really soft and chewy.

This particular recipe is getting its own card in my recipe box, which is my way of giving a gold star to a dish.

This time, after our friends exited and we started cleaning up, I actually had a few bars left over, but those were easily taken care of the next morning for breakfast along with a nice cup of coffee.

And really, I don’t think it would have mattered what dessert landed on our table for the Super Bowl last weekend. The victory was already sweet enough.

This piece first appeared in print on Feb. 6, 2020.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Tags bars, brown sugar, chocolate, pecans, soft

Dessert

Get shakin’ with salted caramel brownies

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date January 9, 2020

Salted caramel brownies have a hint of saltiness and lots of sweet caramel and chocolate flavors.

I have been on a popcorn kick lately when I’m in the mood for a snack.

Really, to be accurate, I should say that both I and our schnauzer, K.C., have been on a popcorn kick lately, since I never eat a bowl of it alone if she can help it.

There’s something about that combination of the sweetness of the corn covered in just a bit of salt that I can’t get enough of, and apparently, it’s because our bodies are literally wired to like salty and sweet tastes together.

An article by Justine Sterling for “Delish” notes that researchers have found a certain sweet tastebud that only activates when sodium is also present.

In other words, if salt and sugar are both in whatever we’re eating, we get a bonus taste receptor to notice it for us.

The good Lord knew what he was doing when he was crafting our tongues, it seems.

With my love of salty and sweet, I was immediately drawn to a recipe for salted caramel brownies recently, and the dense chocolatey-ness along with the caramel makes this a recipe worth trying.

I found it on the blog “The Salted Marshmallow.” You can find the original at https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/sea-salt-caramel-chip-brownies/.

Salted Caramel Brownies

Salted caramel brownies have a hint of saltiness and lots of sweet caramel and chocolate flavors.

Course Dessert

Keyword brownies, chocolate, salted caramel

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter melted
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
10- ounce bag of sea salt caramel baking chips
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray it with cooking spray. Set it aside.
Add all of the ingredients except the baking chips and caramel topping to a mixing bowl and beat until everything is combined.
Fold in the baking chips and spread the batter into your baking pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool and then top with the caramel topping.
Store in an airtight container.

I didn’t wait for my brownies to cool all the way before adding the caramel topping, and it sort of melted into the tops, which still tasted amazing, but it didn’t let them have that nice drizzle effect. But if you don’t have time to wait, you won’t mess anything up by just dumping on the sauce while your brownies are still warm.

I also wish I would have sprinkled a little coarse salt on the top of these and definitely will the next time I make them, so you may consider that addition as well.

This also helped me clean out two different ingredients in my kitchen, since I had some salted caramel chips in my freezer and half of a jar of caramel sauce sitting in my refrigerator. If I keep it up, I may have my excess ingredient collection cleaned out by spring.

I really liked the combination of flavors in the brownies, and we enjoyed sharing them with friends, too.

K.C., on the other hand, was less than impressed with me eating chocolate snacks she’s not allowed to have. Her vote is still for the popcorn.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 9, 2020.

Tags brownies, chocolate, salted caramel

Dessert Microwave Snack

This no-bake recipe is just ‘mint’ to be

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date December 26, 2019

Andes mint baking chips are the star of these easy, no-bake bars.

I suspect that one of my New Year’s resolutions this year is not quite compatible with most everyone else’s, mostly because it involves some treat making.

Joey pointed out that our freezer was starting to get a little ridiculously full of random ingredients I planned on using at a later date, so I started digging items out and realized he was definitely correct.

My pantry isn’t much better.

So one of my resolutions will be to actually use up the extra ingredients I have laying around and free up some space in the kitchen.

With that being said, if your resolution is to lose weight or eat better, you might want to avoid my column for a little while.

The first thing I decided to use up was a glut of Andes mint baking chips, and I found a great no-bake recipe to use them in.

I found this recipe on the blog “Inside BruCrew Life.” You can find the original at https://insidebrucrewlife.com/andes-mint-cookie-dough-truffle-bars/. I added extra vanilla in my version.

Andes Mint Cookie Dough Truffle Bars

Andes mint baking chips are the star of these easy, no-bake bars.

Course Dessert, Snack

Keyword Andes mint, chocolate, cookie dough, no bake, truffle

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon milk
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2, 10- ounce bags Andes mint baking chips divided
1 1/2 teaspoons shortening

Instructions

Start by greasing an 8-by-8-inch baking dish and set it aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugars, vanilla and milk until the mixture is smooth.
Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and beat until everything is well combined. It takes a little bit to get it completely mixed together. Mine started out looking really dry at first, and I was afraid I messed it up. Just keep mixing.
Set aside one cup of the Andes mint chips and fold the rest into the mixture. Press the mixture into your prepared pan.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the cup of mint chips and the shortening and microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until it is melted and smooth.
Spread it out over the top of the mixture in the pan and place the bars in the freezer to set up.
Once the topping hardens, cut into bars and serve.

The recipe’s author said she used to make this recipe but roll it into balls and dip it in chocolate. Making it in bar form instead made the process go a lot more quickly. I’d recommend putting these in your “I need to make treats but have no time to make treats” section of your recipe box.

These were a huge hit with my family and would be a great recipe for beginning cooks to tackle. I’m a massive fan of Andes mints, so I was extremely fond of these and had to try to stay away from them long enough to share them.

And now my freezer is two bags of baking chips lighter. I figure getting a head start on my New Year’s resolution in December isn’t a bad way to go. I’ll just have to get used to the fitness fanatics in my life avoiding me for a few months.

This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 26, 2019.

Tags Andes mint, chocolate, no-bake, truffle

Cookies Dessert

Here’s a dessert that’s perfect for crunch time

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date October 3, 2019

No-bake chocolate crunch bars are a perfect recipe for beginning cooks, those who are in a hurry, or anyone wanting a nice, sweet treat.

When we were kids, my mom would give my sister and I each a quarter a day for snacks at the Haven pool when we’d go swimming with our babysitter.

That quarter could get you some licorice or Now and Laters, but I would often hoard my coins for several sessions until I had enough to get a cold Twix from the pool’s freezer. It was always worth going a few days without a treat to bite into that icy candy bar.

I still like to toss candy into the fridge or freezer at home. I’m not sure what it is about a cold chocolate bar that’s so appealing, but I always love them.

That was part of what I liked about this week’s recipe, because these no-bake bars are chewy and crunchy and chilly right out of the fridge—a perfect combination.

This recipe comes from the blog “Barefeet in the Kitchen” by Mary Younkin. You can find the original at https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/no-bake-chocolate-cereal-bars-recipe/. Because this was such a simple recipe, my only change was swapping in crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy.

No-Bake Chocolate Crunch Bars

No-bake chocolate crunch bars are a perfect recipe for beginning cooks, those who are in a hurry, or anyone wanting a nice, sweet treat.

Course Dessert

Keyword chocolate, crunchy, no bake, peanut butter

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups cornflakes

Instructions

Line a 8-by-3-inch bread pan or a 6-by-6-inch square pan with parchment or waxed paper (hang it over the sides to help remove the bars later) and set aside.
In a large, microwave-safe bowl, combine the sugar, honey and peanut butter and heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until everything is smooth. Add in the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted.
Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and press it down evenly.
Place the bars in the refrigerator for two or three hours to set up. Pull the bars out of the pan using the paper and transfer to a cutting board.
Cut into bars the size of your choosing and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

I’m not often as big of a fan of no-bake cookies as many people are, but these were a slam dunk. Using honey for part of the sweetener gave these a richness that I really liked, and the crunch of both the cornflakes and crunchy peanut butter was excellent.

It’s probably a good thing this recipe makes a smaller batch of bars, since we managed to eat all of them in pretty short order.

I would say you could get away with using a normal 8-by-8-inch pan, too, but part of these bars’ appeal is how nice and thick they are.

They were also a nice, cool treat out of the fridge for a few days, which I really appreciated on some warm evenings. And, as a bonus, I didn’t even have to put on a swimming suit to enjoy them.

This piece first appeared in print on Oct. 3, 2019.

Tags chocolate, crunchy, honey, no-bake, peanut butter

Cookies Dessert

These cookies are a ‘cream’ come true

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date August 29, 2019

Boston cream pie cookie bites are creamy, delicious and slightly addictive.

Early on in our marriage, Joey told me he loves Boston cream pie, and I kept that in the back of my mind for a long time as a recipe I should try to make for him.

But then I didn’t.

I think it’s probably because I often balk at making layer cakes, as though they’re somehow supremely more difficult than making one with a single layer.

But then I was gifted a mini muffin tin very recently, and I finally knew how I could give Joey a taste of Boston cream pie without making a large dessert.

I found a recipe for some Boston cream pie cookie bites not long ago on the blog “Practically Homemade.” You can find the post at https://practicallyhomemade.com/boston-cream-pie-cookie-bites/. The only thing I changed was a bit of the procedure, and I highly recommend using dark chocolate chips for the ganache rather than semi-sweet if you have it available.

Boston Cream Pie Cookie Bites

Boston cream pie cookie bites are creamy, delicious and slightly addictive.

Course Dessert

Keyword boston cream pie, cake mix, chocolate, cookies

Ingredients

1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1 stick butter softened
3.25- ounce instant vanilla pudding
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk I used skim
2 tablespoon chocolate chips I used dark chocolate
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray the cups of a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set it aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs and butter until smooth.
Use a small scoop to evenly distribute the batter into all the cups (about a tablespoon or dough or so). Pat each cup down so that it has a smooth, flat top, and then bake for seven to eight minutes or until the edges are browned slightly.
Set the cookies aside to cool for about five minutes, and then use a tart shaper or a similarly shaped spoon handle to press down the middle of each cookie and create an indentation.
Let the cookies cool completely before going on to the next step, and remove them from the muffin tin.
For the filling, beat the pudding mix, cup of heavy cream and milk until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
Using the same scoop as before, evenly distribute the filling into all of the cups.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips and two tablespoons heavy cream and microwave 10 seconds at a time, stirring between each heating, until the mixture is smooth. Spoon a little of the ganache over each of the cookies, and then refrigerate them until the ganache is set.
Store the cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

These were a huge hit. So much so that when I took the last few cookies over to dinner at my sister and brother-in-law’s house, they announced I wasn’t allowed back without making them another batch (I think they were joking…). And then, when I returned home, Joey was a bit perturbed that his last few cookies ended up disappearing from the fridge.

I guess you can’t win them all.

I probably should still try making a real Boston cream pie, but I’m now obligated to make another batch of cookies for my sister and for Joey, so it still might be awhile before I get that recipe checked off my bucket list.

This piece first appeared in print on Aug. 29, 2019.

Tags Boston cream pie, cake mix recipe, chocolate

Bread Breakfast Dessert

Sweet roll recipe is the only ‘bun’ for me

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date June 27, 2019

No one will be able to tell that you completely transformed a cake mix into these delectable chocolate sweet rolls.

When I first started going solo in the kitchen as a youngster, I was very concerned with cooking by the book.

Mom never minded me hovering over her shoulder (or if she did, she hid it really well), and I asked a lot of questions.

Once I felt ready to make meals on my own, I asked her to help me write out my own recipe cards, which I still have in my recipe box at home. My favorite one is for canned corn. She didn’t make fun of me when I asked her to help me write down the steps for how to heat it up and how much salt and pepper to add, and from the food stains on my notecard, I clearly used the “recipe” more than once over the years.

Nowadays, though, I’m a lot more adventurous and tend to tweak recipes regularly and without hesitation. Such was the case recently when I used a recipe for cake mix cinnamon rolls to make chocolate sweet rolls instead.

I actually used two authors’ recipes as my basis for this week. The rolls recipe comes from the blog “Norine’s Nest.” You can find her post at https://www.norinesnest.com/cake-mix-cinnamon-rolls/. The other recipe started as the filling recipe for some sweet rolls by Kate Wood on her blog “The Wood and Spoon.” You can find her recipe at http://thewoodandspoon.com/chocolate-sweet-rolls/. I made changes to each to come up with the concoction below.

Cake Mix Chocolate Sweet Rolls

No one will be able to tell that you completely transformed a cake mix into these delectable chocolate sweet rolls.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Keyword cake mix, chocolate, glaze, icing, sweet rolls

Ingredients

Rolls

1 Dutch chocolate cake mix
2 packages yeast instant or active
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups flour
2-1/4 cups hot water

Filling

6 ounces dark chocolate chips or chop up a bar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons espresso or instant coffee powder I used a mocha-flavored
1/2 cup powdered sugar
about 1/2 cup sliced almonds or your favorite nut, chopped

Icing

1-1/3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk you may need to add more
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

In a mixer with a dough hook (or you can start by mixing with a wooden spoon and switch over to kneading to bring it together), combine the cake mix, yeast, salt and two cups of flour.
Mix until it’s well combined and add the water slowly while the mixer continues to run.
Add in the rest of the flour, and mix until everything is well combined and the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl to form a ball.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured workspace, sprinkle the top with more flour and knead five or six times with floured hands until it forms into a well-shaped ball.
Cover the dough with a clean cloth and allow it to rise until it’s doubled in size (mine took about 20 minutes).
When the dough is almost ready to work with, combine the chocolate chips and butter into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 10 to 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining filling ingredients except the sliced almonds and set aside.
Punch the dough down and roll out into a large rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
Spread the filling out evenly over the entire rectangle of dough and sprinkle on the almonds.
Tightly roll the rectangle from the long side so that you get a nice, long, snake-like roll.
Cut the roll into 1-1/2-inch thick slices.
Grease two 9×12-inch pans and place the slices, with one of the cut sides up, into the pans. Space them out a bit to give them room to rise.
Cover both pans with a clean cloth and let them rise for about 30 more minutes or until they double in size.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until they are a golden brown.
Before serving, mix the icing ingredients together until smooth. If it’s too thick, add a little more milk until you get the consistency you like.
Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes, and then drizzle or spread the icing over top of them.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container.

These were absolutely delicious. I immediately delivered them to friends and family to get them out of the house before we ate too many of them ourselves.

The best part of this recipe is that it’s super easy to customize. Just choose another cake mix and filling ingredients, and you have a completely new type of sweet roll to enjoy.

Younger me would have been amazed at how off script I went with this recipe, but we all start somewhere. Looking back, I’m just so thankful I had someone willing to patiently show me the ropes in the kitchen—canned corn recipes and all.

This piece first appeared in print on June 27, 2019.

Tags cake mix recipe, chocolate, glaze, icing, sweet rolls

Dessert

For weight-loss resolvers, approach these bars gingerly

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date January 10, 2019

While gingerbread bars sound like a holiday treat, they are a perfect quick dessert for any time of the year.

If you’re weak-willed and trying to avoid sweets now that 2019 is in full swing, I highly recommend that you skip over my column this week.

Of course, if you know you’re going to be tasked with making or taking treats for any event this year, I also highly recommend saving this for later on.

For a recent family get together, I decided to whip these up, since I already had all the ingredients in my pantry and had enough shopping trips during the holidays to last me quite awhile.

They were snapped up pretty quickly, and even my one-year-old niece gave them her stamp of approval.

I found this recipe on the blog “Upstate Ramblings.” You can find it at https://www.upstateramblings.com/holiday-gingerbread-bars-popcorn/. I doubled the vanilla and spices in my version and used chocolate chips instead of M&Ms.

Gingerbread Bars

While gingerbread bars sound like a holiday treat, they are a perfect quick dessert for any time of the year.

Course Dessert

Keyword bars, chocolate, Christmas, gingerbread, molasses

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter melted
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Beat the butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, molasses and egg together.
Add in the flour, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda and salt and beat until the mixture is combined.
Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.
Spread the mixture into the prepared pan. It will be very thick. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top if you want them to really show up in the final product.
Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the bars cool before cutting them and store in an airtight container.

I honestly think these were even better after sitting overnight. They were soft and chewy, and the chocolate was a perfect pairing for the spices.

This is a recipe that will make its way into my recipe box for future use when I need to make something quick and delicious to share.

Or I won’t share them. Maybe I’ll start my resolutions in February.

This piece first appeared in print on Jan. 10, 2019.

Tags bars, chocolate, Christmas, gingerbread, molasses

Cookies Dessert Snack

Make cookies almost too cute to bear

Post author By Lindsey Young
Post date April 12, 2018

Bear paw cookies are cute but also have a rich flavor with a touch of coffee paired with chocolate.

It might be a side effect of becoming an aunt, but my eyes seem to be drawn to all kinds of cute things lately.

The cookie recipe I’m sharing with you this week was one of those cute items I found online and just had to try. I then immediately messaged my sister with a photo, noting that they’d be good child’s birthday party fare.

Considering my niece is only five months old, I might be jumping the gun a bit, but luckily, my sister never stifles my unbridled, “I’m going to spoil the stuffing out of you” attitude.

Of course, aside from being cute, these cookies were also super delicious, so even though I still have over six months to wait for my niece’s first birthday party, they were still worth making in the meantime.

This comes from the blog “Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons.” You can find the original at https://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com/bear-paw-cookies/. I didn’t change the amounts on the ingredients, although I do think I ended up with a bit more than a teaspoon of instant coffee in mine.

Bear Paw Cookies

Bear paw cookies are cute but also have a rich flavor with a touch of coffee paired with chocolate.

Course Dessert

Keyword bear paws, chocolate, coffee, cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon instant coffee I used a single serving of Via from Starbucks
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 bag dark chocolate melting wafers
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar for a couple minutes until smooth and creamy.
Beat in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
Beat in the instant coffee, baking soda, cornstarch, salt and flour.
Scoop the dough by about a teaspoon-size onto the prepared cookie sheets, placing them about an inch apart (I started with much larger scoops—probably about tablespoon size—but my cookies spread quite a bit and were a lot larger than I wanted. You might need to experiment.).
Bake each batch for about 10 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned.
After pulling the cookies from the oven, lightly press a melting wafer in the middle of each and then place three chocolate chips in a semi-circle along to the top of the wafer to create “claws.”
Let the cookies cool completely (the chocolate will need to set back up) before placing them into an airtight container.

If you’re not into coffee flavor, it does come through a decent amount in the finished cookies, so this may not be the recipe for you. But this same technique should work with any cookie dough that you wouldn’t mind having chocolate chips added into, so you’re not completely out of luck.

I’ve also seen white melting wafers, so if you would rather make polar bear paw prints instead, it would be easy to substitute in some white chocolate, too.

To be fair, I’m not sure if my little niece will be into bears at any point in her childhood, but since she’s related to me, I can guarantee she’ll be into cookies, so I think I’ll probably be able to talk her into eating a few either way. Of course, first I’ll have to wait on that set of teeth to come in.

This piece first appeared in print on April 12, 2018.

Tags bear paws, chocolate, coffee