Quick & Easy Jam Bars

Use your favorite jam (raspberry and apricot are nice). These are ready in a flash and folks with a well-developed sweet tooth love them!.

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1/2 cup jam of your choice 

 

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Blend in oats and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter (or rub between fingertips) until mixture is crumbly.

Pat 2/3 of crumbly mixture into a 9x9” pan (for thicker bars, use an 8x8” pan). Spread with jam. Top with remaining crumbs and pat down lightly.

Bake at 375° for about 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into bars when cool.

Toll House Marble Bars

The perfect chocolate chip cookie to make when you're in a hurry. My teenage son gives them a thumbs up, and he's a connoisseur of chocolate chip cookies. This recipe makes a thin cookie, not as thick and rich as the similar Conga Bars.

1 cup plus 2 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. white sugar
1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. water
1 egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional--I don't add them)

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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together flour, soda and salt and set aside. Cream together butter, sugars, water and vanilla; beat in egg. Add dry ingredients a little at a time, mixing well. Spread batter in greased 13x9-inch pan; sprinkle with chocolate chips. Place pan in oven for 1-2 minutes (to allow chocolate chips to soften). Remove pan from oven and swirl a knife through dough to marbelize. Return pan to oven and bake for and additonal 12-15 minutes. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Bonnie's Brownies

Slightly crisp on the outside with moist fudgy centers

2 OZ. UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE
1/2 CUP (1 STICK) BUTTER OR MARGARINE
2 EGGS
1 CUP SUGAR
1/2 TSP VANILLA
1/2 CUP SIFTED FLOUR
1/8 TSP SALT
1 CUP CHOPPED NUTS

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8x8” square pan. Melt chocolate and butter over low heat in small saucepan. Beat eggs until foamy in a large bowl; beat in sugar grad­ually until fluffy-thick (this will take about 10 minutes). Stir in vanilla and chocolate mixture, then fold in flour, salt, and walnuts. Spread in pan. Bake brownies at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until shiny and firm on top. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack; cut into 2-inch squares.

Carob Nut Brownies

Good for unfortunate souls who are allergic to chocolate.
Carob, unlike chocolate, does not contain caffeine

• 1/2 CUP BUTTER
• 1/3 CUP HONEY
• 1/3 CUP BROWN SUGAR
• 1 EGG
• 1/2 TSP SALT
• 1 TSP VANILLA
• 1 TSP CORIANDER, OPTIONAL
• 1/2 CUP CAROB POWDER
• 1 TBLSP VEGETABLE OIL
• 2/3 CUP WHOLE WHEAT PASTRY FLOUR
• 1 TSP BAKING POWDER
• 1 CUP CHOPPED NUTS OR SUNFLOWER SEEDS

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter, honey and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, salt, vanilla, and coriander. Mix the carob powder and the oil and beat into the butter mixture. Sift the four with the baking powder, and stir into carob mixture. Stir in the nuts.

Spread the batter into a 9-inch square pan lined with wax paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Cut into 16 squares while still warm.

Date Chews

A less-rich bar
There is no fat in this recipe.

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1 egg, beaten
• Confectioner’s sugar (optional)

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Mix together sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and dates. Stir in egg until well mixed. (Dough will be very thick.) Spread evenly in greased 9 x 9 x 2-inch pan. Bake in preheated 350°F. oven for 20 minutes or until a rich golden color, and pick inserted in center comes out clean. While warm, cut into squares. Cool in pan on rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Lumberjacks

Sweet and crunchy
An easy cookie for kids to make

This is the first cookie my mother taught me to make. No need for a bowl or spoon--she just put the ingredients in the pan, mixed and patted with her hands, and voila--lumberjacks were ready for the oven!

• 3 CUPS ROLLED OATS
• 1 CUBE OF BUTTER OR MARGARINE (MELTED)
• 1 CUP BROWN SUGAR (PACKED)
• 1/2 TSP VANILLA

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, mix together oats and brown sugar (use your hands to mix).
Melt butter over low heat and pour over oats mixture. Add vanilla and mix together quickly and lightly (if you use your hands to mix, be sure not to burn yourself on the hot butter).

Pack into 8x8 pan immediately and bake for 30 minutes. Cut into squares while still warm; remove from pan when cool (if you wait until cookies are cool to cut, they will be too hard).

Conga Bars

A rich, chewy bar--quicker to make than chocolate chip cookies.

• 1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
• 1 CUP WHITE SUGAR
• 3 EGGS
• 2-1/4 TSP BAKING POWDER
• 1 TSP VANILLA
• 2-1/2 CUPS FLOUR
• 1 TSP SALT
• 1 12-OZ. PKG. CHOCOLATE CHIPS
• 1 CUP MELTED BUTTER

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13x9 pan.

Mix together sugars, baking powder, flour and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, vanilla, and melted butter; mix well. Blend in chocolate chips.

Spread mixture evenly in pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into squares when cool.

Variations:

There are many versions of this recipe. If desired, you can use all brown sugar or add 1/2 cup chopped nuts. For a thinner bar, spread batter onto a greased 11x15 cookie sheet and bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Ginger Bars

Chewy and spicy
The best part of making any type of ginger cookie
is the wonderful way your kitchen smells while they’re baking!

• 1 CUP DARK BROWN SUGAR
• 1 EGG
• 2 TBLSP SOFT BUTTER
• 1/4 CUP MOLASSES
• 1 TSP VANILLA
• 1 CUP FLOUR
• 1/2 TSP SODA
• 1/2 TSP SALT
• 1/2 TSP CINNAMON
• 1/2 TSP GINGER
• 1/4 TSP CLOVES
• 1/4 CUP MILK
• 1 CUP CHOPPED NUTS

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Grease a 9-inch square pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together sugar, egg, butter, molasses, and vanilla. Sift flour with soda, salt and spices; add alternately with milk; mix well. Add nuts. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until well done. Cool in pan, then cut into bars.

Date Bars

These are one of my favorites. I use the dates that come already chopped and pitted.

• 3 CUPS CHOPPED DATES
• 1-1/2 CUPS WATER
• 1/2 CUP SOFTENED BUTTER OR MARGARINE
  
• 1/4 CUP SHORTENING
• 1 CUP BROWN SUGAR, PACKED
• 1-3/4 CUPS FLOUR
• 1 TSP SALT
• 1-1/2 CUPS QUICK-COOKING OATS

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Mix chopped dates and water together in saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes or until to cool.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13x9” baking pan.
Cream together butter, shortening and sugar; mix in re­maining ingredients. Press half the mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Spread with filling. Top with remaining crumbly mixture, pressing lightly.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until light brown. Cut into 2x1-1/2” bars while still warm.

Little Arthur's Skinny Brownies

Crisp and Chewy ~ Good Keepers

These are good when you are low on ingredients or want a less-rich brownie. Don't leave out the nuts--they are essential to the texture of this cookie. These truly are quite skinny (about one-quarter inch or so thick!).

• 1 OZ. UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE
• 1/4 CUP BUTTER OR MARGARINE
• 1/2 CUP SUGAR
• 1 EGG
• 1/4 CUP FLOUR
• 1 TSP VANILLA
• 1/8 TSP SALT
• 1/3 CUP FINELY CHOPPED NUTS

   Little Arthur

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 13x9” baking pan.
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat (mixture should be melted but not hot). Remove from heat; stir in sugar. Add egg, flour, vanilla and salt; mix well. Spread mixture evenly in pan (it will seem like there is not enough batter, but there is enough to cover bottom of pan if you are careful). Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until top is firm to touch. Cool slightly; cut in bars (note: must be cut while hot). When cool, remove from pan to rack to crisp. Makes 24.

Walnut Squares

Be sure to collect those backyard walnuts before the squirrels and crows get to them!

• 1 EGG
• 1 CUP BROWN SUGAR
• 1/2 TSP VANILLA
• 1/2 CUP SIFTED FLOUR
• 1/2 TSP SALT
• 1/8 TSP SODA
• 1 CUP CHOPPED WALNUTS

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Grease an 8” square baking pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat egg until foamy. Beat in brown sugar and vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and soda and stir into egg and sugar mixture. Mix in walnuts.

Spread into well-greased pan and bake at 325 degrees until top has a dull crust (about 25-30 minutes). Cut into squares while warm; remove from pan when cool. Makes sixteen 2” squares.

Shrewsbury Tarts

Not really a tart, but a rich and delicious bar cookie
Suitable for tea parties!

• 1 CUP BUTTER
• 1 CUP SUGAR
• 1 EGG, BEATEN
• 3 CUPS FLOUR
• 2 TSP BAKING POWDER
• 1/8 TSP SALT
• 1 TSP VANILLA
• 1 CUP RASPBERRY JAM
• 4 TBSP. SUGAR

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Cream butter & sugar in large mixing bowl. Blend in beaten egg, flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla.

Spread half of mixture in a 13x9 pan. Top with jam, then sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over top. Sprinkle with the 4 tbsp. of sugar.

Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cut into bars when cool.

Betty's Brownies

Easy to make and everyone likes ‘em!

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2  cups sugar
• 4  eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup chopped walnuts of pecans

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Heat oven to 350 degrees.   Grease 13x9’’ baking pan.

Melt chocolate and shortening  in large saucepan over very low heat.   Mix in sugar, eggs, and vanilla.   Stir in remaining ingredients.  Spread in pan.

Bake 30 minutes or until brownies start to pull away from sides of pan. Do not over bake. Cool slightly and cut into bars.

If desired, dust brownies lightly with powdered sugar.