Chewy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cereal Bars

by Averie Sunshine on June 25, 2013

These bars are my heaven.

They’re everything I want in a bar. I had to hide them from myself.

There’s something about supremely chewy, thick, and dense cereal bars that I just go for. I always have.

They’re no-bake and come together in the microwave in less than 5 minutes. So fast and easy to make and no need to heat up the house with a hot oven.

They’re vegan and gluten-free. There’s no butter or flour, but you’d never guess it because they’re exceedingly buttery-tasting and rich.

There’s an abundance of peanut butter and chocolate. Always a win.

The chocolate layer stays softer, fudgier, and isn’t prone to cracking or setting up too hard, courtesy of a couple tablespoons of shortening.

It’s a little trick I’ve learned.

They remind me of my beloved Special K Bars, my grandma’s recipe, which I included it in my cookbook because I love them so much. That recipe makes a bigger pan and involves a bit of stovetop cooking, whereas just two minutes in the microwave is all you need here to melt together peanut butter and sugars.

The saucy mixture then drenches cereal in a sweet, brown sugary, caramel-vanilla heaven. I used tablespoon of homemade vanilla extract just to be sure it was noticeable.

The bars are loaded with chewy texture from the cereal and are soft, but they still hold their shape and don’t turn into a gooey mess.

They’re sort of a cousin to Rice Krispies Treats, replacing marshmallows with peanut butter. And you could likely use crushed Frosted Flakes or Corn Flakes. I have a Frosted Flakes Bar recipe in my cookbook because yes, I love cereal bars.

If you need a last minute dessert that takes just minutes to make, try these. Especially if you need them for an event where vegan or gluten-free options may be welcome.

Let’s pretend that because they’re vegan and gluten-free that they’re healthy and we can eat half the pan in a sitting.

I loved these. They’re one of my favorite bars I’ve made in 2013.

My husband also loved them. He’s sort of immune to all sweets and treats I make, but these were keepers for him, too.

The only person who didn’t go crazy with them was my 6 year old. She’s missing her two front teeth and chomping is difficult. She’s been enjoying No-Ice-Cream-Maker Funfetti Cake Batter Golden Oreo Ice Cream instead.

I proudly claim those chomp marks as my doing.

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These are my definition of the perfect bar. Soft, extra chewy, rich, dense, peanut buttery, smothered in chocolate with more peanut butter swirled in. There's no butter or flour used, and they're vegan and gluten-free. They-re no-bake and made in the microwave in minutes. If you need a quick and easy dessert that looks and tastes more complicated than it really is, I highly recommend these.

Yield: one 8-by-8-inch pan, 9 to 12 squares

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 minutes, microwave

Total Time: 2 hours, for chilling

Bars
1 heaping cup creamy peanut butter (use Jif, Skippy, or similar; do not use natural or homemade peanut butter)
1/2 cup light corn syrup (light colored, not lite)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups Rice Krispies cereal (or similar crispy rice cereal that's vegan/GF)
Chocolate Topping
1 1/2 heaping cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening, optional but highly recommended to keep chocolate smooth; see below*
1/4 creamy peanut butter, melted

For the Bars - Line an 8-inch square pan with aluminum foil leaving overhang, spray with cooking spray; set aside.In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 heaping cup peanut butter, corn syrup, sugars, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt.Stop to stir. Mixture will be on the granular side, this is okay.Return bowl to microwave and heat for 1 more minute on high power.Stir in the vanilla.Stir in the cereal.Turn mixture out into prepared pan, packing it down somewhat firmly with a spatula and smoothing the top; set pan aside.For the Chocolate Topping - In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, shortening, and heat on high power for 1 minute to melt. *I highly recommend using shortening for many reasons. It helps the chocolate melt smoother and easier. It prevents the chocolate from setting up too quickly. It keeps the chocolate from cracking when you slice into the finished bars because the chocolate is fudgier and more forgiving than typical hardened chocolate.Stop to stir. Chips may not be completely melted. Return bowl to microwave and heat in 10 to 15-second bursts until chocolate can be stirred smooth.Pour chocolate over bars, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula or knife; set pan aside.Add 1/4 cup peanut butter to a small microwave-safe bowl and heat to melt, about 30 seconds. Stir peanut butter smooth.To create the marbled pattern, drizzle peanut butter over the chocolate in 5 wide, evenly spaced, parallel lines, each spanning the width of the pan. Like 5 rows of long train tracks.Rotate pan 90-degrees. With a toothpick, starting at the top of the pan, "draw" 5 evenly spaced lines through the peanut butter. In essence you're dragging the toothpick perpendicularly through the first set of lines to create the marbling.Cover pan with a sheet of foil (to prevent fridge smells), and place pan in fridge to set up for at least 2 to 3 hours, or overnight, or until chocolate layer is completely set before lifting out with foil overhang, slicing, and serving.Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Take care all ingredients used are appropriate for your dietary needs, reading labels and selecting brands that are appropriate.

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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What’s your favorite no-bake, cereal or cookie bar?

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Soft and Chewy Cinnamon Chip Snickerdoodle Cookies

by Averie Sunshine on May 20, 2013

I’m a huge cinnamon fiend. The more the merrier.

And I love snickerdoodles. Two favorites united, at long last, in one super soft cookie.

I have a recipe for White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies and Sugar-Doodle Vanilla Cookies, bringing white chocolate and lots of vanilla to the party.

And there’s Chewy Sugar Sprinkles Cookies and Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars with Pink Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting, because you can’t go wrong with either sprinkles or frosting.

But it was high time I worked extra cinnamon in. All snickerdoodles have some, these just have much more. Thanks to a hefty dose of cinnamon in the dough and a bag of cinnamon chips, they’re warmly and richly spiced. I almost rolled the dough balls in cinnamon-sugar, but decided to cool it.

The cookies are right up my alley because I love the whole Brown Sugar Maple, Softbatch-Style Dark Brown Sugar Molasses and Ginger family of cookies, and these are a wonderful new addition.

They’re without a doubt, the best snickerdoodles I’ve ever had. Even without the cinnamon chips added, this dough base is a keeper. They just sweeten the deal.

I looked for over a year for cinnamon chips, and even in the fall and before Christmas and holiday baking, they were no where to be found in sunny San Diego.

I randomly went into Albertson’s grocery store (Kroger), and they had a full line of Hershey’s products, including cinnamon chips and Special Dark Cocoa Powder, another product that’s very tricky for me to find. Or just order cinnamon chips online; the price is right. I should have just done that a year ago.

For the cookies, I used butter and sugar ratios similar to the Sugar-Doodles. That recipe also calls for a splash of cream in the dough, which adds tenderness, richness, and moisture.

I took it a step further and rather than cream, I use a tablespoon of thick Greek yogurt, which complements the tang factor the cream of tartar provides in snickerdoodles.

I also added cornstarch, my favorite ingredient for creating softbatch-style cookies, which turn out similar to pudding cookies.

These cookies turned out ridiculously soft, tender, and pillowy. There’s no dryness, cakiness, or crumbliness, problems that tend to plague sugar and snickerdoodle cookies.

The dough is buttery and moist, and because I used mostly brown sugar, they get softer on the second day, and continue to stay soft for a week. Not that these last a week in my presence.

As with all my cookie recipes, this dough can and must be chilled for at least two hours prior to baking, or up to five days. My suggestion is to just bake what you’re going to eat that day, rather than making the whole batch at once, and keep the rest of the dough chilling until you need it.

The cinnamon flavor is abundant and robust, thanks to the cinnamon chips, which are slightly smaller than semi-sweet chocolate chips. Their slightly smaller size makes for a wonderful dough-to-chip ratio and the cookies are plentifully stuffed with oozy, soft, melty cinnamon chips.

Research has shown that cinnamon has numerous health benefits. So I’m just doing my part to stay healthy. That’s what I tell myself after I snag 3 directly off the baking tray and inhale them in 3 minutes.

They’re totally my new favorite snickerdoodles.

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The cookies are full of hearty, robust cinnamon flavor, thanks to cinnamon in the dough and the cinnamon chips. They're ridiculously soft, tender, and pillowy. There's no traces of cakiness or dryness, and are chewy and moist. They're without a doubt the best Snickerdoodles I've ever had and are my new favorite go-to recipe.

Yield: 22 to 24 smaller/medium cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

1 large egg
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt or sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
one 10-ounce bag (about 1 2/3 cups) cinnamon chips
granulated cinnamon-sugar mixture for rolling, optional

To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the egg, butter, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 5 minutes (or use a hand mixer and beat for at least 7 minutes).Add the Greek yogurt, vanilla, and beat to incorporate until fluffy again, about 2 minutes.Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cinnamon, cornstarch, cream of tartar, baking soda, optional salt, and beat until just incorporated, about 2 minutes. Don't overmix.Add the cinnamon chips and either fold in by hand or beat momentarily to combine.Using a medium 2-inch cookie scoop, form mounds (I made 23). Place mounds on a large plate, flatten mounds slightly, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days, before baking. Do not bake with warm dough because cookies will spread and bake thinner and flatter.Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat, parchment, or spray with cooking spray. Place mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just beginning to set, even if slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center. Do not bake longer than 10 minutes as cookies will firm up as they cool (The cookies shown in the photos were baked with dough that had been chilled overnight, allowed to come to room temp for 15 minutes, and were baked for 8 minutes, with trays rotated at the 4-minute mark. They have chewy edges with soft, pillowy centers). Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.Store cookies airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

Adapted from Sugar-Doodle Vanilla Cookies and White Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Recipe from Averie Cooks. All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the recipe. Thank you.

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Thanks for the 20 Healthier Lunch Ideas and Cookbook Giveaway entries!

Do you like snickerdoodles? Cinnamon?

Feel free to share your tried-and-true recipes.

View the original article here

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

It’s cookie time around here, folks. And is there a better way to enjoy cookies than a peanut butter and chocolate combo? I think not.

This gem of a cookie recipe, Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies, from Tasty Kitchen member Anna, caught my eye because it contains 6 ingredients and no flour. Plus it’s adapted from Joy the Baker, and if you know Joy, there’s always goodness flowing from her neck of the internet kitchens. This cookie came together with ease and resulted in a scrumptious treat that totally satisfied our sweet cravings. I think you’ll be very pleased. Very pleased, indeed.

To get started you’ll need 6 ingredients: creamy peanut butter (I used a natural peanut butter), dark brown sugar, baking soda, an egg, cocoa powder (unsweetened), and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

As always, the full recipe is listed below with exact ingredient amounts.

A few notes:
- The recipe calls for chill time in the refrigerator, so make sure your cravings can hold off long enough for that.
- I only had mini semi-sweet chocolate chips on hand so that’s what I used (we keep them stocked for perfect chocolate chip pancakes), and only used half of what was listed in the recipe below.
- I used unsweetened dark cocoa powder which accounts for the super dark color of these compared to Anna’s lovely cookies. Regular unsweetened cocoa powder will work just fine, but if you’re a dark chocolate fan, look for the unsweetened dark cocoa powder.

Begin by placing all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, into a large mixing bowl.

I used a stand mixer, but if you have a hand mixer, you may want to take it slowly because this dough is mighty thick and dense. Of course, you can get a little workout and mix it by hand. If you plan on mixing by hand, I’d beat the egg slightly first before adding it to the rest of the ingredients so it will incorporate more evenly throughout the dough.

Mix together until combined well. Shouldn’t take very long at all.

At this point, chill the dough for at least an hour. I chilled my overnight, as was recommended.

When chilled, scoop dough on a lined baking sheet. I scooped about 1-tablespoon-sized mounds, which worked out perfectly for 2 dozen cookies.

Flatten each cookie.

The recipe calls for flattening each cookie to 1/2? thick, but I’d say mine were more like 1/4? thick, and were still pretty substantial. I’ll certainly try different thicknesses and overall cookie sizes with the next batch of these that I make.

Press chocolate chips into each cookies.

As I mentioned before, I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, and used only about 1/4 cup.

Bake according to recipe below. Let cool on baking sheet for about 30 seconds, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Or snag a warm one like I did. Oh my!

Grab a glass of milk and get to dunking.

Yep, this one is a keeper. It’ll will certainly make reappearances around here very soon and often. As I chewed on the third one, I began thinking how this cookie is thick and chewy enough to stand up to ice cream sandwich makings. Uh huh … now we’re talking.

Thank you Anna for sharing this delightful recipe with us all. I thank you, my husband thanks you, and our kids thank you.

These flourless thick and chewy cookies are the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate.

Place all ingredients, except chocolate chips, in a large mixing bowl of the stand mixer and mix together until combined. Chill the dough for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Scoop the dough onto a parchment paper or Silpat silicone baking mat lined sheet. Flatten each scoop into 1/2? thick disks. Place few chocolate chips on top of each cookie.

Bake 8 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 30 seconds, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe slightly adapted from Joy the Baker.

1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter1 cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar1 teaspoon Baking Soda1 whole Large Egg3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder½ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

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Amy Johnson is a blogger who writes about food, travel, the home (both inside and out), and various observations and random musings about anything and everything. Visit her blog She Wears Many Hats for a dose of deliciousness, practicality, hilarity, or just plain fun. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.

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