Valentine’s Day is just a week away. Do you know what you’ll be cooking up for your sweethearts?
This year I’ll be working overtime in the kitchen whipping up several Valentine’s Day desserts since this is the first time in more than a decade that my entire family (parents, siblings and their respective spouses and children, aunts, uncles, etc.) will be together on Love Day.
Given that there will be a variety of people with varying tastes gathered for one meal I will be making two different bar cookies (they are really more cake-like squares).
The first recipe features the Valentine’s Day ingredient no one can live without—CHOCOLATE. It is adapted from a Hershey’s Kitchen recipe that replicates a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup by sandwiching peanut-butter chips and Reese’s chunks in a bar cookie. (Believe me; it’s not as rich as it sounds.)
The other recipe combines cheesecake and macadamia nuts. It’s my sister-in-law’s favorite and is surprisingly light. The salty nuts give it an added crunch in what is typically a smooth rich bar cookie.
REESE’S LAYER BARS
Ingredients:
2 cups pieces of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (cut each cup into 8 pieces)
Oatmeal layer:
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Chocolate layer:
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
To make oatmeal layer: Cream together brown sugar and eggs with a spoon, and then mix in butter. Combine oats, flour and baking soda. Add to sugar mixture and stir to combine. Spread evenly in pan. Top with Reese’s pieces.
To make chocolate layer: Cream together brown sugar and eggs; stir in cocoa, flour and vanilla. Add melted butter and beat with spoon until smooth. Pour evenly over peanut butter layer. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until chocolate begins to pull away from sides of pan.
Cool completely before cutting into bars.
MACADAMIA NUT CHEESECAKE COOKIE BARS
Ingredients:
For Crust:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup macadamia nut bits
For Filling:
1 egg
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To make crust: Combine flour, butter and brown sugar. Beat until fine particles are formed. Stir in nuts. Reserve 1 cup for topping. Press remainder into ungreased 8-inch square pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown.
To make filling: Beat ingredients well and spread over crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool completely before cutting into squares.
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