Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

Soft like a pillow!

Cooking and baking really is constant exploration; you can never stop learning or finding a better way to do things. My family loves the cinnamon-y sugary goodness that is a snickerdoodle. Whether its in cookie form or bar form its all good. I have my own go to recipe for snickerdoodle bars but like I mentioned before I'm always looking to see if I can improve on what I already had. I found a recipe for snickerdoodle cookie bars at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. I fell in love with the picture of the cookie bars, I thought the bars looked chewy just like how I love my cookie bars so I was up for the challenge of making them. I gathered my ingredients and got to work. The recipe uses sour cream which I'm not used to putting in my bars but I heard that it adds moisture to your baked goods. The recipe also didn't call for vanilla or any extract for that matter so I decided to add a teaspoon for flavor. I followed the recipe exact otherwise and baked for the suggested time of 30 minutes. After allowing the recipe to cool for a while I cut into the bars for a taste. I cant say I wasn't disappointed...it just wasn't what I was accustomed too. The texture was cake-y and the flavor had a over bearing egg presence. I also ignored the suggestion of using shortening and opted for all butter...HOW CAN ANYTHING WITH ALL BUTTER GO WRONG???? Well all wasn't lost, instead of a cookie bar I had a snack/tea cake.
 So this recipe just didn't do it for me although my girlfriend thought it tasted good. My mom told me to leave it overnight and taste it the next day to see if the flavor develops further.
I think if you're looking for a cinnamon sugar snack cake that would be perfect with tea then this recipe is for you.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bar

makes 12 bars

1 cup butter or shortening

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp cinnamon

- Heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 9x13in bar pan.

- Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. Set to the side.

- In stand mixer combine butter/shortening and 1 1/2 cup sugar, mix with paddle until fluffy.

- Add eggs one at a time, scaping the bowl in between additions. 

- Add in sour cream.

- Add in dry ingredients and mix just until no streaks of flour remain. 

- Mix cinnamon and 1/3 cup sugar together. 

- Sprinkle the bottom of the prepared pan with some of the cinnamon sugar mixture, reserve the rest for the top.

- Pour the batter into the pan and spread it around evenly. 

- Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top.

- Place pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

- Remove and cool. Cut and enjoy!                

Fourth of July M&M Cookie Cups

I'm all for simple, cute, yumminess and I found all of that in this recipe. The original recipe called to bake the batter as a bar recipe but I just felt the need to deviate. I thought it would be easier to bake the recipe in cups as it increases it's portability, there is less clean up, and no need to cut perfect serving squares. I also found this recipe was very easy to put together...one pot in fact. It reminded me of my brownie recipe in  that you just whisk everything right in one pot. I did make some changes to the original recipe outside of baking them in cups; since the author said her bars were too sweet I switched out most of the granulated sugar for light brown sugar, I also melted and mixed everything in the same pot, increased the vanilla, and finally I only used certain color M&M's to go with the theme of the holiday which is red and blue...wish I had some white though..oh well. I bought my M&M's from the corner store and the packs they carry don't have white but if you want to make this extra special you can get white color M&M's (or any color for that matter) from M&M's World stores in New York, Orlando, or Las Vegas. If those locations aren't close to you you can order online from My M&M's. As for the fourth of july themed cupcake cups they were at Target for just a $1! This recipe should take no more than 45 to make including a couple minutes to cool. I also want to say this recipe can be made for any occasion by just switching the color M&M's you use. I cant stress how perfect these are for your pool party, beach day, or barbecue! Enjoy making these and happy fourth from the Cupcake Criminal and family!

Good to the last bite!!!

M&M Cookie Cups

Adapted from Stephaniecooks.blogspot.com

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Red and Blue M&M's

- Heat oven to 350 degrees, and place 8 cupcake liners in a muffin pan.

- In small bowl combine flour and baking powder, set to the side

- In small sauce pot melt butter and then whisk/stir in both white and brown sugars.

- Allow mixture to cool slightly for just a few minutes, then whisk/stir in egg and vanilla.

- Now stir in flour mixture just until no streaks of flour are left and mixture looks uniform.

- Divide batter equally among cupcake liners and place in oven, baking for 15 minutes.

- After 15 minutes remove cookie cups from the oven and place desired amount of M&M's on top each cup.

- Place cookie cups back in oven and bake for an additional 10-12 minutes. (I did 10)

- Remove cups from muffin tin and allow to cool for a few minutes and enjoy!

Yields 8 cookie cups or bars

**If you want to make this into a bar recipe just bake in a foil lined 8x8in pan.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Brownie Pots

I know the weather is getting warmer so lighter desserts that are kinder to your waistline should be in order but sometimes you just want something decadent. I really love brownies...cheesecake...not so much on its own. However when I put the two together its a match made in dessert heaven.  For this dessert I had some stipulations I needed to follow though for no other reason than challenging myself:

- It needed to go in my ramekins

- It needed to use homemade dulce de leche

- Brownies had to be the base

- They needed to be made together, no cutting and assembling

So now that the challenge guidelines were set I could get to work. The dulce de leche was homemade and is soo easy to make...all you need is a baking pan, salt, and a can of condense milk...oh and your oven!  So I put my dulce de leche in the oven and went about getting the other things ready.  The brownies are ready in just a few minutes and only take one pot. The dulce de leche Cheesecake is also really easy to make as well. This is a great make ahead dessert  and ultra portable whether you make it in ramekins or bar form. I did both to see what I like more and the ramekins win...I mean anything in a ramekin automatically turns sophisticated right! The bars were really good but I wish I had doubled my dulce de leche recipe so i would of had enough to spread on top the bars. Everyone in my family enjoyed this dessert so I'm sure it ll become a staple in my home and maybe after you try it it'll become a staple in yours too. 

Dulce De Leche Cheesecake Brownie Pots

Dulce De Leche

- 14oz can condense milk

- pinch of sea salt

 **Double if you want enough to cover all the final product**

- Heat oven to 450 degrees

- pour condense milk into 8x8in pan (I used a glass Pyrex)

- Sprinkle milk with pinch of sea salt and cover pan with foil

- Place 8x8in pan in a larger pan that is deep enough to allow you to fill it with water that would come half way up the sides of the 8x8in pan. 

- After filling the larger pan with water place everything int he oven and bake the milk for 1-1.5 hours until milk reaches a dark brown color with a soft caramel consistency

- Remove from oven and let cool at room temperature.

Fudge Brownies

Adapted from Bakingbites.com

8tbsp unsalted butter

40z unsweetened chocolate

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

1/4tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

- Prepare ten ramekins (or 6 ramekins and a 8x8in pan) by spraying with cooking spray and set to the side.

- Melt chocolate and butter under medium heat. When fully melted turn off the heat and stir in sugar, vanilla, and salt.

- Let mixture cool for 3 minutes and then whisk in eggs one at a time. 

- Finish by whisking in flour.

- Pour brownie mixture into ramekins and pan and set to the side while you prepare cheesecake mixture.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Adapted from Fine Cooking

- 12tbsp cream cheese, softened

- 6tbsp dulce de leche

- 2tbsp flour

-  pinch salt

- 1/2 cup + 1tbsp sugar

- 1/2 tbsp vanilla

- 2 eggs

- In mixer beat cream cheese, dulce de leche, flour, and salt for 5 minutes until fluffy.

- Add sugar and vanilla, continue to beat until smooth. 

- Add eggs one at a time and mix until just combined. 

- pour cheesecake mixture into ramekins (and pan if using) evenly.

- Place ramekins (and pan if using) on a baking sheet and place in a 325 degree oven.

- Bake for 40 minutes 

- Remove ramekins from oven and cool at room temp and then set in refrigerator overnight. 

- The following day top ramekins with remaining Dulce de Leche and serve.

Bars stacked high!