Caramel Oatmeal Bars

CARAMEL OATMEAL BARS

This recipe came from one my mom's friends, Mrs Caddock...I've got it in her handwritting and it's special to me, even though I've never met her!  

These are oooey, gooey, and crispy at the same time.  She originally made them as oatmeal cookies, but I've done them in a pan, and added the caramel bits - and a splash of maple syrup, just 'cause.

It works best with old fashioned oats, but quick oats will work...they will just be more cakey and less flaky.  Either way - your family will not complain!

(You can make them into cookies...but my patience wears thin after a few pans, so I like to make them bars.  Same taste and satisfaction...easier, quicker...just my preferred way, these days!)

Print this recipe

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1 cup shortening (I like the butter-flavor kind)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1 package caramel bits (Kraft makes one...little balls of caramel...!! See photo below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and spray a 10x15 inch aluminum baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl cream together the shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, vanilla, and syrup.

Stir in the salt, baking soda, flour, oats, and caramel bits. 

With your hands pat them, evenly, into the prepared pan.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes...may take a little longer...just until when you life up a bit in the middle with a knife, it's not looking raw, but that sort of un-done cookie-middle that will finish cooking as they cool.  (CLEAR AS MUD. See photo below!)

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and cut while still warm.  These are quite crunchy on the edges and will stick to the pan if you don't remove them while warm.  Store in an airtight container.

This is how the warm inside will look: 

Lovin' from your oven!

CHOCOLATE CHIP MERINGUE BARS

Cookie jar a little lonely? Need a quick yum for a weeknight dessert? Gotcha covered with this one.

Adore these little things! Shortbread style crust, smooth chocolate, chewy meringue topping...what's not to love?

(I made these a long time ago and left off the chocolate...instead spread blackberry jam over the crust. Or keep the chocolate AND the blackberry jam. Wow!)

In these photos I only had half a package of chips, so there will actually be more than it looks like in mine!

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3/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

One 12-ounce package chocolate chips

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup brown sugar

Optional: 1 cup blackberry, raspberry, strawberry jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl cream the shortening and sugar. Beat in the salt, egg yolks, and vanilla. Gradually blend in the flour. Spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bow, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually beat in the brown sugar.

(Add the jam, now, if you want.) Sprinkle the chips over the crust. Carefully spread the meringue over the chips. Return to oven for 20 minutes, or until meringue is set and golden.

Allow to cool and cut into bars.

Falling in love with you...

PUMPKIN COOKIES with CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Fall is my favorite time of year, simply for the smells that come from the kitchen! Spicy, warm, sugary, comforting...all leave you feeling loved and cared for.

These cookies are super soft and rich. I added more spices than the original recipe, and topped them with simple cream cheese fluffiness.

I split some of them and made pumpkin whoopie pies with the filling-topping and those were a big hit, although not as gorgeous.

When I don't have a lot of time, spreading the dough into a 9x13 pan and baking into bars is quick and easy. Frost and sprinkle with spice - you're out the door to a potluck or party with a pan of homemade deliciousness bar none!

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adapted from the Libby's recipe

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons Linda's Pumpkin Pie Spice

OR 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup pure pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting/Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla or maple extract

3 cups sweetened whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined.

Drop by very rounded tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden and set. Remove from sheet and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the filling:

In a medium bowl whip the cream cheese and the extract until fluffy. Beat in the whipped cream, just until combined.

Either frost the cookies with the cream cheese mixture or split the cookies and fill. They must be refrigerated if frosted/filled. I kept the filling in the fridge and used it as needed.

Twirling-swirling...

CREAM CHEESE CINNAMON SWIRLS

Cookies and milk...cookies and coffee...cookies and cookies for all I care - nothing is more comforting than a homemade COOKIE!

The cream cheese in this dough makes it flaky-tender and very easy to work with. I swirled mine with cinnamon-sugar, but adding finely chopped nuts or chocolate would be wonderful.

(The dough itself has no sugar, so using it for savory fillings would be great. Leave out the vanilla and add garlic and parmesan, maybe? How about a little cayenne or chipotle? )

But back to sweet cookies...these would be beautiful on your holiday platters - and made larger and filled with chopped raisins or cranberries could be eaten for breakfast!!

What? That's within the realm of possibilities!

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adapted from Taste of Home

1 cup butter, softened

One 8-ounce pkg cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a large bowl beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until fluffy. Combine the flour and salt and gradually beat it into the butter mixture.

Divide dough in two and wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour. Combine cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a rectangle - about 1/4 inch thick. Spread the sugar mixture to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Roll up tightly - starting at either the short or long edge. (Starting at the short edge will give you a fatter log, and bigger cookies.) Wrap log tightly and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice logs into 3/8 inch slices and place two inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

TIP: I like to take a 12-inch piece of sewing thread and use that to cut things like this - keeps them from being squished with the knife. Simply hold the thread in both hands and slide it under the log. Bring both ends up and cross them, pulling until it cuts through the dough. Perfect!

Ready for an oven nap...

You spicy little thing, you!

GINGER-MOLASSES COOKIES

Pour yourself a cup of Chai tea and slip one of these beauties onto your saucer - sit back, soothe your soul, and overdose on spices. The perfect way to spend a drizzly almost-Autumn afternoon.

My husband's favorite cookies are anything molassesy and gingery - so I couldn't wait to try these.

I have to thank the Del Sisters for the inspiration on this little sweetie. Soft, very gingery, rich, and just-right-sweet, these are really pretty FABulous!

I added brown sugar for moisture, thought I had whole wheat flour, but didn't, so used all white, and chilled the dough for 30 minutes to keep them from spreading all over creation. I really wanted a soft, chewy cookie this day instead of a crispy one.

These did not disappoint. Kind of chewy on the outside, but fluffy and cakey on the inside.

(I love to make BIG cookies - the bigger the better...and this seems to suit my family just fine.

At least no one has ever said, "Sheesh, mom...make smaller cookies, for gosh sakes." Nope. Have not once heard those words.)

UPDATE! - It's been a week and a half since I made this batch and kept them wrapped. They get better and BETTER as they age!! So moist, and the spices get more pronounced.

I think this may be my favorite molasses -ginger-spicey cookie ever. So far. For now....

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1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat...worked great)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup mild molasses

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, water, and molasses.

In a small bowl combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, soda, and salt. Add all at once to the butter mixture and beat just until combined. Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop dough by a tablespoon or 1/2 cup - I don't care! - onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes depending on the size, or until just set. (I made almost-1/3-cup size and baked for exactly 12 minutes. Perfect! I also re-sprinkled with sugar while still hot...just cause.) Cool on a wire rack.

I got 16 big, thick cookies.

Need a little comfortin'?

PIE CRUST COOKIES

Pastry crust is one thing - as good as it gets, actually! But coax that dough into thin, flaky cookies and you've got a recipe for home-grown comfort, bar none.

Glistening with sugar crystals and cinnamon specks - baked to perfectly golden gorgeousness, these cookies were traditionally made from the 'scraps' after mom or gramma made pies.

I remember hoping and praying that there would be some left over dough and that we could feast on these rare treats long before the pie was ever cut and served.

When my kids were little, I started making these for no good reason except the love of watching children smile and thank me for the gift from my oven.

Do try them - not only at the holidays or when you make your pies, but just because you can.

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One recipe for Perfect Pie Crust, chilled (Or half... it does make enough for 4 crusts!)

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon or any other sweet spice you'd like

Handling as lightly as possible, and on a floured surface, roll one-fourth of the whole batch (or 1/2 of a half batch) of the chilled dough into 1/8th inch thickness. Not too thick...not too thin. We don't want them terribly fragile. Lightly dust dough with flour when needed.

Cut into strips, circles, diamonds...whatever you like and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until just turning golden. Allow to cool completely.

(You may notice a faint vinegar smell right as they are baked. This will dissipate very quickly and you won't taste the vinegar at all.)

Banana + Chocolate = well...let's just say it's FAB!

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHUNK BARS

Oh, gosh these are good!

Quick to throw together and good right out of the oven, but even better if they sit overnight. I love that they make a big pan and they are great for lunch boxes, picnics, sharing, or hoarding all to yourself.

They are called Banana-CHIP bars, but I like the bigger chunks you get when you chop your own chocolate. Use whatever...just MAKE THEM!

(A no-sugar-added version may be found at Eating Well...Living Thin.)

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adapted from 201 Brownies and Bars

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup mashed, very ripe bananas

1-2 cups chopped semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9x13 inch baking pan with vegetable cooking spray and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl cream the butter with the sugar and brown sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Beat in the bananas. Stir in the flour mixture just until moistened, and fold in the chocolate.

Bake for 25 minutes or until a tester comes out with moist crumbs attached. Allow to cool in for 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 15 bars.