Magic Blondies

recipe from Martha Stewart

Magic Blondies

Ingredients


(Makes 1 dozen)

2/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (about 2 1/2 ounces)
2/3 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
9 tablespoons (1 1/8 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners; set aside. Stir together coconut, chocolate, walnuts, and cherries in a medium bowl; set aside.

2.Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

3.Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla; mix until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and mix, scraping down sides of bowl, until well combined. Mix in 1 cup coconut mixture.

4.Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full. Sprinkle remaining coconut mixture over tops. Bake blondies until a cake tester inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs but is not wet, about 25 minutes. Blondies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.
 

recipe from Noble Pig blog

Cappuccino Crunch Bars

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules or espresso powder, dissolved in 1 Tablespoon hot water and cooled to room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup toffee baking bits


Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in large bowl; set aside.
Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy; about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add coffee mixture and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat until well blended. Stir in white chocolate chips and toffee bits.
Spread batter evenly in a well greased 13 x 9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown (mine took 25). Cool completely on a wire rack. To get nice clean edges on the bars I refrigerate them for a couple hours before cutting them.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

from Good Things Catered blog & adapted sligthly from recipezaar

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Ingredients:

for cookie

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp orange extract
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. diced dried cranberries
3/4 c. white chocolate chunks


for frosting

6 oz cream cheese, softened
3 c. powdered sugar
4 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c. diced dried cranberries


for drizzled icing

1 c. powdered sugar
1 Tbsp milk, plus a bit more if needed


Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare (well grease) 9x13 baking pan.

-In bowl of stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy and light in color, about 2 minutes.

-Add eggs, vanilla, ginger, and salt; beat well.

-Gradually mix in flour just until combined.

-Remove bowl from mixer and fold in cranberries and white chocolate.

-Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.

-Place in oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake is barely light brown on the edges.

-Remove from oven and let cool.

-Meanwhile make the frosting.

-In stand mixer bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla and beat on low until smooth.

-When the cake has cooled invert onto cutting board and spread frosting over top, evenly.


-Sprinkle top with diced cranberries.

-Prepare icing by whisking powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp of milk, adding more if needed to come to a thick consistency icing.

Place icing in a pastry bag, snip the end and drizzle over cranberries in a sweeping motion.

-Place cake on cutting board into the fridge to set, at least 1 hour.

-Remove cake from fridge and, using a long knife, carefully slice the cake lengthwise (the long way) through the middle.

-Slice the cake across the width three times making a total of eight rectangular slices.

-Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

-Serve immediately or place into the fridge to keep for later.