Cookies

This year I really wanted to make something impressive for an annual cookie exchange. I tried making Gooey Chocolate Cranberry bars for the exchange but they were eaten all up before they made it out the door! SO I made a batch of Pecan Chewies and Rocky Road Bars. Both of which turned out so yummy, I had to hide them so they made it to the exchange.

The Recipe for the Gooey Chocolate Cranberry bars came from the 2012 Milk Calander

Crust:
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened
1/4 cup (50 mL) milk
Topping:
1-2/3 cups (400 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup (50 mL) butter, melted
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
1 cup (250 mL) dried cranberries

  Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 13 x 9-inch (3 L) metal baking pan with foil, leaving 2 inches (5 cm) overhang at each end; lightly butter foil.
Crust: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt and butter; using your fingers or a pastry blender, work butter into flour until butter is well blended and mixture starts to clump. Add milk and stir with a fork until a soft dough forms. Gather handfuls of dough and drop over bottom of prepared pan. With floured fingers, press dough evenly into bottom of pan and 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) up sides. Bake for about 15 min or until edges are golden and top is firm.
Topping: In another bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa and flour; gradually whisk in milk. Whisk in eggs, butter and vanilla until blended; stir in dried cranberries. Pour over hot crust, spreading evenly.
Bake for about 30 min until topping is evenly puffed and centre jiggles just slightly when pan is moved. Let cool completely in pan on rack. Using foil overhang as handles, remove from pan and transfer to cutting board; cut into squares or bars.

Pecan Chewies

This recipe comes from one of my favourite cooking Blogs. Mommy's Kitchen. I don't normally make the recipes from this blog as they are not very healthy (or the ingrediants are hard to find in Toronto- she is based in Texas)  My Pecan Chewies turned out really well and were so gooooddd!!
2 - sticks butter, melted
1 - cup granulated sugar
1 - cup light brown sugar, packed
2 - eggs, beaten
2 - cups self-rising flour
1 - cup pecans pieces
2 - teaspoons vanilla

How to make Self Rising Flour:
Using a dry measure, measure the desired amount of flour into a separate container.
For each cup of all-purpose flour, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix to combine.


Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Melt butter, add sugars, and blend well by hand. Add beaten eggs, stir well. Add flour and stir until all lumps are gone. Add pecans and vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake approximately 40 to 50 minutes watch closely so they don't over cook. You want them to remain their chewiness.

Rocky Road Bars

This recipe came from the back of the Graham Cracker Crumb box. It can also be found on the Kraft website.

1-1/2 cups Honey Maid Graham Crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

1-1/2 cups flaked coconut

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 pkg. (300 g) Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1-1/2 cups Jet-Puffed Miniature Marshmallows

1 can (300 mL) sweetened condensed milk

3 squares Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate

HEAT oven to 350°F.

LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil or parchment paper, with ends of foil extending over sides. Mix crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of pan. Top with layers of coconut, nuts, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Drizzle with condensed milk.
BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until golden brown. Meanwhile, melt chocolate squares as directed on package.
DRIZZLE chocolate over dessert; let stand until firm. Use foil handles to lift dessert from pan before cutting into bars.