Almond-Chocolate Roca Bars

This bar cookie smell like festivities approaching as it bakes! It is easy to make but looks like you fussed. Can you imagine it with a cup of hot coffee and good company? Easter is coming around the corner. Here is a grownup treat to celebrate the feast day!

Almond-Chocolate Roca Bars
1 cup butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Two cups dark chocolate pieces
½ cup finely chopped almonds
1/4 cup toffee bits

Mix butter, sugars, flour, and extracts, and press into 11×15 baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and set. Melt chocolate and spread over cookie dough. Sprinkle with chopped almonds and toffee bit. Cut into bars while still warm.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies depending on size you cut them.

Ideas . . .
Instead of almonds, you can sprinkle crushed peppermint candy over the melted chocolate.

Brownies – Pre-Lenten Chocolate Fix

Me, I enjoy a plain brownie, no nuts, not frosting, just the chewy, moist chocolate decadence of a chocolate brownie. However, when the day is hectic and you need something extra to get you through, I believe getting our caffeine from chocolate is the way to go! 🙂 What better way to medicate ourselves than adding chocolate to our chocolate?

Double Your Chocolate Cookies

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
½ cup butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup nuts

Melt one cup chocolate chips and butter in small pan. Remove from heat. Pour into bowl. Add eggs; stir well. Add flour, sugar, soda and vanilla. Stir well. Stir in on cup chips and nuts. Spread onto greased 13×9-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes. Cool completely.

Ideas . . .

Cutting back on chocolate? Use a different flavor chip for the mix in ones like white chocolate, peanut butter, or butterscotch.

Really, really need the chocolate charge? When the brownies come out of the oven, scatter yet more chocolate chips over the hot surface, let them soften, and spread them out to cool down into a glaze. You would also sprinkle on some colorful decorations before it hardens.

Gluten-Free Christmas Brownies

I’ve been experimenting with ‘translating’ favorite recipes into gluten-free ones and had good luck with this brownie recipe. The recipe has evolved over the years and we missed it in last year’s Christmas Cookie offerings. I had the time and energy, this year, and actually produced a good brownie that no one could tell was missing the wheat flour.

Barbara’s Christmas Brownies

2 sticks of butter (no substitutes)
5 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free flour blend (I always use BetterBatter)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Grated zest of one orange
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and either butter, use vegetable oil spray, or line a 9×9 pan with foil or parchment paper. You can use a slightly larger pan if you want thinner brownies.

Melt together the butter and chocolate. Place into a large mixing bowl and stir in the granulated sugar then the eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and orange zest and beat well. Fold in the flour, salt, and nuts. Spread the brownie batter into your prepared pan. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with only crums, not damp batter. Let brownies cool thoroughly before cutting.

Ideas – The addition of a tablespoon of Espresso powder turns these into grownup brownies. Or, substitute chopped walnuts or pecans for chopped peanuts and add a peanut butter frosting before cutting.

An added bonus to this recipe . . . Not gluten intolerant? The recipe works with regular flour, too.

“A Balanced Diet is a Cookies in Each Hand”

Adding to Your Cookie Baking Repertoire

Another favorite cookie recipe to share. It is an easy one and fits into the chocolate aspect of the party side of celebrating Easter. Many a chocolate fiend is looking forward to biting into something chocolate after six weeks of sacrificial abstinence!

Chocolate Almond Bars

1 cup butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Two cups dark chocolate pieces, semisweet chocolate chips work
½ cup finely chopped almonds

Mix butter, sugars, flour, and extracts, and press into 11×15 baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown and set.

Melt chocolate and spread over cookie dough. Sprinkle with chopped almonds. Cut into bars while still warm.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies depending on size you cut them.

Grownup Valentine’s Cookie Treat

I love the smell of coffee brewing but don’t much care for the taste of the hot liquid. However, put that scent into a cookie and I’m all over it. This is such a cookie and a one-pan baking which is always a plus when you are in a hurry or just have several batches of baking to get done in one afternoon. It is also a cookie that probably appeals more to grownups than children so what better surprise for your husband than a cookie the children won’t gobble up when he isn’t looking.

Coffee-Orange Bar Cookies

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup solid shortening

1 large egg

1 tablespoon freshly-grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup hot strong coffee (sometimes I use espresso with good results)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (raisins will substitute nicely)

1/2 cup toasted, chopped walnuts

Line a 13x9x2 rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, extracts, and zest. Mix together the dry ingredients and add with the coffee to the creamed mixture. Stir in the cranberries and nuts.

Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Cool on rack and then dust with powdered sugar. Cut into serving pieces.