Oatmeal Toffee Graham bars

It would appear by the amount of bar cookie-type recipes I have on this blog, that I really love to make bar cookies. Which is really not the case, but I have found lately that I really like the amount of different layers and flavors you get when you eat a bar cookie. And I must say that this recipe really fits in that category. I think this recipe is definately going to get rave reviews from all of you and those who get to savor it's every layer. Although I can't take the credit for the recipe, I will kindly say that BHG.com has a winner of a treat.

Oatmeal Toffee Graham Bars

8-12 whole graham crackers (rectangles)
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 tbls. flour
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1 teas. vanilla
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped or silvered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a 9 x 13" baking pan with foil, extending foil beyond edges of pan. Arrange whole graham crackers in a single layer in prepared pan. Cut grahams into smaller pieces to fit into smaller areas.

In a large bowl combine the oats, sugars, and flour. Stir in melted butter, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Spoon over graham crackers and spread evenly to edges of pan to cover graham crackers.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until oat mixture bubbles and is lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Return to oven for 1 minute. Remove from oven. Spread melted chocolate over top to cover. Evenly sprinkle with almonds. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Use foil to lift from pan. Cut or break into bars.

Notes: You may change the chocolate chips to milk chocolate or bittersweet depending your liking. And you may also change the almonds to pecans or for the real extreme...coconut!

Oatmeal & Peanut Butter Swirl Bars

Yes, this recipe does have chocolate in it, but the dominating flavors in these scrumptous bars are oatmeal and peanut butter. Two of my most favorite flavors in a cookie or bar recipe. When I came across this recipe on the back of a 10 lb. bag of flour and saw it's list of ingredients, I knew I had to make them. My curiousity always gets the best of me when it comes to recipes.

Oatmeal & Peanut Butter Swirl Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tbls. peanut butter
2 tbls. milk
(Mix together in a small bowl while bars are baking and set aside.)

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg and peanut butter and mix well. Stir in soda, salt, flour and oatmeal. Press into a 9 x 13" baking dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with icing. Spread the icing into the melted chocolate chips to create a swirl or marbled look. Cool completely. Cut into squares and... devour!

Note: the consistency of this mixture is a thicker cookie dough. It should be a little hard to spread into the baking dish. Just be patient and it will cover the entire dish.

Pecan and Coconut Bars

For those family members who attended their father's retirement party back in February would know that I was obsessed with a certain pecan and coconut bar that day. I believe I had at least 5 bars in the time we were there. I had hoped to get the recipe but discovered the baker who made them didn't like to give out her recipes. Which I can completely understand since I have a blue ribbon-winning frosted sugar cookie recipe I've yet to share with anyone to this day. So I was in search of the next best thing...a recipe I discovered on the back of a Western Family brand brown sugar bag. The bar I had at the retirement party was so ooey-gooey and caramelly and so full of yumminess. So I had high hopes when I tried these and to my disappointment the bars came out of the oven too dry and hard... as you can see from the picture. I don't know about you, but I often wonder if the recipes you find on the back of certain food items are actually tried and true, tested recipes. They gave the recipe "possession" as if it belonged to someone. But there is still hope for this recipe because the only thing I believe was wrong with the recipe was the baking time. I will include the time I think will make them more ooey-gooey. I also used fresh, grated coconut from a local health food store that's sugar-free. It's a much more natural product that I've come to appreciate. You may want to sprinkle over the top of the bars just about 5 mins. before they come out of the oven, those new Kraft Caramel bits. They will make them more caramelly. Bake the crust and while it's baking, hurry and make the topping so that you can immediately spread the topping on top of the crust without it cooling down. It's quicker and you'll have your dessert ready to go within 45 minutes.

Pecan and Coconut Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Combine ingredients and press into a 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light brown. Meanwhile...

Filling:
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teas. vanilla extract
3 tbls. flour
1 teas. baking powder
1/4 teas. baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans (gem size)
1 cup shredded coconut

Combine ingredients in medium sized bowl. Carefully spread filling over baked crust upon removing from the oven. Bake an additional 15-18 minutes. (Optional: add caramel bits at about 13 minutes and continue baking). Remove. Cool completely before cutting and serving.