June 2023 – Bar Cookies & Brownies

Black Bean Brownies

Gloria Dougherty, Akron

“Delicious! You don’t know black beans are in the brownies. They are more nutritious. (You can have your cake and eat it too!)”

• 1 box brownie mix
• 15 oz. can black beans
• 1 large egg (optional)

Drain and rinse black beans. Return beans to can, adding enough water to cover. Place beans and water in a blender or food processor; puree.

Combine bean puree and brownie mix in a mixing bowl. Add egg if you want a softer, more cakelike consistency. Mix thoroughly. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Serves 20.

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Shoo-Fly Bars

Hope Weaver, Ephrata

Crumb topping:

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup butter

Filling:

• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Toppings:

• ½ cup chocolate chips
• ¹/₃ cup nuts

Mix brown sugar, flour and butter until crumbs form. Reserve 1/3 of crumbs for top.

Mix all filling ingredients and add 2/3 of crumbs. Pour into a 9”x13” cake pan. Top with chocolate chips, nuts, and remaining crumbs.

Bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes.

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Blond Brownies

Felicity Wenger, Lititz

• ²/₃ cup butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup candy of choice (chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, mint chips or M&Ms)

Melt butter. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla; blend well. Add dry ingredients; mix well. Spread into a greased 9”x13” pan. Top with baking chips or candy.

Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. Enjoy!

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Fudgy Toffee Bars

Lorraine Zimmerman, Ephrata

“Delicious!”

• 1¾ cups flour
• ¾ cup sugar
• ¼ cup baking cocoa
• ¾ cup cold butter
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups chocolate chips, divided
• 1 cup walnuts
• ½ cup English toffee bits
• ½ cup coconut

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar and cocoa. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press firmly into a 9”x13” pan. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat milk, vanilla, and 1 cup chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with nuts, coconut, toffee bits, and remaining chocolate chips. Press down firmly.

Bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes.

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Cookies N Cream Brownies

Lorraine Zimmerman, Ephrata

• ½ cup butter, melted
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup cocoa
• ½ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 12 Oreo cookies, crushed

In a bowl, beat together butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Stir in cookie crumbs and pour into a greased 7”x11” baking dish.

Cream Cheese Mixture:

• 8 oz. Cream Cheese
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla. Spoon cream cheese mixture over batter. Cut through batter with a knife to swirl.

Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Enjoy!

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Cherry Cheese Bars

Lorraine Zimmerman, Ephrata

“All-time favorite! These bars have no white sugar or flour in them, and are absolutely delicious!”

• 1¼ cup walnuts, divided
• 1¼ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup raw sugar
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 16 oz. cream cheese
• 2 eggs
• ¹/₃ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 21 oz. cherry pie filling

Chop 1/2 cup nuts finely. Add flour, sugar and coconut; cut in butter. Set aside 1/2 cup and press remaining crumbs into a greased 9”x13” pan. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes.

Beat cream cheese, eggs, honey and vanilla until smooth. Spread over hot crust. Bake 15 minutes more.

Spread cherry pie filling over cheese layer. Chop remaining nuts coarsely; mix with reserved crumbs and sprinkle over cherries. Bake another 15 minutes.

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Zucchini Brownies (Eggless)

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 2 cups flour
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• ¼ cup cocoa
• ½ cup nuts (optional)
• ½ cup oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups finely grated zucchini

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix by hand until moistened. Pour into a well-greased 9”x13” pan.

Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes. Cool before cutting.

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Brownies From Heaven

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup baking cocoa
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the flour and cocoa; add to the creamed mixture just until combined. Stir in the walnuts. Spread into an ungreased 13”x9”x2” pan.

Bake for 23 to 28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Frosting:

• ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 3½ cups confectioners sugar
• ¹/₃ cup baking cocoa
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners sugar, cocoa, milk and vanilla until smooth. Spread over brownies.

Makes 2 dozen.

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The Best Lemon Bars

Pat Roth, Ephrata

• 2¹/₃ cups flour, divided
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 4 eggs
• ²/₃ cup lemon juice
• powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Beat together 2 cups flour, the softened butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer. Press this mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9”x13” pan.

Bake until firm and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Whisk together remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/3 cup flour in a bowl. Whisk in eggs and lemon juice. Pour this mixture into the baked crust.

Bake until the filling is set around the edges and the center is soft, about 25 minutes.

Let cool completely in the pan, about an hour. It will firm up as it cools. Dust with powered sugar and cut into 24 pieces.

These bars should be kept chilled in an airtight container.

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Golden Blondie Bars

Karla Sensenig, Denver

• 1½ cups brown sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Cream together brown sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla.

Stir flour, baking powder and salt together and add to creamed mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread batter into a greased 9”x13” pan.

Bake at 350°F for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Yield: 36 bars

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Brownies

Karla Sensenig, Denver

“I like these without the nuts! Great for brownie sundaes!”

• 4 rounded tablespoons cocoa
• ²/₃ cup + 2 teaspoons shortening/butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1¼ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (or less) pecans

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9”x13” baking pan.

Melt cocoa and shortening/butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Mix in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spread in pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. When done baking, cut in squares while still hot.