I’m happy to report that the bars taste really good, and taste better about a day or two later. I think it takes a bit of time for the peanut butter and oats to really come together.
It came out looking messier than I would’ve liked, but that‘s because I used chocolate chunks, and not mini-chocolate chips as originally specified. I’ve been on an oats kick recently. I want to eat oats, just not in oatmeal, and cookies and bars have been a great solution.
Made these last night! I've made them several times before and they're great. I make them when I want to bake but don't have much in the house, and don't have a lot of time.
I was thinking about this thread. I made a discovery a few days ago that other bakers probably already know about. When I started baking, I learned to freeze freshly baked cookies in Ziploc freezer bags. Then when I wanted a cookie, I could set one out to thaw or I could microwave it if I wanted to hurry things along. Not bad, especially at first, but after a few weeks, the texture of the cookies starts to change. They get wetter and denser and aren't quite as good as when they were fresh.
This week, I made five pounds of chocolate chip cookie dough, scooped it into balls, and froze the balls on a cookie sheet for an hour or so. After they'd set up enough not to stick together, I put the dough balls in a freezer bag with the oven temp and cook time written on it. If you're cooking from frozen, you just add a minute or so to whatever the recipe says. Now, when I want a cookie or two, I can have them warm and fresh out of the oven in 10-15 minutes. This is awesome!!! I cook them on a sheet lined with parchment paper so I don't even have to wash a pan.
I do this all the time for savoury food to make dinners quicker, but I never thought of it for cookies. But then again, I have 2 kids and a husband to help eat a batch and I’ve never had a complaint about 3 day old home made cookies.
I did that once and ended up eating most of the raw cookie dough straight from the freezer without cooking the biscuits! It is so delicious. I rolled it into a log and then you were meant to cut off slices and bake from the freezer but instead I was cutting off slices and eating straight up! Try it and thank me later. PS I don't really have a raw egg aversion or any concerns about getting salmonella from it.
Here’s my Latvian chocolate cake I made for my birthday party. Layers of vanilla and chocolate sponge cakes, vanilla custard, strawberry jam and flaked almonds on top. It was a lot of work, but so good. Obviously Latvians know their cakes.
Yay, thanks @skwigg ! I always forget about Handle the Heat, and everything she makes looks amazing. I'll let you know if I make those monster cookies though. I turn to Sally's Baking Addiction really anytime I want to bake, because it always turns out well. I made her strawberry cake for a baby shower recently and the new mom told me it was the best cake she's had in awhile!
Yum! Both of those look amazing @jazzapple. Everything I've made from Sally's Baking Addiction has been great.
My go-to cookie is the Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from Handle the Heat that I shared a few posts up. The long chill time means no instant gratification if you want same-day cookies, but the wait is worth it. They're huge, chewy, and loaded with chips. I always have some in the freezer.
I'm super intrigued by that Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Monster Cookie though. Anything with a peanut butter cup in the center is ok by me. Let us know how the cookies turn out.
It's a butter crust, which I've had terrible luck with in the past. For some reason, mine have always come out tough compared to shortening crusts. This recipe uses a sticky and wet dough that seems like it will never work. (Actually, when I made it as written, weighing the flour, it wasn't sticky and wet enough, so I added another splash of water.) Once you chill it and the butter hardens, it's easy to work with. The big super secret is that you fold the dough up like a business letter before you roll it out. This gets the flakey layers started. It was so perfectly tender, buttery, and flaky. I was amazed! It almost reminds me of puff pastry, or a croissant.
I made a cherry slab pie with it. I've never made a slab pie. I feared it would overflow and I'd have a big cherry puddle mess on a cookie sheet, but it came out perfectly. I followed Deb's sample pie recipe but used canned cherry filling instead of rhubarb. You can also make two standard single crust pies or one double crust pie with the recipe.
I’m happy to report that the bars taste really good, and taste better about a day or two later. I think it takes a bit of time for the peanut butter and oats to really come together.
Been thinking about my next baking project, and I feel like these from Christina Tosi will hit the spot: https://www.christinatosi.com/post/little-motivators-for-duncan-hines
Wow! Those granola bars look great, @Joyce. Thanks for the recipe. I may have to try those when my grocery store ones run out.
I made these peanut butter bars from the Real Food RDs blog: https://therealfoodrds.com/5-ingredient-peanut-butter-granola-bars/
It came out looking messier than I would’ve liked, but that‘s because I used chocolate chunks, and not mini-chocolate chips as originally specified. I’ve been on an oats kick recently. I want to eat oats, just not in oatmeal, and cookies and bars have been a great solution.
Made these last night! I've made them several times before and they're great. I make them when I want to bake but don't have much in the house, and don't have a lot of time.
https://recipeforperfection.com/decadent-flourless-brownies-recipe-sundaysupper/
I haven't made these but I want to! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQiii4pg4s8 Cupcake Jemma is wonderful.
I was thinking about this thread. I made a discovery a few days ago that other bakers probably already know about. When I started baking, I learned to freeze freshly baked cookies in Ziploc freezer bags. Then when I wanted a cookie, I could set one out to thaw or I could microwave it if I wanted to hurry things along. Not bad, especially at first, but after a few weeks, the texture of the cookies starts to change. They get wetter and denser and aren't quite as good as when they were fresh.
This week, I made five pounds of chocolate chip cookie dough, scooped it into balls, and froze the balls on a cookie sheet for an hour or so. After they'd set up enough not to stick together, I put the dough balls in a freezer bag with the oven temp and cook time written on it. If you're cooking from frozen, you just add a minute or so to whatever the recipe says. Now, when I want a cookie or two, I can have them warm and fresh out of the oven in 10-15 minutes. This is awesome!!! I cook them on a sheet lined with parchment paper so I don't even have to wash a pan.
OMG! That cake is magnificent!
Thanks 😊
Gorgeous!!! You are a baker extraordinaire!! Thanks for posting it. i Hope you’ve had a wonderful day xx
Yay, thanks @skwigg ! I always forget about Handle the Heat, and everything she makes looks amazing. I'll let you know if I make those monster cookies though. I turn to Sally's Baking Addiction really anytime I want to bake, because it always turns out well. I made her strawberry cake for a baby shower recently and the new mom told me it was the best cake she's had in awhile!
Yum! Both of those look amazing @jazzapple. Everything I've made from Sally's Baking Addiction has been great.
My go-to cookie is the Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from Handle the Heat that I shared a few posts up. The long chill time means no instant gratification if you want same-day cookies, but the wait is worth it. They're huge, chewy, and loaded with chips. I always have some in the freezer.
I'm super intrigued by that Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Monster Cookie though. Anything with a peanut butter cup in the center is ok by me. Let us know how the cookies turn out.
Yay, my login works now!! I've made this twice in the past couple weeks, both presents for family:
https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/spiced-gingerbread-loaf/ It's amazing. I skipped the glaze because both people I made it for don't like glaze. It doubles nicely, too!
Baking cookies for my brother soon too who is headed out of town for work for two months, so I want to make him a big batch he can freeze. Was thinking of these, but any other suggestions are welcome! https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/peanut-butter-cup-surprise-monster-cookies/
I've just discovered the most amazing pie crust recipe. It's the Smitten Kitchen Extra-Flaky Pie Crust.
https://smittenkitchen.com/2019/03/extra-flaky-pie-crust/
It's a butter crust, which I've had terrible luck with in the past. For some reason, mine have always come out tough compared to shortening crusts. This recipe uses a sticky and wet dough that seems like it will never work. (Actually, when I made it as written, weighing the flour, it wasn't sticky and wet enough, so I added another splash of water.) Once you chill it and the butter hardens, it's easy to work with. The big super secret is that you fold the dough up like a business letter before you roll it out. This gets the flakey layers started. It was so perfectly tender, buttery, and flaky. I was amazed! It almost reminds me of puff pastry, or a croissant.
I made a cherry slab pie with it. I've never made a slab pie. I feared it would overflow and I'd have a big cherry puddle mess on a cookie sheet, but it came out perfectly. I followed Deb's sample pie recipe but used canned cherry filling instead of rhubarb. You can also make two standard single crust pies or one double crust pie with the recipe.
Behold!! 😍