Bar Cookies Recipes

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Squares

  1 1/3 c  Peanut butter,
           -smooth or crunchy style
    2/3 c  Granulated sugar
      2 tb All purpose flour
      2    Egg whites
  1 1/4 c  Chopped walnuts, divided
      5    1.65oz milk chocolate bars
 
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine peanut butter, sugar, flour and egg whites; stir in 3/4 cup of the walnuts. Spread mixture in a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch pan.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned along the edges. Meanwhile, break chocolate into 1 to 2 inch pieces.

Remove cookies from oven; immediately place chocolate on top of cookies. Return to oven and cook 1 minute more.

Remove from oven; spread melted chocolate over tops of the cookies and then sprinkle with the remaining walnuts. Cut into squares while warm.

Chocolate Chip Squares

    1/2 c  Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
    1/2 c  Margarine Softened
      1 ea Large Egg
      1 ts Vanilla
    1/2 c  Unbleached Flour
    1/2 c  Rolled Oats
      1 ts Baking Powder
    1/4 ts Salt
    1/3 c  Semisweet Chocolate Chips
    1/4 c  Chopped Nuts
 
Grease bottom only of square baking dish, 8 x 8 x 2-inches.

Mix brown sugar, margarine, egg, and vanilla. Stir in flour, oats, baking powder, and salt. Spread evenly in baking dish. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and nuts.

Microwave uncovered on high (100%), 4 minutes; turn dish one-quarter turn. Microwave until no longer doughy, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool; cut into about 2 inch squares. Makes 16 Cookies

Bars of Iron

    1/3 c  butter or margarine
    1/2 c  sugar
    1/2 c  golden molasses
      1 ea egg
  1 1/2 c  whole wheat flour
    1/2 c  nonfat dry milk
    1/4 c  tasted wheat germ
  1 1/2 ts baking powder
    1/2 ts baking soda
    1/2 ts salt
    1/2 ts ginger
    1/2 c  liquid milk
        1 c  quick-cooking rolled oats    
      1 c  dark raisins
      1/2 c  golden raisins
        1 c  sliced almonds

Chop raisins.

Cream butter, sugar, and molasses and the egg together.

In a separate bowl, combine whole wheat flour, non-fat dry milk, wheat germ, baking powder, soda, salt, and ginger and mix lightly. Blend into creamed mixture alternately with liquid milk.

Stir in oats, raisins, and half of the almonds. Turn into greased baking pan (9x12) and spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining half cup of almonds.

Bake in moderate over (350F) about 30 minutes until cookies test done. Cool in pan, then cut into bars.

Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies

      2 c  Flour
    1/2 c  Wheat germ (regular or honey
           -crunch)
    1/2 ts Baking soda
    1/2 ts Salt (optional)
      1 c  Butter, softened
    3/4 c  Firmly packed brown sugar
    3/4 c  Sugar
      2    Eggs
      1 ts Vanilla
      6 oz (1 c) chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, wheat germ, baking soda and salt. Mix well.

Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until well blended.
Gradually add flour mixture. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread into 15x10 inch jelly roll pan.

Bake 20-25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Cut into 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch bars. Makes 42 bars.

Double Quick Pumpkin Bars

Bars:
      1 c  Vegetable oil
      4    Eggs
      2 c  Sugar
      2 c  Canned pumpkin
      1 ts Baking soda
    1/2 ts Salt
      2 ts Baking powder
      2 ts Cinnamon
      2 c  Flour
Frosting:
      3 oz Cream cheese, softened
      6 tb Margarine, softened
      1 ts Milk
      1 ts Vanilla
      2 c  Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 
In a large mixing bowl, cream oil, eggs and sugar. Add the pumpkin, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and the flour and mix well.

Pour batter into an ungreased 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool completely and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
To make frosting, cream together the cream cheese, margarine, milk, vanilla, and the confectioners sugar .

Spread on cooled, uncut cookies. After frosting has set, cut into equal size bars.

Store any leftover bars, covered, in the refrigerator.
Variation: Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or raisins to the recipe.
 
Yield: 36 pieces.

These moist pumpkin bars will keep up to a week, covered, in the refrigerator-if they're not eaten up first.