Needed - easy, throw-together cookies or bars

[Gracie]

I am responsible for making cookies or some sort of finger-food dessert for a meeting this Wednesday. This meeting is the second in a series for which we tempt people to participate with food!

Last meeting I made Laura B's Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies and box brownies (gasp! :D ) but with JeAnne's Bailey's White Chocolate frosting on top. Everyone raved about both.

So now I have to at least equal that effort but the problem is I'm now cooking and baking out of my basement because of the construction. I'm looking for one or two things just as wonderful as the cookies and frosted brownies (to keep up my reputation!!! :rolleyes: ) that's easy to throw together - one bowl recipes or those with very little measuring.

Thanks!

Loren

[SueK]

Loren-
These have been posted before, and they're really good, and very easy to throw together.

Can't Leave Alone Bars

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
18 1/4 oz. pkg. White cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter -- cubed

In a bowl, combine the dry cake mix, eggs, and oil. With floured hands, press 2/3 of the mixture into a greased 13x9" baking pan. Set remaining cake mixture aside.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the milk, chocolate and butter. Microwave uncovered for 45 seconds; stir. Microwave 45-60 seconds longer or until chips and butter are melted; stir until smooth. Pour over crust. Drop teaspoonfuls of remaining cake mixture over top. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before cutting. Makes 3 dozen bars.

[claire797]

Hi Loren!

How about those flourless peanut butter cookies that are floating around here on the board? I think the recipe calls for peanut butter, brown sugar and flour.

If you still have Bailey's on hand and want to do another Bailey's thing, here is a good "Val" recipe:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Bailey's Irish Cream Bars

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 24 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Desserts

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pkg yellow cake mix -- moist deluxe
3 eggs
2/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
1/3 cup oil
Swirl:
1/2 c prepared cake mix batter from above
1 can cream cheese frosting -- ---vanilla creamy
12 ozs white chocolate chips
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 15x10x1 jelly roll pan.

Mix cake mix with eggs, Irish cream, oil.Set aside 1/2 cup of prepared cake mix batter for swirl. Pour the rest of the cake batter into prepared pan. In bowl blend
all swirl ingredients. Drop large spoonfuls of this mixture over thecake batter. Swirl with fork to make a marble effect.

Bake 25-30 min.Cool and cut into squares

And here's another one. These are always a hit

Seven Layer Magic Bars
Makes about 36
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup butterscotch flavored chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans


Preheat oven to 350°, (325° for glass dish). Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with a sheet of foil, making sure to cover the sites well. Place the butter in the baking pan and melt it in the oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter; pour condensed milk evenly on top of crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients in order listed; press down firmly with fork. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature.


Potato Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 c granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 c chopped nuts
1/2 c crushed potato chips.

Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together. Add
flour, nuts and crushed potato chips. Mix well. Shape dough into balls and roll tops in reserved sugar. Press down with glass. Bake at
350~F for 10 min..





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[funniegrrl]

These are easy as pie and quite good:

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 can sweetened condensed milk
¾ to 1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups Bisquick
Granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350º. In a large mixer bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Add biscuit mix; mix well. Chill at least 1 hour. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with fork. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned (do NOT overbake). Cool. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

------------------------

These require a bit more measuring, etc., but are still easy:

Ricotta Cookies

A soft, cake-like cookie

¼ lb (1 stick) butter, softened
¼ cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups sifted flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Blend softened butter with ricotta until creamy. Add vanilla and mix well. Add sugar gradually, beating until well blended. Add egg and mix well. Slowly stir in dry ingredients and blend well. Drop from a teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in moderate oven for 10 minutes. 30 to 36 cookies.

[Judy/AZ]

CARROT BARS

Preheat oven to 350º

1 18 ounce box Carrot Cake Mix
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins

Combine cake mix, 3 eggs and 2/3 cup oil in a bowl. Stir in nuts and raisins. Sprsead in bottom of a greased 13x9x2-inch pan. Bake at 350º for 25 to 30 minutes.

[Gracie]

Thank you all for these ideas! I'm leaning towards the Bailey's and the Magic Bars or the Carrot Cake and the Magic Bars...

Any others?? Keep 'em coming!!

Loren

[Molli526]

What about No Bakes? They are easy and a crowd pleaser.

[debowhit]

I typically use my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and put the whole thing in a 11 X 7 inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cut into bars when done. Of course, you have to check off and on because it takes longer to bake than a pan of individual cookies would.

Or consider yourself lucky. It's Girl Scout Cookie time! Get a box of thin mints, some minty flavored frozen yogurt and cool whip and serve the frozen yogurt with a cookie on the side and a dollop of cool whip on top. Don't forget the chocolate sprinkles. Using paper plates and plastic spoons make it too easy to resist this easy treat.

:D

[layla14]

my new obession is Paula Dean's Gooey butter cakes. They are really bar cookies. I have made these several times and peopple freak out. Their is a basic recipe and then some variations. I haven't made the variations but i've done them lemon, carrot cake and with heath bar bits. The heath bars ones are my favorite.

The recipe is posted here (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52539&highlight=gooey+butter+cakes)

Maura

[PAMMELA]

Originally posted by claire797
Hi Loren!

How about those flourless peanut butter cookies that are floating around here on the board? I think the recipe calls for peanut butter, brown sugar and flour.


I second the easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (and NO not because I was the one who posted it either :D )

1 C peanut butter (crunchy is the best!)
1 C brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C chocolate chips

Mix the first 4 ingredients, then mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by balls on ungreased cooking sheet. Voila!!

[Holly in KC]

I just wanted to add my thanks to all of the posters! Construction of my new house is about to begin, and I'm accumulating easy/delicious recipes that I can make on Sundays and bring to the construction crew on Mondays (who said bribery was a bad thing?). My printer is humming!!!

:D

[newcook]

I made the Bailey's Irish Cream Bars. The sides of my pan were not really high enough so I got a bit of a mess in the oven. The taste is really good but they are a little difficult to serve because they are very soft in areas. The next time I make them I will try to spread the swirl as a topping instead because I had trouble with the presentation. In some spots it was quite cakey while in other spots it was really soft. I think I would have prefered a more even bottom layer, with a soft top layer. I should get comments from 20 people on them so I might have a better review then. Of course, I did remove the too cakey or too soft pieces, so they will not comment on that.

Thanks for posting the recipe.

Daniele

[Lys]

just another endorsemnt for those flourless peanut butter cookies - I love them and they are always a huge hit when I make them for crowds...

[CookinginMO/KS]

Okay, I'm feeling clueless. What are the baking instructions on the flourless pb cookies? I'd like to try them and bring them to the office this week.