Spellbinders

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Years ago my mother made these cookies and we all thought they were delicious. She only made them once, but they were memorable. She never bothered to make them again because she thought they were trouble, owing to the fact that she arduously drizzled her glaze from the tip of a spoon. Had she known about icing bottles, way back when, these cookies may have made an appearance far more often. When I stumbled across the recipe late last week, I had to make them to see if they really were as good as I had recalled. Yep. No doubt, these are yummy.

Spellbinders

1 ½ c. flour
1 ½ t. baking powder
1 t. soda
1 c. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 c. butter, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
1 c. quick cooking oats
1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
1 c. salted Spanish peanuts
½ c. finely crushed cornflakes

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine flour, baking powder, and soda; set aside

In the work bowl of a stand mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add egg; beat well. Gradually add dry ingredients, blending well. Stir in oats, coconut, peanuts, and cornflakes. Using a cookie scoop, drop by onto ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with bottom of glass dipped in additional cornflakes or sugar. Bake for 15 minutes. Drizzle with glaze in a spiral fashion.

Glaze

Mix 2 tablespoons butter in a 2-cup measuring pitcher. Add 1 cup confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon hot water, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until consistency of a glaze. If necessary, thin with a few drops of hot water.

 

 

Snickers Cookie Bars

I am nocturnal. I always have been. These days, despite copious amounts of coffee, I really don’t get going until midday. Deep into the night, when most of you are sleeping, I am engaged in my most productive thought. The other night, don’t ask me why, I started thinking about my number one son’s favorite cookie, based upon his favorite candy bar (Twix), wondering if I could make a cookie based upon my favorite candy bar, Snickers. The next morning I decided to put my plan into action, and it worked as beautifully as I had hoped! These are a bit of work, but well worth the effort. You may just want to make a double batch.

Snickers Cookie Bars

Bottom Layer

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

½ cup sugar

Middle Layer

½ cup (1 stick) butter

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup dry roasted peanuts

Top Layer

1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 8 pieces

 

Preheat oven to 325° F. Line an 8” x 8” (or, for a thinner cookie layer, a 9” x 9”) baking pan with foil, leaving a 2” overhang on each end, to facilitate easy extraction from the pan.

To make the bottom layer: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In another bowl beat butter and sugar on medium speed until well creamy. With mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients and beat just until combined. Transfer to prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool completely.

To make the caramel layer: Combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and turns a light caramel color, about 10 minutes. Pour the caramel mixture over the cooled shortbread and spread in an even layer (You can tilt the pan to do this.). Sprinkle peanuts over the top and press down lightly. Allow to cool completely, then chill in the fridge until caramel sets.

To make the chocolate layer: Add the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter to a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until everything is melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Pour the chocolate over the chilled caramel/peanut layer, and spread into an even layer. Let the chocolate set completely before slicing and serving.

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If you love the chocolate and peanut combination, but don’t want to go to all of the work, you may just want to try these Getting on My Last Nerve Chocolate Peanut Clusters.

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Salted Peanut Cookies

I am way behind on getting my holiday baking done.  Largely, I think, it has a lot to do with caring for more people than usual, all of whom are situated in different parts of town.  The running back and forth is starting to get to me.  Such exhaustion calls for fortification!  This season I’ve been seeing a recipe for Salted Peanut Cookies making the rounds.  I first had these in the seventies and, honestly, haven’t thought of them since, but there was just something about the combination of chocolate and peanuts that appealed, so I baked up a batch and sunk my teeth into one.  Salted Peanut Cookies, I’ve missed you!

Salted Peanut Cookies

1/2 cup margarine - (1 stick)

1/2 cup butter - (1 stick)

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1-1/2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup salted peanuts

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the margarine and butter with the brown and granulated sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and peanuts.

Drop rounded spoonfuls of batter 2 inches apart onto a baking sheet. Bake the cookies until they're pale golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.

Makes about 48 cookies.

This post is linked to:

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Foodie Friday

Sweets for a Saturday
Sugar and Spice