Goody Goody Bars - A Simple No-Bake Confection

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A used copy of America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook came my way while I was vacationing this summer. It, of course, became my beach read for a couple of days, and while I was paging through it, I came across the recipe I'm featuring today. The name grabbed me and I knew I'd have to try the recipe before the seasons changed. As you can see, I'm sneaking in just under the wire. While the Goody Goody Bars are categorized as a cookie, I liken them to a candy-like confection because of their texture and richness. Whatever, you decide to call them, this treat is nearly effortless to make and the recipe uses ingredients that have universal appeal. I love the marriage of chocolate and peanuts, and, if you share my weakness, I think you'll enjoy these bars. Do give them a try. Here is how they are made.

Goody Goody Bars...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of America's Test Kitchen Quick Family Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup salted dry-roasted peanuts, very coarsely chopped
6 cups cornflakes
2 cups (12-oz.)semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
1) Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil, allowing excess to overhang pan edges. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
2) Bring sugar and corn syrup to simmer in a large pan set over medium heat. Remove pan from heat. Add peanut butter and chopped peanuts, stirring until smooth. Add corn flakes and stir until well-coated. This mixture is very hot and capable of burning, so do not use your hands for the final mixing.
3) Working quickly, scrape mixture into prepared pan. Using a greased spatula, press mixture into bottom and corners of the pan.
4) Microwave chocolate chips and oil together in a covered bowl, stirring often, until melted, about 2 minutes. Spread evenly over cornflake mixture. Freeze, uncovered, until filling is firm and chocolate has hardened, about 15 minutes.
5) Using foil overhang, lift bars from pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares. Serve immediately or store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Yield: 24 bars.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Maple Apple and Cheddar Pie

Two Years Ago Today: Mexican Lasagna

Three Years Ago Today: Pear Flognarde

Four Years Ago Today: Fresh Salmon Burger with Chipotle Aioli and Pineapple-Avocado Salsa

Crispy No-Bake Corn Flake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If your cookie monsters like rice krispies treats, I suspect they'll really enjoy these simple no-bake cookie bars. Corn flakes add texture and audible crunch to this confection that is made with a near-perfect pairing of peanut butter and chocolate. I found the recipe on Serious Eats and it was developed by Yvonne Ruperti, who blogs at Shophousecook. This treat, actually more like a confection than a cookie, is almost effortless to make, and the batch quickly disappeared from my kitchen, where anything made with the peanut butter and chocolate combo never has a chance to stale. Kids will love these, and those over ten can actually make them for themselves -  if you can stand the mess they are sure to make as they assemble and eat them. Kids of all ages love these, so, if you are young at heart, I hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here's how the cookies are made.

Crispy No-Bake Corn Flake Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Yvonne Ruperti and Serious Eats: Recipes

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup light brown sugar
Pinch salt
4 cups corn flakes, lightly crushed
1/3 cup salted peanuts, chopped, divided use
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions:
1) Line a 8 x 8-inch baking pan with foil. In medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add peanut butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, and salt and continue to cook, stirring, until melted and smooth.
2) Stir in corn flakes, 1/4 cup peanuts, and vanilla until just combined. Spoon into prepared pan and smooth top.
3) In heatproof bowl over pan of barely simmering water (or in microwave), heat chocolate until just melted. Spread over top. Sprinkle with remaining chopped peanuts. Chill until firm, about 2 hours. Remove from pan and cut into 2-inch squares. Yield: 16 squares.

One Year Ago Today: Crispy Oven-Baked Parmesan Fish Fillets  with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Two Years Ago Today: Lavender Cheesecake Squares

Three Years Ago Today: Roasted Red Pepper and White Bean Spread

No-Bake Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Oatmeal Cookies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It took longer to trace this recipe to its original online source than it did to make the cookies. The recipe, which is quite old, has appeared in many places over the years, but I think it was first published online by the Food Network in 2004. It ended up in my kitchen because I was on the prowl for recipes that could be made by children, and these cookies seemed perfect. Was I right? Kinda. While the cookies are no-bake, they are not no-cook. There is a point where a hot mixture containing sugar bubbles away on the stove, and I think some supervision is in order to prevent spills and serious burns. The recipe is definitely within the realm of possibility for kids over ten, but certainly not for anyone younger. The cookie, which is actually more of a confection, is delicious and, despite my concerns about hot sugar, it is very easy to make. There's just one trick; you have to make sure that the sugar mixture boils hard for at least one minute, otherwise the cookies will be sugary instead of creamy. If you are very patient, these cookies can be formed and set within cookie cutters, but I tend to follow the line of least resistance and simply dropped them on to waxed paper to cool. If you are looking for a rainy day project for children, this would be a perfect way to spend an hour or two. Here's the recipe.

No-Bake Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Oatmeal Cookies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Helen Ostrosky and the Food Network

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions:
In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. On a sheet of waxed paper, drop mixture by teaspoonfuls, until cooled and hardened. Yield: 24 to 36 cookies depending on size.








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Peanutty Ice-Box Cake

Featured on Amuse Bouche the blog for the magazine Where Women Cook.





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Albert Einstein is attributed with saying, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Sometimes. Maybe. Confused might be a better word for the robin who spends all day, every day, diving into the large bank of windows that front our home. This has gone on for days now, and while we've done everything we can think of to ward him off, he'll keep at it until nesting season is over or he is concussed and falls from the sky. This happens every year and I'm always amazed these confused souls make it through mating season with their small brains intact. I mention this only because I can no longer deny my own recidivist tendencies. The delivery of locally raised meat forced me to access the contents of my auxiliary freezer. A quick inventory revealed that it was packed to the rafters and there was no room for the meat. This, too, happens every year and it's a good thing that Albert isn't around 'cause we all know what he'd say. After some mild cursing, deep digging and inventory analysis, I made space for the meat. The only bizarre aspect of the episode was my freezer wasn't jam-packed with meat or vegetables or survival staples. It was packed to the rafters with bread, berries and nuts. If ever there is a shortage of freezer jam stop by. I have enough of it to feed a small country. At any rate, tucked among the nuts was an embarrassingly large stash of peanuts. So, as you probably have already guessed, I'll be exploring recipes for peanuts for the next few days, and think I'll call the exercise Nuts to You Week in honor of Albert Einstein.

While many would call this a refrigerator cheesecake, I think it's more like an old-fashioned Charlotte or an ice-box cake. While it contains cream cheese, its texture is mousse-like and completely different than that of a cheesecake. The recipe, which comes from The Peanut Institute, is one of the easiest I've ever come across and even beginning cooks will be able to make it successfully. The Silver Fox made the cake that I photographed for this post. I've made no changes to the original recipe, but I do have a couple of suggestions should you decide to make it. I freeze the cake and slice it while it is frozen. This mousse-like cake is very soft, and in a perfect world it would benefit from the infusion of a bit of gelatin. The use of gelatin would, however, move the cake from its super easy status, so freezing it is the way to go if you want clean slices. Once it's cut, it has enough substance to stand on its own without drooping. I let the frozen slices sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so before serving. If I'm in a real rush 30 minutes at room temperature will also do the trick. This obviously is not gourmet fare, but it's a really nice dessert that's suitable for guests as well as family. If you like peanut butter desserts, you'll love this one. Here's the recipe.

Peanutty Ice-Box Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of The Peanut Institute

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
4 packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 container (4 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts for garnish

Directions:
1) Combine peanuts, graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Press crumb mixture into 9-inch spring form pan. Chill crust for 20 minutes.
2) Using an electric mixer, cream softened cream cheese and peanut butter until fluffy. Gradually add condensed milk and mix well. Add lemon juice and vanilla and blend well. Fold in whipped topping.
3) Pour mixture into prepared crust. Garnish with chopped peanuts. Chill 2-3 hours or freeze. Makes 12 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
No-Bake Cheesecake with Green Apple Syrup - Anncoo Journal
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Irish Cream Cheesecake - Drick's Rambling Cafe
No-Bake Cheesecake - Closet Cooking
No Bake Mini Cheesecakes - Gigi Cakes
Mini No-Bake Cheesecake - Felice in the Kitchen
Lemon Myrtle No-Bake Cheesecake - The Three Cheeses
No-Bake Low-fat Yogurt Cheesecake - My Wok Life
No Bake Vanilla Cheesecake with Thin Mint Crust - Baking Bites
Mini Oreo Cheesecakes (No Bake) - Made with Love
No-Bake Cheesecake - Diner's Journal New York Times
No-Bake Creme de Menthe Cheesecake - Delicate Flavors
No-Bake Bailey's Cheesecake - Ping Mouse
Blueberry Cheesecake - Pinoy Food