Budget Candy Bar Bars

barcookies

What You Need:

1 C brown sugar, packed
2/3 C of butter
1/4 C light corn syrup
1 C of peanut butter, divided
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 C quick cooking oats
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate baking chips
1/2 C of chopped nuts

How to Make It:

Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly spray a 13X9 baking pan with cooking spray.
Stir together in a saucepan the brown sugar, butter and corn syrup.
Place the pan over medium low heat and stirring constantly cook 2 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in the 1/4 C of peanut butter and the vanilla.
Pour the mixture over the oats in a large bowl and stir until combined.
Press the mixture into the bottom only of the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until just beginning to brown.
Place the chocolate chips into a saucepan over low heat.
Add the remaining peanut butter and stirring constantly cook for 2 minutes.
Spread the mixture over the baked crust and sprinkle the top evenly with the nuts.
Cool on a wire rack until the chocolate is firm.

Makes 15 bars

These little bars are a sweet treat that can take the place of those expensive candy bars. As a dessert these will put a smile on everyone’s face while you count the dollars you saved. Use whatever baking chips you have on hand such as white or mint chocolate chips or even butterscotch. Do the same with the nuts. Whatever you have on hand will work just fine.

Preparation Time: approximately 30 minutes
Cooking Time: approximately 14 minutes
Total Time: approximately 44 minutes

Nutritional Information: (approximate values per serving)
Calories 166; Fat 9g; Saturated Fat 4g; Carbohydrates 16g; Fiber 2g; Protein 3g;
Cholesterol 7 mg; Sodium 64 mg

Vanilla Chocolate Cookie Pops

chocoltevanilla

chocoltevanillaWhat You Need:

1 (12 oz.) pkg. vanilla baking chips
2 T solid shortening, divided
Orange food coloring
1 (16 oz.) pkg. cream filled chocolate cookies
32 Popsicle sticks
1 (6 oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate chips

How to Make It:

In a microwave safe bowl put the vanilla baking chips and 1 Tbsp of shortening.
Microwave on high for 1 minute and then stir until smooth.
If the chips aren’t melted enough microwave for 30 seconds longer then stir until smooth.
Stir in the orange food coloring until the desired color is reached.
Carefully remove the tops of each cookie.
Each Popsicle stick is dipped in the melted chip mixture and placed on the bottom half of each cookie.
Put the tops back on the cookie and place them on a sheet of waxed paper.
Put the cookie in the freezer for at least 15 minutes.
If the chip mixture has hardened reheat in microwave 15 seconds.
Each cookie pop is dipped into the melted chocolate allowing any excess to drip back in the bowl.
Put the cookies back on the wax paper and put back in the freezer for 30 minutes or until set.
In another microwave safe bowl put the chocolate chips and the remaining shortening.
Put in microwave on high 1 minute then stir until smooth.
Drizzle the chocolate mixture over each of the cookie pops.

Kids love these lollipops because they are different from the normal lollipops. The lollipops can be individually wrapped and given to each trick or treaters or given as a party favor.

Makes 32 cookie pops

White Raspberry Muffins

minimuffins

minimuffinsIngredients:

2 C baking mix
1/2 C white chocolate baking chips
1/3 C + 1 T of sugar, divided
2/3 C of milk
2 T canola oil
1 egg
1 C of fresh raspberries
2 T of butter, melted

How to Cook It:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
With a non stick cooking spray generously spray 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners.
Toss together in a large mixing bowl the baking mix and baking chips.
Add 1/3 C of the sugar and toss until blended in well.
Pour the milk and canola oil into the dry mixture.
Break the egg into the mixture and stir until all the ingredients are blended together and moist.
Fold the raspberries gently into the batter.
Each muffin cup is filler 2/3 full with the batter.
Bake the muffin 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
Brush the top of each cooled muffin with the melted butter.
Place the remaining sugar into a shallow bowl and dip each muffin into the sugar to coat the top.

For a special treat drizzle the top of each muffin with melted white chocolate instead of the sugar. Any berries such as blueberries or blackberries taste great in these muffins.

Makes 12 muffins

Preparation Time: approximately 5 minutes
Baking Time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooling Time: approximately 2 minutes
Total Time: approximately 22 minutes

Approximate Nutritional Value per muffin:
195 calories; 9 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; 20 mg cholesterol; 300 mg sodium; 26 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 3 g protein