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THE SEMISWEET SISTERS

Two sisters who love to bake...

Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

This is another one of my husband’s favorite cookies, well I guess it’s mine too. For this one I took my best chocolate chip cookie recipe and turned it into bar cookies. Bar cookies just seem easier to make and there are less pans to wash afterwards. As you can see in the picture they are totally gooey in the middle. If you like hard cookies, then these are not for you.

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 cup soft butter
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 cups all flour
  • 2 teaspoons hot water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups chocolate chips (add more of less to your liking)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. grease 9x13 pan
  3. cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth
  4. beat in the eggs one at a time
  5. add vanilla
  6. dissolve baking soda in hot water, then add to batter
  7. add salt
  8. slowly stir in flour
  9. stir in chocolate chips
  10. spread batter in greased 9x13 pan, press down with you hands
  11. Bake for 22-26 min.

Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

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peanut butter choclate barsPeanut Butter Bars….

About 10 years ago, I got this recipe from my cousin. The funny thing is she does not cook or bake but she thought this recipe looked good, so she ripped it out of a magazine and asked me to make it for her. I changed a few things around over the years to get it just right, but every time I make it someone asks for the recipe. This is also one of my husband’s favorites. He likes anything peanut butter and/or butterscotch. They are very easy to make, just make sure you leave enough time for the chocolate to get solid before you serve them, probably about 2 hours in the fridge or if you live in northern Indiana with 9 months of winter like I do, just put them outside.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Bars

 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 15
Ingredients
  • ⅔ cup soft butter
  • ¼ cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup corn syrup
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups quick oats
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup butterscotch chips
  • ⅓ cup peanut butter
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. In medium bowl mix butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar until creamy.
  3. Then add corn syrup, vanilla, and oats and mix until well blended.
  4. Press evenly into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.
  5. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 400 degrees.
  6. While this is baking, melt chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a small pan on medium-low heat or microwave in 30 second intervals. Don't overheat or the mixture will harden.
  7. When the oat mixture is done pull out of oven and pour the sauce over the top.
  8. Let cool in refrigerator until top becomes solid.

 

peanut butter chocolate bars

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Vanilla Buttercream Frosting Recipe

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This is my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting recipe for frosting cupcakes.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I have newly discovered the ingredient vanilla bean paste (amazon affiliate) and found that it works great for making vanilla frosting. It does not contain any alcohol like vanilla extract so you end up with a richer creamier vanilla flavor plus it contains real vanilla bean seeds in it. However before discovering vanilla bean paste I made it the traditional way with vanilla extract so don’t worry if you don’t have any you can just use pure vanilla extract instead.

Depending on what your using the buttercream frosting for whether it’s for cupcakes, a cake, or cookies you will have to adjust the consistency to suit your needs. The recipe below is what I like to use when I’m piping cupcakes so it’s fairly stiff and hold its shape well. If I was going to use it to frost a cake I would make the consistency slightly thinner by adding more whipping cream so it would spread easier. If you want the frosting thicker then just add more powdered sugar to thicken it up.

 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
 
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Creamy Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Author:
Recipe type: Frosting
Ingredients
  • 3½ tablespoons heavy whipping creme
  • 2½ cups powdered sugar
  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (may substitute with vanilla extract)
Instructions
  1. Combine ingredients & beat on medium speed with mixer until the consistence you want has been reached. Add a little extra whipping creme if you want the frosting thinner or add more powered sugar to thicken it.

 

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Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

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Light and moist vanilla cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream frosting & sprinkles.

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe

For years I have searched and tried to find a vanilla cupcake recipe that I would like enough to make again and again. I think this recipe is a keeper because I’ve made it at least 25 times now.  I didn’t realize I was so picky when it came to vanilla cupcakes but I truly am. I expect a vanilla cupcake to be light, moist, tasty, and full of vanilla flavor. This recipe sort of reminds me of store bought cupcakes but only in the good ways.  I think that the sour cream is one of the secret ingredients that make this cupcake recipe so good!

This recipe makes about 18 cupcakes. I usually use one cupcake pan that holds 12 cupcakes & one that holds 6 when I make these. Source: this recipe was adapted from cupcake project.

Vanilla Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
 
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Recipe type: Cupcakes
Serves: 18
Ingredients
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup soybean oil or vegetable oil
  • ⅓ cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup milk (I used 2%)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with paper liners.
  2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt & mix together. In another bowl cream sugar & butter together with electric mixer until light & fluffy.
  3. Add the creamed butter & sugar to the flour mixture & mix on medium-low speed for about a minute, you will end up with a crumb texture.
  4. Add eggs, oil, sour cream, & vanilla to the flour mixture & beat on medium speed until just combined.
  5. Slowly add in the milk on low speed until just combined.
  6. Fill cupcake liners ½ full. Bake for 14-16 minutes. Insert toothpick in center of a cupcake until it comes out clean or you can gently tap the top of the cupcake with your finger, if it springs back its done.
  7. Remove from oven & let cool in pan for a few minutes then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

FROSTING– To frost the cupcakes I used my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting recipe.

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