Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

  

 My daughter Andrea entered these chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars in the King Arthur Flour sweet or savory bar contest, in the youth group, at this years local fair. She won a blue ribbon and a $50 gift card. They were drizzled with the peanut butter frosting and topped with a mini peanut butter cup. She was the only youth to enter this contest. 

We found this recipe here...

http://practicalmoments.com/2013/04/chocolate-peanut-butter-oatmeal-bars/

This will certainly build her confidence, and encourage her to continue developing her baking skills.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal

1/2 cup margarine, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

1 cup all-purpose King Arthur flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 cup chocolate chips

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1-3 tablespoons milk

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

~ Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, set aside.

~ Cream together the margarine, sugars, egg and peanut butter until well blended.

~ Add the baking soda, salt and vanilla extract.

~ Stir in flour and quick-oats.

~ Bake for 17 - 20 minutes, do not overbake.

~ When you take the bars out of the oven, immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the bars. Allow to set for 5-10 minutes.

~ After the chocolate chips are melted, spread the chocolate evenly over the bars.

~ Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.

~ Remove the bars from the refrigerate and spread with the peanut butter frosting. The bars shown where drizzled with peanut butter frosting. Thinned to the desired consistency. 

~ Recipe Source: Practical Moments ~

Raspberry Almond Cream Cheese Bars with Orange Glaze ~ Another Blue Ribbon Winner!

I won a blue ribbon and an $75 gift card at our local fair this year with these raspberry almond cream cheese bars. I entered them in the King Arthur Flour, sweet or savory bar contest. I found the recipe

here...http://rachelleunderwood.blogspot.com/2010/06/raspberry-almond-cream-bars.html  

I added a orange glaze found here..http://therecipecritic.com/2013/05/mini-orange-monkey-rolls/ 

and garnished each bar with a fresh mint leaf and a fresh raspberry. 

Raspberry Almond Cream Cheese Bars with Orange Glaze

1 cup butter

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups King Arthur all-purpose flour

1/3 cup quick oats

1/3 cup chopped almonds

1 small jar seedless raspberry jam

8oz. cream cheese, softened

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Orange Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

zest of a orange

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

~ Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (I reduced the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. because I used a dark non-stick baking pan.)

~ In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, salt and vanilla, mix well.

~ Add flour to the sugar mixture and mix until well blended.

~ Reserve 1 cup of this mixture for the bar topping.

~ In a ungreased 9 x 9-inch baking pan, press the cookie mixture evenly into bottom of  the pan. ( I used a 11 x 7-inch baking pan)

~ Bake for about 10-15 minutes. (I baked mine10 minutes)

~ Remove from oven and set aside.

~ In a medium bowl combine cream cheese and the can of sweetened condensed milk. Mix until well blended.

~ Poor cream cheese mixture over the cookie base.

~ Stir raspberry jam to soften, making it easier to spread over the cream cheese layer. ( I drizzled the jam over the cream cheese layer)

~ Spread the raspberry jam evenly over the cream cheese mixture. ( I swirled the raspberry jam over the  surface of the cream cheese mixture)

~ Add quick oats and chopped almonds to the reserved cookie mixture, mix well.

~ Crumble the oat mixture evenly over the top of the cream cheese and raspberry jam layer.

~ Bake for 25-30 minutes.

~ Remove bars from oven and cool slightly.

~ Meanwhile make the orange glaze by mixing powdered sugar, orange zest, butter, orange juice and vanilla in a small bowl until well blended.

~ Drizzle the orange glaze over the cooled bars.

~ Cut into 8 large bars or 16 small bars.

~ Garnish the center of each bar with a fresh mint leaf and a fresh raspberry.

Recipe Sources: To Die For Recipes & The Recipe Critic