Chocolate Raspberry Bars (An Easy, Decadent Treat Anytime!)

You don't have to make the bottom crust chocolate if you don't wish to, but you know me... I've gotta add chocolate whenever and wherever I can! LOL If you want the classic raspberry bar, just omit the cocoa powder, replace it with 1/4 cup AP flour and skip the drizzles!

Chocolate Raspberry Bars Top & Bottom Crusts

• 2 Pouches Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
• 1/2 Lb Butter, (2 sticks) softened to room temperature
• 2 Lg Eggs
• 1 Cup + 4 Tbls Seedless Raspberry Jam, divided if making a glaze
• 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

Glaze/Drizzle

• 4 Tbls Seedless Raspberry Jam/Preserves
• Warm water
• 1/4 Cup Confectioner's Sugar
• 6-8oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare a 13x9x2 baking dish by lining it with parchment paper or foil. This will make it much easier to remove the finished product from the pan in one large piece. (see the short video at the bottom of this post to learn how to do this)

In a large mixing bowl, add 1 pouch of the cookie mix and the cocoa powder. Using a whisk or a fork, combine them so they are pretty evenly mixed together. Add one stick of the softened butter, one egg (lightly beaten) and mix it all together to form the dough. Instead of using a hand or stand mixer, I use a biscuit cutter style chopper (you could use a fork) to work the dough into large crumbly pieces. (see photo below)

Dump the crumbled dough into your prepared pan and press it out to the corners and edges as evenly as possible.

Spread the Raspberry Jam onto the dough and set aside.

(See photo collages below)

Using a second mixing bowl (or rinsing and drying the bowl you just used) start the next layer. Add the second pouch of cookie mix and the 1/4 C of AP flour and whisk them together. Add in the other stick of softened butter and the second lightly beaten egg and again, using a cutter or fork, mix until you have large crumbles of soft dough. This time you want to drop the crumbles onto the jam layer as you would a cobbler or coffee cake topping.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (depending on your oven) until the top is golden brown. Check it at 20 to 25 minutes just to be sure it doesn't burn. Prepare the raspberry glaze and chocolate drizzle while the bars are baking. (Photo instructions after this set of photos)

Once it's completely cooled, lift it out of the pan with the ends of the parchment paper and place it on a large cutting board or clean countertop. Drizzle with the raspberry glaze and melted chocolate and allow it to set up for about 30 minutes in a cool dry place before cutting it up into bars.

For the Raspberry Glaze and Chocolate Drizzle
(You can enlarge the 2 photos below by clicking on them!)

Thin jam with warm tap water, add confectioner's sugar one heaping spoonful at a time until you've reached pourable thickness. Place in a zip-top bag and snip a tiny bit off one corner. Drizzle liberally over bars.

Melt chocolate morsels in microwave 15 to 20 seconds at a time until it reaches a pourable consistency. Place in a zip-top bag, snip off a tiny bit of one corner and drizzle liberally over bars.

How to line a baking pan with parchment paper:

Enjoy!

Mary

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Chocolate Chip PB and J Bars

Geeesh.... Vacation can definitely throw off your schedule! And that's exactly where I'm at right now. I totally thought that I had plenty of time once we got back, to get my post up for the Get Your Chef On party this month. Yup. I had the date in my head. September 24th, right? I was so ready for this. I had it all figured out. I knew just what I was going to make. I knew I had all of the ingredients on hand. (or did I?) So, I'm checking my email and I see the one that I received from Jen, giving the instructions and codes for the party. And then I saw the date that our recipes were supposed to be posted. What?! Huh? I was supposed to post it.... yesterday?! On the 18th? O-M-G

So... I ran to the pantry and checked to see if I had everything that I needed. Peanut Butter? check. Flour? check. Raspberry jam? Uhhhh, Oh no! I had NO raspberry jam in the pantry! Starting to feel little beads of sweat collecting on my upper lip, I go to the fridge to see if I have enough in the jar that's in there. Hmmm... apple jelly, apricot jam, wild Maine blueberry jam, apple butter, strawberry preserves.... Jars are flyin' out of the fridge and I'm getting that sick feeling of dread rising up in my chest. Nope. NO raspberry jam. Now, that might not seem odd to most people, but in this house, there is ALWAYS at least one jar of raspberry jam. It's the hubber's go-to flavor for everything from PB&J sandwiches to English muffins.

So, what do I do? Well, like any self-respecting, menopausal, middle-aged crazy lady, I improvise. I start looking for all kinds of substitutes. I start thinking that maybe I need to start looking for another recipe altogether. But... what if I don't have all of the ingredients that I need for ANY of them?? Then I see the chocolate chips. OK, so instead of PB&J bars, I'll do PB&CC bars. Or PB Blondies. Ooorrr... I have strawberry jam, so maybe PB&SJCC bars?? Oy! Calm down, Mary.

Anywhooo.... I finally figured it out. And since this is my first time linking up with the GYCO party and I'm not sure about whether there's a little leeway in regard to posting time, I'm gonna just post it anyway and hope that our lovely hostesses will take pity on me. So, here it is folks!

{A big apology and an even bigger thank you to Julie at White Lights On Wednesday and Jen at Four Marrs & One Venus for hosting and for hopefully forgiving a batty old broad like me, who forgets what day it is, pretty much five out of six, um... I mean, seven days a week.}

Chocolate Chip PB&J Bars
(adapted from Ina Garten's recipe)

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, room temp
• 2 cups (18 ounces) creamy peanut butter
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups (18 ounces) strawberry jam (or what you have)
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

Grease a 9 by 13 by 2-inch cake pan. Line with parchment, then grease and flour the pan.

In the bowl of your mixer, (paddle attachment) cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. On low speed, add the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter and mix until all of the ingredients are combined.

In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Staying on low speed, slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, until combined. I try to add it in thirds.

Spread 1/2 of the dough into the pan and spread evenly on the bottom with a spatula. Spread the jam over the dough. Sprinkle 1/2 of the chocolate chips over the jam. Then, drop small chunks of the remaining dough evenly over the jam. Don't worry if it doesn't look like enough to cover it. It will spread out as it cooks. Sprinkle with the rest of the chips.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for about 20 minutes and cut into squares.

These will keep, in an airtight container for about a week. (if they last that long) Or, you can freeze them individually in zip-top sandwich bags or wrapped tightly in cling wrap.

Don't Forget To Follow Me On Social Media! I Post Blog Updates, Ideas For Kitchen "How To's", Restaurant Recommendations And Reviews And Always Lots Of Photos!

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Don't forget that you can print this (or any) recipe using the "Print Friendly" button at the foot of each post. It's a great little feature that allows you to remove any pictures (or any text that isn't relevant to the recipe) before printing. That can save on ink and paper & in today's economy, who doesn't want to save a little cash when you can?!

Please Note: Many of the following links to parties are no longer functioning because the blog has been removed or because the name and/or the URL have changed. I'll try to get in here one of these days and update/correct it all but for now, I just don't have the time or the level of health that I used to have. To the very best of my knowledge, the links are all still safe and should not take you to any spam sites if you choose to click on them. Thanks!

I'm linking this up with: (adding the URL's as I link up)

And with:

Creative Thursday at Michelle's Tasty Creations
Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm
Friday Fun Party at Craftionary
Happy Hour Friday at Happy Hour Projects
Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sister's Stuff
Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors
Scrumptious Sunday at Addicted To Recipes

Week of 9/25/12

Mix It Up Monday at Flour Me With Love
Thriving On Thursdays at Domesblissity
Live, Laugh, {Linky} Thursday at Live, Laugh, Rowe
Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense
Potpourri Friday at 2805
Overflowing With Creativity at It's Overflowing

Week of 10/1/12

Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch
Creative Corner Blog Hop at Cherished Handmade Treasures
Whatcha' Whipped Up at DJ's Sugar Shack
Wow Us On Wednesdays at Savvy Southern Style
All-Star Block Party at In The Old Road

Week of 10/8/12

Tasteful Tuesdays at Nap Time Creations

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars

This is probably the most frequently made sweet treat in our house. I posted the recipe last year, but I made them again recently (for Easter) and I took more detailed, step by step photos this time.

Their humble beginnings were as a kind of happy accident for me about 5 or 6 years ago and they were such a big hit, that they've become one of my top 5 pot luck and party requests. The more I think about it.... let's change that to top 3.

I had several people coming over for a last minute cookout and I needed something to serve for dessert. I rarely use a box mix for simple baked goods like cakes, cookies or brownies, but I've definitely learned that they can make life a little easier, now that I'm not always feeling well. I had one box of brownie mix and one box of chocolate chip cookie mix (first boxed cookie mix that I'd ever bought, btw) and I was certain that neither one of them was going to make quite enough for the number of people that were coming.

I had almost scrapped the idea of making something homemade and was going to send Hubbs to the store to get something that I could pass off as my own, (OK, all of you Judgy Mc Judgers.... you know you've done that too) when I had a thought. Why not combine the two mixes in some way and pray my knees to the bone see what happens?  Et Voila! A classic was born!

(Sorry for the over exposed photos. I took these pics in a hurry, because my daughter was leaving to go back home and I needed to get them done in time for her to take some with her. They're another one of the items on her list of "food requests" when she comes home.)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars

• 1 Box Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
• 1/4 Lb Butter (1 Stick), softened
• 1 Lg Egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Box Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
• 1 Lg Egg
• 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1/3 Cup Water

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine cookie mix and softened butter with a pastry cutter or fork until you get pea sized pieces. (as you would for most pie crusts, etc.)

Add in the lightly beaten egg and continue to mix with the pastry cutter so that you have chunks of dough.  Do not combine it thoroughly, the way you normally would with a cookie dough.

In another mixing bowl, prepare the brownie batter according to the package instructions.

Loosely layer the cookie dough "crumbles" in the bottom of a 13x9x2 baking dish and then pour the brownie batter over the top, spreading it out towards the edges of the pan. It's perfectly OK if there are areas where the cookie dough isn't fully covered.  (Depending on the humidity in your house/area and the actual size of the "large" eggs that you get, the volume of each dough/batter can vary. I find that more often than not, the eggs that are sold in my area as "large" are generally more like "medium" eggs.) I wouldn't suggest doubling the egg in those cases, though. It all works itself out just fine.

Bake the bars at 350 degrees for 35 to 38 minutes, but depending on your oven, it may take more or less time. I would start checking them at 30 minutes, just to be safe. You want them to be just barely set in the center when you take them out. Unlike certain parts of my arms that will soon be exposed in summer clothes, a little bit jiggly is actually a good thing. ;~)

So, just as it was with the rest of my Easter brunch offerings, I didn't get a photo of these before they were cut, because the vultures my lovely family members were diving head first into them, before I was even done putting all of the food out on the buffet table.

As with all rich, gooey chocolate confections, a glass of ice cold milk is really all that you need to accompany these, but you can serve them in any number of ways, with all kinds of yummy additions. Vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate or hot fudge sauce and whipped cream, are just a few possibilities that come to mind at the moment. Your imagination is your only limitation!  Enjoy!

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Holy Moly! I just found out that my Asparagus and Bacon Quiche was featured last week, at the Fridays Unfolded party, hosted by the super sweet Alison at Stuff and Nonsense! (I didn't have the chance to link up last week and totally missed it.)

Yay! My Baked Blueberry French Toast was featured at Show & Tell with Mrs Hines, hosted by the very lovely Sharon at Mrs Hines' Class.

And... it was also featured at Inspire Me Monday, hosted by the always sweet (and far too kind) Ramona at Create With Joy!

Geese Louise! It seems that there must be a whole lot of blueberry fans out there! Just found out the Blueberry French Toast was also featured by the always sunny "D" on her Sunday Porch Parade and Pinterest Gallery over at The Shady Porch.

And.... It was just featured at this weeks Toot Your Horn Tuesday, hosted by the ever creative and crafty Debbie at Debbie Does Creations.

I sure hope you all get a chance to pop in and pay a visit to all of these lovely ladies and their incredibly fun and inspiring blogs. Just click on any of the links above. I promise that you'll be very glad that you did!

You Can Have New Posts From Go Ahead Take A Bite Delivered Right To Your Inbox! Just Enter Your Email Address Here:


Delivered by FeedBurner
We will never send any advertising or provide your email address to any other blogs or businesses.

Don't forget that you can print this (or any) recipe using the "Print Friendly" button at the foot of each post. It's a great little feature that allows you to remove any pictures (or any text that isn't relevant to the recipe) before printing. That can save on ink and paper & in today's economy, who doesn't want to save a little cash when you can?!