Not a Cake...Not a Cookie...Not a Cupcake....It's Bar Time!

 

No, not Bison Bar time (though one does always have a good time when they are at the Bison).  DESSERT Bar time!  Hmmm...Theme week here?  Rolo Cake Mix Bars earlier in the week and today Red Velvet Bars!

 



(Photo from Eat Cake For Dinner. 
Sorry, my camera is still down!)

For these bars you will need:

• 1 stick Butter, softened
• 1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1 Egg
• 1 - 1 oz. bottle Red Food Coloring
• 16 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

To make these bars:

• Preheat oven to 350*F.
• Combine the Butter, Cake Mix, Egg & Red Food Coloring.  Batter WILL be stiff!
• Spread into a greased 9" x 13" cake pan. 
• Beat together the Cream Cheese & Sugar until creamy.
• Add the Eggs & Vanilla and beat until smooth.
• Spread over cake batter mixture.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the bars barely start to pull away from the sides of the pan.
• Cool COMPLETELY before cutting.

I enjoyed these bars.  I really did.  D was fairly undecided on them.  He thought he liked them, but the cream cheese layer didn't appear to be setting up right (and with the egg in there I wanted to make sure it was) so I left it in a bit longer.  Turns out it may have been TOO long.  My pan was a little dry, but could be because they were overbaked or because D cut into them before they were fully cooled.  Either way, I enjoyed them enough to make them again that's for sure! 

I've got to scurry home and finish PMS-SIL's Baby Shower present and the "Man-Shower" present D will be giving her husband (which the girls will be crashing later that day).  Sunday we'll be in heading North (not to Alaska, but maybe someday soon!) to watch a friends little girl in her first figure skating show.  So excited!

Have a GREAT weekend!  Hope all of you enjoy the GREAT weather we're supposed to have this weekend (or whatever weather is coming your way, wherever you are!)

Always~
CHRISTINE

"Joy, temperance, and repose, slam the door on the Doctor's nose!"

According to http://www.quotationspage.com/search.php3?homesearch=nose Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said those exact words at some point in his life (how they know this I'll never know nor will I sit here and question it either).  Right now though, those words slightly reflect how I feel about my nose and the doctors I've seen about it.  Right now I am fighting my THIRD sinus infection since Christmas!  (This one started coming in last Monday!)  For lack of better words, THIS SUCKS!  I feel like someone has slammed the door on my nose!  You can't provide me with a cure or a way to avoid getting another one, I'll slam the door on YOUR nose!

(One co-worker made it sound like this is how my face looked on Monday!)

(To some extent, this is more how I've felt at times! Haha...)

But, in the moments I was thinking clearly this last weekend I did try to make a couple of different dessert bar recipes that I've had stashed away to try.  (I'll share the other later this week.)  It seems as though if I bake on Saturday or Sunday I make enough or more than enough to last us through the week (pending guests and how good it turns out to be).  Today's recipe comes from the Six Sisters' Stuff Blog.  Though I have never met these girls I love them!  I find WAY too many recipes on their site to try (I'll definitely be featuring more recipes from them!), as well as many great tips and tricks to try out! 

(Do these not look absolutely delicious???
SO quick and easy!!!
Please forgive me for borrowing their picture!
My camera is not behaving right now!
Thanks Six Sisters' Stuff!)

Rolo Cookie Bars

1 (18.25 oz.) Yellow, Vanilla, or White Cake Mix, dry (I believe I used a Yellow cake mix.)

5 oz. Evaporated Milk (Make some Potato Soup for supper & use the remaining instead of cream!)

1/4 cup Butter, melted

40 Rolo Candies, unwrapped and cut in half  (I think you could have opened a few more and it would be even better!  Who doesn't love extra chocolate and caramel?)

• Preheat your oven to 350*F.
• Spray a 9" x13" pan with baking spray.
• Beat Cake Mix, Evaporated Milk and Butter until combined.  (Mixture WILL be thick & sticky!)
• Divide batter in half and press half onto the bottom of the prepared pan.
• Bake until set (8-9 minutes) & remove from the oven.
• Place the candies, caramel side down, on top of the "base".
• Drop the remaining batter on top of the rolo's in teaspoon sized amounts. (I found it best to scoop out and, since it was so sticky, "break" and drop in chunks with my hands on top of the rolo's.)
• Bake an additional 20-24 minutes longer or until the top begins to turn golden brown.
• Cool completely before cutting into them (if you can stand to wait that long!).

These were super easy, left the kitchen fairly clean afterwards (ok, most of the mess was from something else I was cooking at the same time or had just cooked!).  Plus they are a bar that hasn't gone bad quickly so they've lasted us a couple of days!  I hope you enjoy them as much as D and I have!

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

CHRISTINE