COOKIE WEEK!!! (part 2) Decadent Nutella No-Bakes

Wow what a week it has been!  When I decided to do a “Cookie Week,” this last week, I was completely underestimating what the second half of my week was going to have in store for me. On Thursday, I had what was supposed to be a “minor” surgery on my arm.  I thought it would leave me a little sore but completely able to function.  I knew my grandfather’s funeral service was Saturday, so my plan was to bake enough batches of cookies on Thursday and Friday for the remainder of the week, blog them, and take the cookies to the service… Wow, I was completely wrong!  Not only was I in excruciating pain, I got really sick from the pain killers.  So, needless to say, I was unable to finish out my cookie week this last week.

We had the most amazingly beautiful service for my Grandpa on Saturday.  While we cried so many tears, we also got to laugh a lot remembering what a funny, amazing man he was.  He had a full military (Air Force) grave-site service.  If any of you have ever experienced one, you know how incredible they are and how the folding and presenting of the flag with “Taps” playing in the background on the trumpet makes you gush tears.  I am so very thankful for my wonderful family.  I love that we are all so close and don’t just get together for funerals and weddings but several times every year and I am especially thankful that God blessed me with such a precious Grandfather.

I am feeling SO much better now (physically and emotionally), so it is back in the kitchen to give my wonderful followers the rest of their cookie recipes!  Sorry if any of you sat by your computers for three days, waiting for the remainder cookie week  ;).

Okay, on to cookies… I have been so excited to post this recipe because these are BY FAR the most incredible no-bake cookies I have ever had.  They are so rich, creamy and full of chocolatey goodness… not to mention, made with one of my very favorite ingredients on the planet… NUTELLA!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup milk

1 and 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup Nutella

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup quick oats

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar and cocoa.  Add milk  and stir until combined.  Add butter and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and continue to boil for three minutes, still stirring.

Remove from heat and add Vanilla and Nutella.

Add oats and mix well.

Let stand for a minute or two, allowing the oats to absorb some of the moisture.  When the mix starts to firm up, drop spoonfuls (or use your cookie scoop) onto waxed paper and allow cookies to cool and set.

COOKIE WEEK!!! – Fudge-Oatmeal Bars

These have been a favorite of mine since I was young.  I remember eating them at a little restaurant in my home town called Nibbley’s.  I came across the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook about 15 years ago and have been making them on a regular basis ever since.  They are always a HUGE hit at parties, catering events, etc.  I made them for a Christmas Bazaar this last year along with tons of other stuff and they were my top seller.  People did the whole eyeball roll-moan thing when they tried them.  They are that good. Super soft cookie with a creamy, delicate fudgy center… by far the hardest dessert I make to be disciplined about not eating the whole pan (and it’s a big batch).  After I made them today, I only ate two, gave one to each of my kids, saved 2 for my hubby and wrapped them in about 10 pieces of plastic wrap on a platter so I would really have to make a pretty conscious effort to get in to them.  I am making my husband take them to work tomorrow because they are way too dangerous for me.   I promise you will love them!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 12-oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I don’t use them)

2 tsp vanilla (yes that’s 4 tsp vanilla total, two in the batter, two in the chocolate)

Directions:

BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING… set aside 2 Tbsp of your butter for the fudgy filling (I forget almost every time).

In a large mixing bowl beat the remaining butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until well mixed.  Beat in eggs and 2 tsp vanilla.  In another large bowl, stir together flour and baking soda; stir in oats.  Gradually stir dry mixture into beaten mixture.  Set aside.

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, combine your chocolate chips, 2 Tbsp butter, and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir (above pic is what 1 minute in the microwave looked like for mine).  Microwave for another 20-30 seconds or until smooth and melted.  Add Vanilla.  Stir.

Press two-thirds of oat mixture (about 3 and 1/3 cups) to the bottom of an ungreased 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan (bar pan – if you happen to own one of the Pampered Chef Stoneware bar pans, they work fabulous).  Spread chocolate mixture over oat mixture.  Using fingers, dot remaining oat mixture over the chocolate.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until top is lightly browned (chocolate mixture will still look moist).  Cool on a wire rack.  Cut into bars.  Binge Enjoy 🙂

Banana-Oat Pancakes

This recipe is SO super easy and delicious!  I had some leftover bananas that were getting a little overly ripe one morning and didn’t feel like making banana bread, so I incorporated them into my pancakes with some oatmeal and a few little extras and they made the yummiest pancakes ever! I rarely make plain pancakes anymore.

Ingredients:

4 cups of your favorite pancake mix

2  overly ripe bananas

2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup quick- oats

2 tsp cinnamon

milk water, and/or eggs (depending on package instructions).

Directions:

Start by mashing up your bananas finely, I use my pastry blender but a fork works just fine.   Add eggs to bananas (if the package directions call for them). Add appropriate amount of milk or water (depending on package directions) to banana mixture. Set aside.

Add the oats, cinnamon and sugar to the dry pancake mix and stir until mixed.

Fold banana mixture into pancake mixture just until flour is incorporated, being very careful not to over-mix.

Heat your pan or electric skillet to medium-high heat.  You may find that you will need to turn your heat down to medium about 5 minutes into the cooking process.  These pancakes need to cook a little slower than most because they have all of the moisture from the bananas, so you want to be careful not to leave the middles uderncooked.

Coat pan with butter – I usually just take ends of leftover cubes and quickly run them along my hot pan.

Cook on the first side until the edges seem to be drying out a little and you get one or two bubbles that do not fill back in after popping.  Be sure to be checking the underside of the pancakes too as you go.  If they are overcooked before this happens, you need to turn the pan down.

Serve with your favorite maple syrup and a big ol’ slab of butter 🙂

I usually make extra to throw into the fridge or freezer for quick breakfasts for my boys.

Caramel Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients:

1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), melted

My personal preference is generally to use margarine in my cookies rather than real butter.  Real butter produces a crunchier cookie and I prefer mine to be chewy;  However, I did use butter in this recipe as the base layer is  meant to be a bit more crumbly and crunchy. 

1-14 oz package wrapped caramel candies

2 tbsp heavy cream or evaporated milk (I used evaporated milk because I almost always have it on hand)

1 cup milk chocolate morsels

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.  I use a whisk to mix my dry ingredients. 

Add butter to crumb mixture and mix until crumbly.  Press crumb mixture onto the bottom of an ungreased medium-sized sheet pan or 9×13 cake pan.  Bake for 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown.  Remove pan from oven.

Unwrap caramel candies (I usually have the kids do this part). They are always begging to help me in the kitchen so this keeps their little hands really busy while I do the other work.  Place caramels in a glass bowl.  Add cream.  Microwave for 90 seconds, stir. Microwave for an additional 30 seconds, stir.  If the pieces are still not melted, cook for an additional 15 seconds at a time until melted. 

 

 

Pour over hot crust, spreading to the edges with a spatula.  Let stand for 10 minutes or until caramel is set.  

 

Cut bars lengthwise into three strips.  (I dipped my knife in boiling water before cutting so it didn’t catch on the caramel and pull it along with the knife.)

Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and microwave for 90 seconds, stir.  If not melted, cook another 15 seconds at a time until melted.  It is important not to get your chips too hot or they will scorch.  It is best to stir and stir once the chocolate seems to be warm enough to melt.  The other chips will continue to melt while stirring.

Spoon chocolate into a resealable bag.  Trim off a tiny piece of the bag’s corner.  Pipe a continuous line of chocolate down each row (or whichever way your little heart desires).  Let chocolate set before cutting into individual bars.

 

*Adapted from Pampered Chef’s Simply Sweet Cookbook