Banana Bars with Toasted Frosting

Chris really liked these!
Makes 48 bars

Bars:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt
2 eggs
2 large (1 cup) ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted OR
2/3 cup toasted coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together butter, sugars, sour cream (or yogurt) and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add bananas and vanilla and mix well. Add remaining bar ingredients and beat until well mixed.

Spread batter in a greased (10"x15") jelly roll pan. The Pampered Chef bar pan is perfect.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For frosting, melt the butter in a 1 quart pot over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring constantly until butter just starts to golden (5-6 minutes). Butter will bubble and foam. Remove from heat and cool.

Combine cooled toasted butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, and maple syrup in a small bowl. Beat until smooth.

Spread frosting over bars. Sprinkle with pecans or coconut. Cut into bars.

I couldn't find my coconut, so the bars are plain with the frosting in the photo. =)

Pumpkin Cookies

These were really good. I usually only eat cookies when they're hot out of the oven, but these were good cool. =)
Also, the whitish spots in the photo are NOT mold, of course. They are melted green and blue chocolates...
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

2 cups flour
2 cups oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup M&M baking bits (optional - they are very good with out chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Cream butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Add molasses, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Add cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Mix well. Gradually add flour and then oats. Stir in walnuts, raisin and M&Ms.

With cookie scoop, drop onto baking sheets.

Bake for 9 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Oatmeal Scotchies

I have made these many times, and they are always great. These were made with unbleached flour and white sugar because they were for an outreach meeting. Usually I make them with whole wheat flour and Florida crystals or honey.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 (11 ounce) package butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugars into butter until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs and mix well. Add salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle baking soda over the dough and gradually beat in the flour. Add oats and mix well. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets. You'll save yourself some scrubbing if you line your baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 12 for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for at least 2 minutes before removing to cooling racks. Cool completely before storing. For best taste, eat immediately before moving to cooling racks.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together the shortening, sugars, and peanut butter until well blended. Add eggs and water, and mix well. Combine dry ingredients, and gradually add to dough.

Form cookies on ungreased baking sheets with a cookie press or roll into balls and flatten with a floured four, fingers, or cookie stamp. I used my favorite "hand and heart" cookies stamp.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies come off the tray best if you wait about 5 minutes before removing them to the cooling racks. Of course, they taste best right out of the oven!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

I made these for an outreach meeting, and Chris really liked them.

Makes 5 to 6 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 (11 ounce) package peanut butter chips, or peanut butter & milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugars and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt and cocoa and mix well. Sprinkle baking soda over cookie dough, and gradually add flour. Stir in peanut butter chips.

Using a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets. You'll save yourself some scrubbing if you line your baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, and remove to cooling racks. Cool completely before storing.