It seems like summer just started, but school season is on the horizon. There are plenty of hot weather recipes still out there (I know I’m making lots of ice cream!) that will be seeing more action before labor day, but bar cookies are a lunchbox staple and now is a great time to start collecting some new recipes for the school year.
- The Brown Butter Cookie Butter Truffle Brownies that Bakergirl recently baked have a lot of great elements in one indulgent bar. The base of this treat is a fudgy brownie recipe that is made with lots of browned butter. The brownie batter is studded with balls of cookie dough truffles, made with Biscoff cookie butter, which are surrounded by chocolate batter as the brownies bake in the oven. Cookies and brownies in one bite is always a recipe for success.
- Peach cobbler is a wonderful summertime dessert for eating at home. It is not the easiest thing to pack up and take to an outdoor concert or picnic. Bake or Break‘s Peach Crumble Bars capture all the flavors of a crumble in an easier to pack format. The buttery bars have two layers of oatmeal and brown sugar shortbread on either side of a filling made with peaches and amaretto. The bars are quick and easy to make and deliver a lot of flavor from simple ingredients. Pack them up and take them with you, or serve them with ice cream if you’re enjoying them at home.
- The View from Great Island whipped up some Coconut Black Bottom Squares for a two-layer treat. The bars have a rich brownie base and are topped with a macaroon-like layer of coconut topping. For a two-layer bar, this is very easy to put together. The brownie layer is partially baked before the coconut layer is added, then the two are finished together so that the layers meld together. The black and white contrast gives the bars a lovely finished look – in addition to the chocolte and coconut being a great flavor combination.
- You won’t be able to pack up Vintage Kitchen Notes‘ Cinnamon Peanut Butter Skillet Blondies into a lunchbox, but these are indulgent blondies that are definitely worth a try. The recipe is made entirely in a cast iron skillet, starting with a cinnamon-kissed cookie dough. The dough is loaded with salted peanuts and chocolate chunks, then swirled through with a generous amount of peanut butter before putting the whole thing in the oven to bake. It is served hot, just out of the oven, and you’ll need a spoon to dig in.
- These Chocolate Stout Brownies from The Beeroness are a grown up treat. The two layer brownies have a chocolate shortbread crust and a mousse-like chocolate stout filling that delivers a dark, rich flavor. This post is also a great starting point for learning about stout beers – which you can easily enjoy alongside brownies, in addition to using them in a brownie recipe.