Raspberry Chocolate Bars

These bars are a delightful marriage of sugar cookie, raspberry jam, and chocolate. Of course, I love all of these things, and was sure these would be incredible. However, when my friends, my husband and I first tried them, we weren't completely sold on them. 

But, I hate to throw out baked goods; so I put them in a sealed container, and left them for the next day. Oh how surprised I was when I tried them again the next day. 

Trust me, these bars are 100 times better the next day. My advice is to make them at night before you go to bed, and wait to eat them until the next day.

What You Will Need:
Small Bowl

Whisk

Fork

9 x 13 Pan

Small Saucepan

Large Spoon

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Soy Flour

1/2 cup Tapioca Starch

1/4 cup Potato Starch

3/4 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature

1 pint  Fresh Raspberries (You could also use frozen, thawed and drained)

1/4 cup Water

1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

3/4 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips

1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In small bowl, whisk together soy flour, tapioca starch, potato starch and sugar.

Add butter and mix with a fork until pea size lumps are formed.

Press mixture into 9x13 pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Mix together corn starch and water.

In small saucepan, mix together corn starch mixture and raspberries. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute. Cool 10 minutes.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked crust.

Spoon raspberry mixture evenly over chocolate chips.

Bake for 20 minutes or until raspberry mixture is set.

Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

Melt white chocolate chips and canola oil in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment, until completely melted. Cool for 2 minutes. Spoon into a zip-top bag, clip the corner, and drizzle over bar. Refrigerate overnight.

Cut into 2 inch squares and serve. Store in an air-tight container.

Just try them. You will like them.

Many are the plan's in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. ~Proverbs 19:21

Don't let this discourage you. God's plans are ALWAYS better. Sometimes it takes a while for them to unfold, but they are ALWAYS better.

~Sheryl

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Head Over Heels Cookie Bars

I came home from work the other day and there wasn't a gluten free baked good to be had in the house! Can you believe it? With all of the baking I do, there wasn't a single thing to sink my teeth into after a long, hard, depressing day at work. And to top it off, it was Wednesday, which meant I had to take my son to youth group at church and my daughter to gymnastics. 

I knew I didn't have a lot of time, but I was determined to make something. I figured some kind of cookie bar would be the best. That way I wouldn't have to scoop a bunch of dough balls, wait for them to chill, blah blah blah. (Don't take that the wrong way, I LOVE to make cookies, just not when I am pressed for time.) Cupcakes were also out. You have to wait for them to cool, before you can frost them!

Cookie bar it would be, but what kind of cookie bar? I wanted to make something new so I could share it with you here on the blog. I had some leftover peanuts from the peanut butter cookies, so I wanted to use those. I thought it would be cool to have something with layers. Chocolate and caramel always come to mind. Then I started to think about snickers candy bars, and I thought, why not layer caramel, peanuts and chocolate on top of a chocolate chip cookie? Wabamo! Head Over Heels Cookie Bars were born. Are you dying to try them? Here's the recipe . . .

What You Will Need:
Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
9 x 13 Pan
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Small Saucepan

Ingredients:
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (Posted on July 9, 2013) - I made these with 
1 cup of Mini Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup Kraft Caramel Bits
3 Tablespoons Milk
1 cup Dry Roasted Peanuts
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.

Spray 9 x 13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Dump cookie dough into sprayed pan, and spread evenly.

Bake for 30 minutes.

In a small saucepan over low heat, mix caramel bits and milk. Cook until melted stirring constantly. Let cool.

Pour and spread melted, cooled caramel over baked and cooled cookie dough.

Sprinkle peanuts evenly over caramel.

In a small microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and canola oil in the microwave. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir, then continue in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted.

Pour melted chocolate over peanuts.

Let sit until chocolate is set completely. Cut into 2 inch squares and serve.

These turned out even better than I imagined they would. As a result, I thought they deserved an extra special name. Head over heels seemed appropriate.

"Attract what you expect, reflect what you desire, become what you respect, mirror what you admire."
Think about that one for a while. It says A LOT!

~Sheryl

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