Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate and Peanut Butter Smore Bars and Cookies

Don't blame me if you spoil your appetite for dinner. Blame Greenspan, because it's time for Tuesdays with Dorie. Join in, bake along, and spoil your appetite for pennies on the dollar.
Do you think summer is officially over at Labor Day, or does it end the first day of school, or on the official calendar date of September 22? For me, it happens in baby steps, and I'm chomping at the bit (and at the cookie) to get to my favorite crispy and crunchy-leaf season of the year. I'm almost there.
This week's cookie recipe was so similar to a chocolate and peanut butter oatmeal cookie bar that I make quite often, so I went ahead and baked Dorie's cookie dough as a bar cookie also. Warm out of the oven and spread with a thin coating of melted peanut butter, ...I sprinkled the cookies with miniature marshmallows and popped it back into the oven to toast the mallows to golden brown puffs. A drizzle of chocolate completed the ooey gooey mess. Think peanut butter smore's bar with a touch of cinnamon. We liked them so well, that we made them again as Dorie intended-sort of. This time, I baked them as cookies but when they were just set, I poked in a few little marshmallows to toast as the cookies finished, ....and drizzled them with chocolate. For the honest to goodness real and complete recipe, click here, and if you ever get tired of all the Tuesday clicking, just go ahead and buy the book. For my fellow penny pinchers, the estimated cost for a half batch is $3.50.
I'm telling you, one of the best parts about making cookies is those magic moments with little helpers. Some like to stir. Others, who shall remain nameless, like to demonstrate their style with a light saber for three hours a day, and show up at the last minute to eat the marshmallows off the top.

Coming Tomorrow:

Corn and Black Bean Salad with Cumin Lime Dressing

80 comments:

  1. You just have the ability to take Dorie to a new level! The bars and cookies and helpers all look great! I just woke up and I would eat one for breakfast now, so I just wouldn't spoil my apetite for dinner;)

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  2. You are amazing! Smores bars sound amazing. I'm sure my kids would love these.

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  3. Sailor is so cute with her bow! These cookies sound fabulous. I'd have to make some for me without the chocolate and dump the leftover chocolate on Ben's!

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  4. Yum - my family would love these. I think I am going to have to buy the book - so many great recipes..and being from the UK I had never even heard of her until I started food blogging!

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  5. Smores bar cookies - sounds fantstic! I'm going to have to try this one, too - I can feel my pants getting tighter already.

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  7. hehe. i wish i had those helpers too! and i love the bar cookie idea!

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  8. Those bars look delicious! I have a whole bag of marshmallows I don't know what to do with. Next time I make cookies I'm going to throw some it. That layer of melty peanut butter over the warm bars made my mouth water!

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  9. My mouth is wstering! Both the bars AND cookies look to die for. I really need to stop reading your blog at 8am--all I want are sweets for breakfast!

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  10. Yea, you just can't go wrong with these goodies. I just love anything chocolate and peanut butter, throw some marshmallows in and it's pure heaven for me. Looks great Prudy!

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  11. Waking up this morning it FEELS like fall, which I share your love for! These cookies look like a great way to prepare for cold weather! Nothing like chocolate and marsmallows!

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  12. Prudy- I can't even begin to tell you how yummy both of these look. Now I am wishing I would've waited to see what you did, and then I could've tried your ideas first! Well, you can't ever have enough sweet treats,so I guess I will just have to make them again. I love your helpers, very cute. Hope you had a great labor day weekend!

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  13. Your helpers are the best!

    http://kmk.golz.info/allgemein.htm

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  14. I love what you did with this recipe! This looks so tasty -- I will have to try it out myself soon :)

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  15. Yum! As for summer leaving, I'm going into fall kicking and screaming wearing white!

    Candy

    PS Just wish these hurricanes would leave us alone! Hannah is headed straight to SC!

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  16. Erin, Erin, Erin!! What you do to me girl!! I love your version of these delicious cookies! I almost did a bar myself, but I know that I could never have done them the justice that you have done here!! I really love your little helper, and of course light saber guy! Sweet!

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  17. I love the smores idea!! The bars look so gooey and so good!! I will have to try your version!!

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  18. Mmmmm...Those look scrumptious. My kids would eat half the bowl before it even hit the oven!

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  19. Ooooh -- what a great idea with turning these into bar cookies! I always love your variations -- smores! Brilliant! Your cute little helpers look very focused on their tasks. I'll have to try this version next time around, seeing as I wasn't a huge fan of the original!

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  20. Considering how much my girls love to eat marshmallows, I should try putting them in cookies sometime. Thanks for the great idea!

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  21. I only have one word to say: YUM!!!!

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  22. Oh my goodness, you made these already tasty cookies look divine! My family would love this twist.

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  23. Ok... I'll take one of each.. they both look so good.... and your helpers are such cuties ;-)

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  24. Your little helpers are so cute! These look so yummy. You are so creative...I love it!

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  25. Good land woman, my teeth ache just looking at those! But of course the cavities would be worth it, they look so good and gooey!

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  26. I love your Smore bar idea, wonderful!

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  27. You can't go wrong with smores! Great job!
    Clara @ iheartfood4thought

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  28. I'm making those chocolate oatmeal bars of yours tonight. It's a peanut butter kinda day!
    ~Cat

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  29. wow, those cookies and bars are over the top!! they look soooo good :)

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  30. WHAT?! Those pictures look OUTRAGEOUS. I cannot believe I made my cookies following the recipe--like a sucker!--when I could have been making ooey gooey fabulous s'mores bars.

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  31. Those cookies, and especially the bars, look sinful.

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  32. SERIOUSLY!!! Dont you know I am on a diet!!!!????Your daughters curl in her hair is to die for!!!!!!
    Thanks for your comment on my Eclairs...they were Tasty!

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  33. Way to take the recipe over the top! Not just once, but twice...
    Nancy

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  34. These are adorable! I love the marshmallows and the pic of that tray with the peanut butter. :-)

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  35. I like the cookies but the bars sound really good and gooey!

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  36. Is he eating spaghetti??

    These sound amazing. Way too tempting for me to keep around here.

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  37. I'm ready for Fall, too. I think it's fall when the kids go back to school, but not they way the do it, where the kids start school in August, but in the good old days when we didn't begin until after Labor Day. It might as well be Fall here, we all went out in hoodies and socks, today.

    This recipe looks delicious. It reminds of something similar that someone used to make when we were younger. I can't remember who made it, but I think it was some kind of pie or maybe a pizza. Do you remember it at all? Anyway can't wait to try this one! Thanks Prudy!

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  38. Yum--Smores bars! I love bars--must less pain in the you know what than cookies. ;-)

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  39. Your little helpers are precious! I love bar cookies and would love to join in and take a bite!

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  40. I know this is a funny statement, but if I were an ant, I'd have a field day in that dessert! This is definitely what I need after a long day! :D

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  41. Uh oh! If you get to SLC with your light saber master I have someone for him to practice with! Your cookie variations look insanely good!! Oh, and I'm kind of in baby steps about the end of summer too. I love Fall, but I'm not quite ready myself yet.

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  42. can i come over to your house? both the bars and the cookies are delicious.

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  43. my oh my oh my. spreading pb on the warm bars and topping with marshmallows and chocolate? how more decadent can you get!!! Awesome!

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  44. yum :) you are always so creative with the twd recipes - i'm always boring and for the most part, stick to the directions. we don't like whoppers much, so i'm looking forward to flex a bit of my creative muscle for next week's. :)

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  45. Smores bars.....yum! Great job! They look delicious!

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  46. Those children are just gorgeous! I could eat those instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner!

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  47. Wow, how gooey looking. Very nice cookie play.

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  48. I think I'm the lightsaber type! I love the addition of marshmallows, and I've been intimidated to turn cookie recipes into cookie bars because I'm afraid the bottom might burn or something silly. Yours look amazing, though!

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  49. wow! they look so good!! I would love to try some real American peanut butter - i dont think what we have here in NZ is quite the same! And your kids are adorable!

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  50. You're right, you spoiled my appetite for supper!

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  51. Woah! I should have done THAT. These are so much niftier than mine. I love your helpers. It's great to get them into the kitchen at such a young age. SCIENCE! MATH! COOKIES! Rock on, Mom.

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  52. wow, you always have the best adaptations - as if dorie's recipes could get any better! :) great job!

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  53. YUM! I am seriously trying to keep my feet in place rather than running to the kitchen to whip these up and hide in a closet and eat them all so no one is the wiser!

    They are so good even DOROTHY came for a nibble, seriously. When you're good, you're good.
    -Honestly, is that your baby girl, how adorable is she?!

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  54. Prudie --

    Those look wonderful!Your helpers are so cute. I don't know how you get so much done with little ones! I am envious of your productivity! I love to read your posts to see what wonderful concoctions you have dreamed up! Thanks for the inspiration!!!

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  55. I've got one of those nameless light saber weilding living with me too.... only as my son and daughter both like to help me bake it can only be.... my husband (o.k. maybe without the saber). Awesome ideas as usual.

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  56. Wonderful smores bars! Great idea.
    And your kids are so clean and tidy, I might send mine to your house.

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  57. They look amazing Prudy- great job! I love your little helpers, too.

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  58. Cookies, Photos, Kids, absolutely astounding post this week! Love your take on the cookies. I can so see those happening here in the next few days as I have cookies to bake and take. I agree...the helpers are what it is all about! The time goes so fast with them...before you know it they are doing things like getting driver's licenses and driving off with a wave of the hand...and, of course, some of Dorie's cookies in the seat beside him! Great post, as always.

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  59. ACK! Why are you so brilliant?!?!?

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  60. LOL, your helpers are cute as can be. Somehow I ended up with two of the light saber variety... not much help there.

    Anyway, there you go again, improving on the original. I think I could tuck into one of those bars and be perfectly happy. Looks great!

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  61. prudy,
    must you do this to me? i am positively squeezing to fit into my pants these days and something must stop. but i can't break my addiction to your recipes. help!
    and i had to giggle at your light saber wielding one. i have a few of those over here, although they always wander by to taste the dough.

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  62. Oh. My. Goodness!! I need a napkin for the drool now.

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  63. Awwww!! How gorgeous are they? I mean the bars, the cookies and the little kitchen helpers. ha ha
    I would love one of the bars with my morning java right now.

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  64. I made this this morning and they are delicious! I made half of them with the marshmello and chocolate and half without...I have only tasted the one without, but they were fantastic! Thanks for the great recipe!

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  65. Oh gosh..sooo goey and delicious cookies!! I'd just eat the entire bacth myself!

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  66. Oh, wow! You took these to the next level.

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  67. How do you come up with the idea to turn the cookies into a bar and top it with marshmallow?
    Fantastic! Another thing I must try once!

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  68. Bars? Who would've thought bars? Now I'm going to make this recipe again because you made me hungry!

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  69. Gaengy:
    I can't tell you how much I appreciate your feedback! It's like a double pat on the back to know you made it and liked it.

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  70. Wow. I have nothing else to say, really. :)

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  71. These look so delicious and would disappear in a heartbeat at my house!

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  72. Hello! This recipe looks and sounds delicious, but for some reason I can't find the recipe. I clicked on your link and I didn't find it there or on the Tuesdays with Dorie. I don't know if I'm blind, but if you could email me another link to the recipe that would be awesome! If you ever have the time. Thanks! I love your blog!
    loscanovas@hotmail.com

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