Oreo Cheesecake Bars and Alayna's 11th Birthday!

This latest dessert is compliments of Alayna's birthday treat!

When I asked her how she liked them, she said
"They were great, if you like cheesecake!"
And, apparently, she doesn't.

Oh well…
guess the next time she asks for Oreo Bars,
I'll have to figure out a way to make them without cream cheese.

You all know how birthdays are…

Alayna on her 6th birthday in 2010.

You just can't help but wonder where the time has gone!

Alayna on her 11th birthday, last week.

At her soccer game yesterday,
I literally didn't recognize her on the field.

I saw this tall young lady with such long blonde hair…
I was honestly wondering where my daughter was! 

After doing a double-take,
I came to the realization that, yes,
that was my not-so-little girl.
(Warm fuzzy/heart sinking moment!)

And while she makes me so proud to be her mom day after day,
it is still so bittersweet to realize that our babies are growing up before our eyes.

Enough nostalgia,
let's get on to the goodies.

Started with about 30 Oreos in a bag,
being pulverized manually
because my mini-chopper has seen better days. 

And, it's not the end of the world to have the kids put a little elbow grease into it
from time to time.

The crumbs were topped with 1/2 stick of melted butter
and combined.

Then pressed into sprayed 10x14 baking dish.

A pastry cutter was used to press the crumbs into the pan
for a good pressing and if some chunks were broken along the way,
even better.

The crust was baked at 325 F for 10 minutes.

While the crust was baking,
3-8 oz bricks of cream cheese were blended with 1/2 cup sugar, 
1/2 cup sour cream and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

Three eggs were added and mixed well.

Before the batter was added to the pan,
another dozen crushed oreos were mixed in.

Spread out by the birthday girl, herself.

Topped with a few more crushed oreos
and baked for another 40 minutes.

When it was done, the edges were slightly browned
 and the middle was slightly firm.

The pan was covered with foil and cooled overnight
before cutting.

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 24-30

Ingredients:

1 large package of Oreos - divided (especially if there is going to be any tasting going on)

1/2 stick of melted butter

3-8 oz bricks of cream cheese 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp of vanilla extract

3 eggs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 F. 
• Crush about 30 oreos and combined with  melted butter. 
• Press Oreo crumbs into sprayed baking pan. 
• Combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla and eggs. 
• Mix in about a dozen crushed oreos. 
• Pour onto crust. 
• Top with crushed oreos, bake for 40 minutes. 
• Allow to cool before cutting. 

• 

Almond Joy Caramel Bars

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you because it is a rare one where through the process, it evolved from something already very good to utterly amazing!

While baking last week, early one more whilst the kids were still asleep, I found myself short on butter.

Yep, you can see in the picture below there is hardly enough there to make anything tasty.

So, after all of the hullabaloo about coconut oil, I decided that I would try using that in the recipe in place of the butter I was short.

Not only is it good for you, it has similar properties to butter, as it is solidifies when chilled, as opposed to so many other oils which may get cloudy, but won't solidify.  So, I thought, what the heck!?!

Little did I know, these caramel bars would take on a whole new dimension with this awesome hint of coconut.

Let me present to you Almond Joy Caramel Bars.

These are the ingredients that I gathered from my pantry before starting the bars.  One last minute addition was some cocoa powder.  

Into a mixing bowl the following ingredients were measured and combined…1 cup flour, 1 cup oatmeal, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt. 

Approximately 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup coconut oil were measured. 

Since there are not quite as many solids in coconut oil as butter, I did cut back on the total amount or the baked goods would not have the right texture. 

Mix the butter/coconut oil blend with the dry ingredients until the fats are fully dispersed 

and the mix is crumbly. 

Scoop 2 cups of the mixture into a sprayed 9x13 pan.

Pat the mixture to form a crust.

Then, pop it into a 350F oven for 8 minutes. 

While the first layer of bars are baking, 

melt the 1 1/2 cups (11 oz bag) of caramels along with 

1/3 cup whole milk over medium low to low heat.  

Stir the caramels often and be patient as scorched caramel will be brittle when cooled. 

This is by far the most tedious part.  

When completely melted, pour the caramel over the baked bottom portion

and sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips. 

Sprinkle the remaining dry mix over the caramel and gently pat down. 

Return to the oven to bake for 12 minutes. 

Cut the bars while they are still warm. 

Now, hide them unless you want them devoured immediately!

RECIPE:

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup coconut oil

1 1/2 cups (11 oz bag) of caramels

1/3 cup whole milk 

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Measure first 6 ingredients into mixing bowl. 

Mix in the butter and coconut oil. 

Once will combined, add 2 cups of mix to sprayed 9x13 pan. 

Press down and bake for 8 minutes.

Melt caramels and whole milk over low heat. 

Pour over baked bars and sprinkle with chocolate chips before topping with remaining mix.

Pat down the topping and bake for additional 12 minutes. 

Cut while warm. 

**See how long you can make them last.**