Bar cookies offer sweet treat with little fuss

The sweet treat that is in the shape of a bar is omnipresent, omnificent and omnicompetent for a bunch of reasons.

It's a one-pan operation, easy to make, straight-forward and involves minimal prep time. And unlike cookies, they don't need to be portioned, scooped out onto a pan and then baked in batches. 'Everything goes into the oven at once, and you are done,” says Shauna Server, food blogger ('The Next Door Baker”) and cookbook author ('Real Sweet”).

It is easy to pack and doesn't require special or expensive containers. They also travel well.

'It requires no fussing when it comes to serving because the topping is thick and won't drip, and it is easily sliceable,” says Julia Collin Davison, executive food editor of the PBS show 'America's Test Kitchen.” A bar can be handheld and so does not require a fork or spoon. Nor does it require a plate - a single napkin will suffice - and they can be eaten on the run.

It can be sliced larger or smaller to accommodate any crowd size, Davison says, and they would be acceptable.

The definition of a bar is straightforward for mystery novelist Diane Mott Davidson, who recently came out with a cookbook - 'Goldy's Kitchen.” 'Bars are simply cookies made in baking pan,” she says.

Dessert bars could be chewy, fruity, nutty or chocolate-y, and come in lots of varieties - cookie dough bars; blondies, aka white brownies, which are thick and iconic with their crusty edges and chewy insides; cheesecake bars; fruit bars such as Apple Crumb Bars or Cranberry Pear Bars; fudge bars such as Oatmeal Fudge Bars or Toffee Bars; layered bars such as Chocolate-Coconut Bars or a Three Layer Raspberry Bars; and no-bake bars such as Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars or variations of Rice Krispies treats.

The combinations are endless. Marry a crunchy sugar cookie with raisins and dried cherries, apricots and dates to get a fruit bar, or pair semi-sweet chocolate batter with a pecan and brown sugar topping for Chocolate Pecan Praline Bars.

And the creations seemingly have no boundaries. McHenry says she has eaten a bar made with a rosemary shortbread crust and apricot filling, flavored with honey and brandy. The final touch was a nutty crumb topping.

Transform a linzer cookie into a linzer bar by spreading raspberry or blackberry preserves over the dough and by placing lattice strips as the final layer. Upgrade blondies with a dusting of cinnamon or clove powder for a spiced version or spike them with rum for a boozy flavor.

Layered bars can handle all sorts of mix-ins from caramel nuggets to peanut butter-filled pretzels to crunchy toffee bits. They also are the platform for some heavenly combinations such as raspberry and chocolate in Davidson's Bleak House Bars, which is built with chocolate chips, condensed milk, raspberry jam and cream cheese on a pecan shortbread crust.

CHOCOLATE-PEANUT CHEESECAKE BARS

Makes 24 bars.

1 package (17 1/2 ounces) peanut butter cookie mix

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup salted peanuts, chopped

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For ganache:

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, combine the cookie mix and butter; then stir in peanuts. Press onto the bottom of a greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

In another large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In small saucepan, bring whipping cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth.

Cool, stirring occasionally, to room temperature or until ganache reaches a spreading consistency, about 40 minutes. Spread over the top of the cookie crust.

Refrigerate until firm, and then cut into bars.

Source: Adapted from Taste of Home magazine, special collectors edition

CRANBERRY PEAR BARS

Makes 32 bars.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar, plus another 2/3 cup, divided

3/4 cup cold butter

1 cup regular rolled oats (Do not substitute old-fashioned oats for steel-cut oats or quick cooking oats.)

2/3 cup pear nectar

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 cups fresh cranberries

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan with foil, leaving about 1 inch of foil extending over the ends of the pan. Set aside.

In medium bowl, stir together flour and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in oats.

Reserve 1 cup oats mixture. Press remaining mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for about 15 minutes or until light brown.

Meanwhile, in medium saucepan stir together pear nectar and 2/3 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add cranberries. Let simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Remove from heat, stir in nutmeg.

Spread cranberry mixture evenly over baked crust. Sprinkle reserved oat mixture over cranberry mixture. Bake for about 25 minutes more, or until top is light brown.

Cool in pan on a wire rack. Use the overlapping foil to remove from pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into bars.

Source: 'Baking Step by Step” by Better Homes and Gardens

LEMON-LIME BLONDIES

Makes 16 blondies.

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Zest of 1 medium lime

Zest of 1 medium lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

Juice of 1 medium lime

Juice of 1 medium lemon

1/2 cup almonds, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, lime zest, lemon zest and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix well. Mix in the lime juice and lemon juice.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until combined.

Transfer batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle almonds over the top of the batter.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, before cutting into bars.

Source: Adapted from 'Quick-Shop-&-Prep 5 Ingredient Baking” by Jennifer McHenry (Page Street Publishing Co.; October 2015; $19.99)