Bonkers in Barnhart

Archive for February, 2012

These bar cookies are so wonderfully decadent  — I never realized that the combination of chocolate and raspberry could be so divine until the first time I tried these!  We make them often and they never last long!

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups flour

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups (12 ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1-1/4 cups (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk

Seedless Raspberry jam

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter until creamy.

Beat in flour, sugar and salt until well mixed.  It will make a crumbly mixture.

Press about 2 cups worth of the crumb mixture onto bottom of a greased 13×9 inch baking pan.  This part is always a challenge for me — even with floured fingers I make quite a mess — but the kids love to help make a mess with me, so it all works out.

Set the rest of the crumb mixture aside.

Bake the crust  for 10-12 minutes, edges should be lightly golden brown.

While the crust is cooking, combine 1 cup of the morsels and the sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan.  Melt over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.  Pure chocolate bliss!!

As soon as the crust is ready, pour the chocolate mixture over the hot crust.  Pause to inhale deeply and contemplate the wonders and joy of chocolate!

Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture over the chocolate filling.  The kids love doing this part, they get all creative making designs and patterns while I hover in the background wishing they would hurry so I can bake the darn thing and eat it — LOL

Drop teaspoonfuls of raspberry jam over the crumb mixture.  Don’t skimp on the raspberry jam — decadence requires lots of jam

Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate morsels — again, don’t skimp — you can’t achieve decadence without plenty of chocolate too!  Not enough in one bag — I won’t say a word if you feel the need/desire/compulsion to sneak a few extra from a second bag!

Continue baking for 25-30 minutes or until center is set.

Cool on rack, or for as long as you can resist, which in our household means as soon as possible, then cut and enjoy!  The sweetness of the chocolate and the slight tartness of the raspberry go so well together — truly decadence that must be enjoyed repeatedly!

I am linking up with these great parties . . . Made By You Monday, Pity Party, Inspire Me Monday and Mingle Monday

Related articles

• When You Crave for Sweets: Raspberry-Lemon Layer Bars (goodcooks.wordpress.com)
• Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins (ownchef.wordpress.com)

I don’t know about you but I’ve always been a fan of Groundhog Day — I’m not entirely sure why but I find it an appealing holiday.  Perhaps because it focuses on such a cute furry critter — which I grew up calling a woodchuck by the way.  Or perhaps its because I always live in hope that something, anything will bring winter to an early close!  I’m just not a winter person.

So today is Groundhog Day and the first thing the kids and I did this morning was to look for news about Punxsutawney Phil.  In case you missed it, he is predicting 6 more weeks of winter — sigh.  My only hope in this case is the fact that he only has a 39% accuracy rate!  Cuteness obviously counts for a lot when you’re a groundhog predicting the weather!

We also read two excellent books in preparation for Groundhog’s Day this year — one a non-fiction book for kids about the history of Groundhog’s Day (title coming later since Mac took the book to school to share) and the other was Punxsutawney Phyllis about a girl groundhog who dreams of taking Uncle Phil’s place as the annual weather predictor.  The kids thought it was a nice twist on the typical story and enjoyed it.

It also gave my daughter a “great idea” as she put it — if Phyllis could be the all-important Groundhog guru then why not a Guinea Pig named Magic.  Groundhog, Guinea Pig — sure, why not?!

So after we checked in on Phil and everyone was dressed for school we trooped outside with Magic the Magnificent, our own personal  weather prognosticator.

Here she is ready to make her debut:

Yes, unfortunately, as you can see in the next (dramatically staged!) photo, Magic the Magnificent saw her shadow and was forced to agree with Punxsutawney Phil about the continuance of winter — well, fine, just be that way!

Despite this gloomy forecast Magic the Magnificent received the adulation due to her as she made her way inside to a celebratory feast of carrots and parsley.

And there you have it, the First Annual Guinea Pig Winter Prediction by Magic the Magnificent.  You may discuss among yourselves now and prepare for the next six (long) weeks of winter.  I’m personally considering hibernation!!

If you would like to see the Groundhog Day craft we did last year (which Alex saved to hang up again this year — yes, we are the family that decorates for Groundhog Day, don’t you?!) you can find it here:

Let’s Celebrate Groundhog Day with Phil

Related articles:

• Happy Groundhog Day! (neatorama.com)
• Groundhog Day 2012: Punxsutawney Phil Sees Shadow, Predicts More Winter (VIDEO) (blippitt.com)
• I Saw Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day! (mediumjoe.wordpress.com)
• Groundhog Day And a Haiku or Two (dyingbraincells.wordpress.com)
• Groundhog Day: Thousands Watch Punxsutawney Phil See His Shadow (newsfeed.time.com)
• Happy Groundhog Day! (mattdantodd.wordpress.com)
• Groundhogs behaving badly: When forecasting critters go rogue (mercurynews.com)