frosting

Oreo Cake Batter Bars

February 7, 2013 · 16 comments

Oreo Cake Batter Bars Little Bitty Bakes

I know, I know.  There’s a lot going on here.  Luckily, it’s just a whole lot of deliciousness. ;)

Sally’s cake batter blondies have been staring me down for a couple weeks now, so it only made sense to make them for the Super Bowl  last weekend.  But you know, since it was the “biggest sports day of the year” and all, I knew I needed to go big or go home when it came to dessert.

Oreo Cake Batter Bars LBBakes

Despite the crazy look of these bars, making them is actually fairly simple, thanks in large part to two cake mixes.

Chocolate cake batter + milk chocolate chips.  Oreo cookies.  Yellow cake batter + sprinkles + white chocolate chips.  Oreo frosting.  (You’re welcome).

A couple notes: For the base, I used a chocolate cake mix that I basically made into brownies, but you could also just use brownies for the base (just prepare a brownie mix per package instructions, or your favorite from-scratch recipe).  Also — and this is written in the recipe, but I cannot stress it enough — don’t worry if the bars don’t “seem” cooked all the way when you pull them from the oven.  They will set as they cool.  If you keep them in the oven until they feel firm, you won’t be as happy with the result.  Trust me!

Oreo Cake Batter Bars

These are my new favorite sugar coma dessert.  Hands down.

Oreo Cake Batter Bars

Chocolate and yellow cake batter bars layered with Oreo cookies and Oreo frosting.  

Makes 24 bars

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

  • 1 box chocolate cake mix
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
  • 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
  • Oreo cookies

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 13×9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare the chocolate cake batter layer: In a large mixing bowl, stir the chocolate cake mix, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, 1/3 cup milk, and milk chocolate chips (stir until just mixed).  Spread into the prepared pan.  Press Oreo cookies over the top of the chocolate cake batter layer.

Prepare the yellow cake batter layer: In a large mixing bowl, stir the yellow cake mix, 1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, 1/3 cup milk, sprinkles, and white chocolate chips (stir until just mixed).  Spread into the pan, over the Oreos (the batter will be thick, so take your time spreading it over the Oreos!).

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown.  The bars will be gooey in the center, but they will set as they cool. Once completely cool, spread the Oreo frosting over the bars.  Cut the bars into 4 rows by 6 rows using a sharp knife, wiping frosting away from the knife as necessary.  

Oreo Frosting

Vanilla buttercream frosting with crushed Oreo cookies. 

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons water
  • 4 Oreo cookies, finely crushed

In a large mixing bowl, beat all of the ingredients except the Oreo cookies with an electric mixer on high about 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add additional water, one tablespoon at a time, for a thinner frosting.  Stir in the Oreo cookies.  Store any leftover frosting in an airtight container.

{ 16 comments }

Apple Half Moon Cookies

March 7, 2012 · 21 comments

If someone ever tries to tell you a Half Moon Cookie is the same as a Black & White Cookie, run!  They don’t know what they’re talking about; they cannot be trusted. ;)  They’re probably not from Central New York.

I’ll save my formal Ode to the Half Moon Cookie for another day, but for now, here’s a brief drill down of the differences between half moons and black & whites:

Half Moon Cookies

  • Local to Central New York (Syracuse/Utica area)
  • Cookie is soft and moist
  • Light and fluffy chocolate/vanilla frosting

Black and White Cookies

  • Call New York City home
  • Cookie is dry
  • Chocolate/vanilla fondant

I know.  Those poor folks in New York City don’t know what they’re missing out on!  Now, lucky for them, this is essentially what happens every year in early March:

No, Otto the Orange doesn’t hand deliver Half Moon Cookies to New York City every March.  Instead, Syracuse basketball fans from every which way congregate in the Big Apple for the Big East Championship — they basically take over Madison Square Garden for a weekend.  Which, oddly, was my inspiration for this Cookie March Madness creation…

Syracuse/Half Moons + the Big Apple = Apple Half Moon Cookies!

I fought hard with this recipe.  I was bound and determined to morph a traditional half moon cookie into an apple flavored one, that also used Greek yogurt.  I failed with my first attempt — half moon cookies should be soft and rounded, and my first go-around gave me pancake flat cookies.  If at first you don’t succeed… (I tried again :) )

Though the cookie itself is spiced with cinnamon, the actual apple flavor sits entirely on one half of the cookie (the side with the apple buttercream).  So, if you’re like me, you’ll want to eat the white side first so you save all the apple deliciousness for last. :)

Here’s to hoping these cookies bring the Orange good luck!

“Big Apple” Half Moon Cookies

Traditional half moon cookies with a twist — a subtly spiced cake-like cookie frosted with fluffy vanilla buttercream and apple spice buttercream. 

Makes 18 cookies

Prep time (including frosting): 1 hour

Cook time: 15 minutes

Recipe adapted from Hemstrought’s (via Saveur Magazine)

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/8 cups sugar
  • 1/4 cup margarine
  • 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk (this recipe uses 1%)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy.  Add the yogurt, egg, and vanilla and continue to beat until mixed well.  Add the flour mixture and milk, alternating between the two, beating after each addition until mixed.  Use an ice cream scoop to drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, about two inches apart.

Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before removing the cookies from the parchment paper.

Once the cookies are completely cool, spread about 1 tablespoon vanilla buttercream on half of the flat side of each cookie.  Spread the other half of each cookie with 1 tablespoon apple spice buttercream.

Nutrition Information (per cookie, unfrosted): 160 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated, 0.5g trans), 940mg sodium, 24g carbohydrate (<1g fiber,  13g sugar), 3g protein

Nutrition Information (per cookie, frosted): 310 calories, 14g fat (5g saturated, 0.5 trans), 940mg sodium, 43g carbohydrate (<1g fiber, 32g sugar), 3g protein

Very Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tablespoons water

In a large mixing bowl, beat all of the ingredients with an electric mixer on high about 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add additional water, one tablespoon at a time, for a thinner frosting.  Store any leftover frosting in an airtight container.

Nutrition information (per tablespoon): 80 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated, 0g trans), 0mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (10g sugar), 0g protein

Apple Spice Buttercream Frosting

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 1/4 cup apple butter
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon water

In a large mixing bowl, beat all of the ingredients with an electric mixer on high about 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add additional water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time, for a thinner frosting.  Store any leftover frosting in an airtight container.

Nutrition information (per tablespoon): 70 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated, 0g trans), 0mg sodium, 9g carbohydrate (9g sugar), 0g protein

{ 21 comments }

Sugar Cookie Bars

February 6, 2012 · 12 comments

Happy Monday, guys!  How about that Super Bowl last night, eh?  I’m not a huge NFL fan but given my locale, it’s a positive thing when the NY team wins. :)  Except for the Yankees.  Never the Yankees.  Anyway…

I bet you’ve about had it with salty snacks after last night’s pizza, naCHOs, etc., which is good because I’ve got lots of sugar coming your way to balance it all out. :)

You know sometimes when all you want is a frosted sugar cookie but the last thing you want to do is chill the dough, roll it out, cut the cookies into silly shapes and then frost them?  Well I’ve got just the cure for that life-threatening dilemma, sugar cookie bars!

I actually made these indulgent little treats wayyy back on Christmas day (inspired by these), but didn’t share them here on the blog since I only took one picture of them with my iPhone to share on Twitter.  Well, I was scanning through my phone the other day and they caught my eye.  I remembered how good they were and decided what the heck… we don’t always need fancy cameras.  Plus, the bright pink frosting makes ‘em perfect for Valentines Day. :)

Back to the cookies.  Of all the bad-but-good-but-bad-for-you treats I made over the holidays, it was these cookie bars that made my brother declare me an enabler… and his intention to start his own blog, Frostings and Fattiness.  You guys would read that, right?

If you can’t already tell from the thick layer of fluffy buttercream on these bars, you may be bouncing off the walls after a few bites of one of these.  Happy, wow-let’s-go-running bounces, of course…  But!  A few too many bites of these and you’ll be horizontal on your couch.  But they sure are tasty!

Sugar Cookie Bars

Soft sugar cookie bars with a thick layer of fluffy buttercream icing.  

Makes 2 dozen bars

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar, sanding sugar, or sprinkles
  • 1 unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until mixed.  In the same bowl, add the baking powder and salt and beat until mixed.  Add the flour, 1/2 cup at at time, and beat on medium speed until mixed well.  Spread the cookie dough into the prepared pan.

Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until the cookie bars are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center has just a few crumbs.  Allow to cool completely before frosting (recipe below).

No-Butter Vanilla Buttercream Icing

  • 1 cup vegetable shortening
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon butter flavor (I use Wilton)
  • 1-2 tablespoons water

In a large mixing bowl, beat all of the ingredients with an electric mixer on high about 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add additional water, one tablespoon at a time, for a thinner icing.  Store any leftover icing in an airtight container.

{ 12 comments }