cookie butter Archives

Cookie Butter Streusel Banana Bread

April 10, 2013 · by Ari ·

Soft and tender vegan banana bread swirled with creamy cookie butter and topped with a crumbly cookie butter & oat streusel.

You know when there is a trendy clothing item that everyone starts wearing? First, you judge it (well…I do). Then, it starts to grow on you, and eventually curiosity gets the best of you, and you find yourself in a fitting room not even 100% sure why you’re trying this on, but then once it’s on your body you fall in so much love, and everything makes sense in the world?

That’s how I feel about banana bread. One day, I opened my reader, and almost all of the food blogs I follow posted banana bread. I’ve never been one to think “OMG, I really want to make some banana bread!’, but that day all the cool kids were doing it, and I totally wanted to fit into their crowd.

PS: I was NOT a cool kid in school. I was that awkward kid that fit into absolutely no social groups, and didn’t really have any friends until high school. Somehow awkward clothing choices, bad jokes, and an obsession for musical theatre don’t equal popularity? It’s a total mystery. But I mean, let’s be honest…those things still pretty much apply…

Anyway, I was on a mission to make banana bread, but it couldn’t just be regular banana bread. That’s not the way I work. So I filled it with melted cookie butter, and topped it with what might be my favorite thing ever–cookie butter streusel.

You guys. First of all, I made streusel with no butter. I didn’t think it was possible to achieve the right texture, but I did. Not only that, I made streusel with no flour, and, this streusel is…so….good. I wish I could give you a better description–I mean, it’s crumbly and it tastes buttery (magic), but words can’t describe how amazing it is, so we’ll stick with “….so….good.”

And the banana bread? It’s so soft and that m word that I really hate. I really wanted the cookie butter to stand out, so I didn’t want to just mix it into the batter where the flavors get muted–that’s my biggest pet peeve about cookie butter (and Nutella for that matter) in baked goods. I wanted to sink my teeth in and get slapped in the face with cookie butter flavor. Can you think of anything better?

I don’t think I can. This was one of those recipes that made my dance-around-my-kitchen-giddy, and I had to give it away to my family immediately so that I wouldn’t eat the entire loaf. It was that good.

Cookie Butter Streusel Banana Bread

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Yield: 12-16

Serving Size: 1 slice

Cookie Butter Streusel Banana Bread

Soft and tender vegan banana bread swirled with creamy cookie butter and topped with a crumbly cookie butter & oat streusel.

Ingredients

For the banana bread:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 extra ripe medium bananas, mashed
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cookie butter or Biscoff spread, melted
For the cookie butter streusel:
1/4 cup raw oats
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cookie butter or Biscoff spread

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x5" loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Begin with banana bread. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Let stand.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together mashed bananas, applesauce, sugars and vanilla until well combined. Add half the dry ingredients, followed by almond milk mixture, then remaining dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Pour half the batter into prepared loaf pan. Pour 1 cup melted cookie butter on top in an even layer. Top with remaining batter.
To make the streusel, combine oats, brown sugar and 1 1/2 tbsp cookie butter. Mix by hand until ingredients are combined and form a crumbly texture. Sprinkle evenly over batter.
Bake until golden and set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean, about an hour. Cool completely. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

https://arismenu.com/cookie-butter-streusel-banana-bread/

Cookie Butter Cookie Dough Bars

February 11, 2013 · by Ari ·

You know those people who go through life only speaking the bare minimum amount of word required to get by in social situations?

Yeah, that’s not me. I’m that person who, even as an adult, can’t get through situations where you’re supposed to be quiet. Work meetings? Don’t put me next to anyone I find remotely interesting. Library? I get the evil eye from everyone who actually went there for some peace and quiet. I even talk the entire time through massages.

I think the only time I ever stop talking is during a run when I get reallllly tired, and then it doesn’t matter because I’m usually with the only girl I know who loves to talk more than I do. 😉

So when I name a recipe, I always want to tell you every single thing about it. The name doesn’t do justice for me unless it accurately describes every detail of the food. In fact, if I were going to name these what I wanted to, they would be called Double Salted Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Cookie Dough Tops with Graham Cracker Crust. I had to put it in bold so that you could actually see the beginning and end. It’s only slightly excessive.

The problem is, it is all of those details that make these bars so fantastic. It took me a few tries to actually figure them out. The first time, I didn’t put two layers of chocolate–I only put chocolate on the top–and the dough didn’t stick to the crust, and they ended up a sticky mess.

Then I tried to cut them before freezing them–well that resulted in cookie dough oozing out. It wasn’t pretty, but they still tasted great. However, it was when I finally completely froze them before cutting that they finally worked for me. You can see that cutting the frozen chocolate causes the tops to crack, but I didn’t mind it. If you do, you could always cute them when the chocolate is first put on, and is still melty, then freeze.

For the graham cracker crust, you must use old fashioned graham crackers. Please don’t use the regular store bought one. The crust is probably my favorite part, and it is due to that spicy cinnamon and molasses taste that the old fashioned graham crackers bring. This crumbly crust is topped with a layer of melted chocolate, then sprinkled with sea salt, followed by soft, gooey, eggless cookie butter cookie dough, and topped with more chocolate and an other layer of sea salt. If you don’t love sweet and salty as much as I do (ummm WHY NOT?). you could leave out the salt on the bottom layer, or (gasp) all of the salt, but I wouldn’t do that. With all the sweetness of the graham crackers, chocolate, and cookie butter, the salt puts everything into perfect balance.

Using a spring form pan makes them about a million times easier to get out, but it does make cutting them….interesting. I did most of the outside pieces in triangles, but did the middle in squares and rectangles. Honestly, it doesn’t matter how you slice ’em–they are a totally out-of-this-world decadent treat that is perfect for any occasion. I made them after Steve’s first century and again for after my marathon.

Cookie Butter Cookie Dough Bars

8 oz old fashioned graham crackers
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup apple butter
1 cup cookie butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup white whole wheat flour
12 oz bag dark chocolate chips, melted and divided
coarse sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a 9-10″ springform pan with parchment paper. Spray edges and parchment paper well with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Pule graham crackers in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. With the food processor on, stream in the coconut oil and continue to run until combined, about 1 minute.
Press graham cracker crust into the bottom of your spring form pan making smooth, even layer. Bake until lightly browned and set, about 15 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool slightly.
Spread half the melted chocolate over cooked crust. Sprinkle with sea salt. Let set in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, beat together apple butter, cookie butter, sugars and molasses until well combined. Beat in vanilla and almond milk. Slowly beat in flour and continue mixing until fully combined.
Top cooled chocolate with cookie dough. Use a sprayed piece of parchment paper to press cookie dough into a smooth even layer.
Top with remaining melting chocolate. Use a pastry brush or spatula to spread evenly. Sprinkle with more sea salt.
Either slice immediately, then freeze, or freeze completely for about 3 hours, then slice and serve. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month (yes, I was eating these for a WHOLE MONTH!).

Cookie Butter Puppy Chow

December 21, 2012 · by Ari ·

Do you call it puppy chow or muddy buddies?

I call it delicious.

If you’re not familiar, first of all I’m so sorry, you’ve been missing out. Puppy chow is usually Chex cereal mixed with chocolate and peanut butter and then covered with powdered sugar. It’s one of those perfectly simple snacky desserts that takes about 5 minutes to make, and is always a hit. I’ve been making it for years since before I knew how to cook or bake, and I always find myself reaching back into the container to sneak more out.

One of the great things about puppy chow is that the possibilities are endless. I used to think I was “fancy” when I would add white chocolate. Back in the day, that’s what I considered “being creative”. I guess you could say that even before I knew what I was doing, I always wanted to change things up and add my own flair. I just can’t help it.

This recipe isn’t what you’d call innovative, or let’s be honest….healthy, BUT it is sososo yummy, and a perfect foodie gift to give to all of your friends, family, after school theatre teacher (they like presents too! 😉 ), or you know, yourself. I used TJ’s speculoos cookie butter, but you could also use Biscoff spread. The perfectly sweet spread pairs perfectly to create a mix with hints of cinnamon and ginger flavors to give you some extra holiday spirit.

Cookie Butter Puppy Chow

2/3 cup cookie butter or Biscoff spread
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup white chocolate chips (or dark chocolate chips, or cinnamon chips, or butterscotch chips…)
1 tsp vanilla extract
9 cups Corn Chex cereal
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cookie butter, coconut oil and chocolate chips until fully melted and combined, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in cereal, mixing gently until cereal is fully coated.
Transfer to a large trash bag or paper bag and pour in powdered sugar. For lack of a better term, shake the heck out of it! Just keep shaking it around (make sure the top is fully sealed! 😉 ) until everything has come together. Lay out to cool on parchment paper, then store in an airtight container.

Animal Cracker Cookie Butter

November 8, 2012 · by Ari ·

Sometimes you just have to make something that is not even a little bit healthy.

And then sometimes that thing is so good, you have to share it on you “healthy” recipe blog. Love me anyway?

Although, I promise, it’s not that different calorically from any cookie butter you would buy at the store, and it is sososo delicious.

I do have a lingering question….If I dip an animal cookie in it’s own butter, is that wrong, like ethically? Is it like eating a cow while drinking it’s mothers milk?? Will I have to change religions because I totally broke all laws of Kosher eating??? Hang on, lemme finish my cheeseburger…

Okay, but for real, I think cheeseburgers are gross. Ground beef is just not appealing to me. But an animal cracker dipped in it’s own “butter”, that I can get behind! I have my priorities straight, I think.

So this “recipe” is two measly ingredients. Depending on the type of animal crackers you buy, you can make it vegan, gluten free, the whole 9 yards, as long as you’re not allergic to coconut. If you are, I’m so so sorry. That must suck.

Animal Cracker Cookie Butter

yield 1/2 pint

1 cup animal crackers (regular, vegan, gluten-free, whatever suits you)
4-5 tbs coconut oil, melted

Directions:

Place animal cookies in food processor, and process until only fine crumbs remain.
Slowly 1 tbs at a time, stream in coconut oil. Let the processor run for 2-3 minutes between each additional tbs is added, and scrap down the sides of the processor often. It is somewhat of a process for the oil and cookie crumbs to come together in the right texture, but it is well worth the wait (and you don’t want to end up with overly fatty and runny cookie butter)!
When the oil and cookie crumbs have formed a think, homemade-peanut-butter-like substance, transfer into a half pint jar and store at room temperature. Best used within 1 week.

Speculoos Cookie Dough Truffles

June 10, 2012 · by Ari ·

Sometimes, you just need to eat raw cookie dough dipped in chocolate.

Okay, at all times I really need raw cookie dough dipped in chocolate. Who am I kidding? But, for some greater good, or something, I surpress my need, and save it for the days where I need a little pick me up.

Like, you know, when you find out you need surgery, and you’re going to miss out on the race you’ve spent the last 3 months training for. Wahhhh. It’s okay though, because these made me feel better. A lot better. Like in Ratatouille when that little rat takes the bite and the fireworks go off around him, and the whole world stops. I heart Pixar.

I would tell you that these are a huge problem. And they ~~are~~ were. I ate them all up. Problem solved. I am so good at solutions. Have a food problem? Here is the solution: Give it to me. Unless it’s strawberries. Or pineapple. Or beets. Yuck. Also, crisco, but is that even food???? It can’t be! It gives me the creeps. Some people I know keep pounds of it in their pantry. I have strange friends. 😉

Anyway, I made 3 kinds of truffles. When you’re indecisive like me, and you can think of a million ways that these truffles could taste good, it would be silly to choose just one. So I made some with fleur de sel (fancy for sea salt–don’t worry, you don’t have to spend $15 on your salt; regular sea salt will do), and I topped some with cinnamon chips, and drizzled white chocolate over the rest. The salted ones were my favorite. Shocking, right?

All I can say is you’re welcome. Or, I’m sorry. Depending on how you take eating a dozen truffles in one sitting….

Speculoos Cookie Dough Truffles

yield 1 1/2-2 dozen truffles

2 tbs light whipped butter
1/2 cup TJ’s Speculoos Cookie Butter (or Biscoff spread, or any other Speculoos spread you prefer)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
2/3 cup dark chocolate, melted
optional toppings: fleur de sel, cinnamon chips, white chocolate

Directions:

In a medium bowl, beat together butter, cookie butter, vanilla and flour until well combined. Cover and chill for 30min-1 hour.
Roll dough into 1/2 tbs sized balls, and use a fork to dip and fully coat in melted chocolate. Set on parchment paper, and repeat with remaining dough. Freeze for 1 hour to set, then keep in freezer or refrigerator.

Toppings:

If using fleur de sel, or cinnamon chips, top before freezing. Sprinkle fleur de sel on top, or place 2-3 small cinnamon chips into the top.
If using white chocolate, wait until set. Melt desired amount of white chocolate and drizzle lightly using a toothpick. Refreeze to set.

Vanilla Bean Cookie Butter Cup Cupcakes

April 9, 2012 · by Ari ·

I have a serious problem.

How do you live with a fridge full of this and not eat every last one?? Seriously.

Well, I guess the fact that they were made for someone else is pretty good for the whole self control thing. I canNOT make cupcakes like this that are just for me. I will eat a dozen in about 2 ~~days~~ ~~hours~~ minutes.

Remember when I made these and said they part one of a special baking project?? Well, I made vanilla bean cupcake batter, swirled in some cookie butter, then pressed one into the center before baking.

I thought they would bake much faster than normal cupcakes, or that the cookie butter cup would just melt right into the cupcake, but they baked for a normal amount of time (18 minutes) and came out looking perfect!

Then I made a Cookie Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and things got REAL over here.

Because what good is a cupcake picture if you don’t cut it in half and show off all the gooey insides?!

Also can we check out all those vanilla bean specs?! In the cupcake and the frosting. Can’t. Get. Enough.

These weren’t completely cooled, so everything just came right out. I love that. If you don’t, just make sure you cool them in the fridge first. But seriously, if you don’t like warm, oozey chocolate, who are you and why are you even reading this blog?!

Just kidding, please keep reading. I can overlook your weird textural preferences. Maybe…

Drrrrooooool.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!!!! I couldn’t have picked a better occasion to make probably the best cupcake I have ever created. Obviously, you inspire me 🙂

Vanilla Bean Cookie Butter Cup Cupcakes

yield 15

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all purpose)
1/2 tbs baking powder
dash salt
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (or butter)
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup reduced fat buttermilk
1/2 tbs vanilla extract
2-3 tbs TJ’s Cookie Butter (or Biscoff spread), melted
15 Salted Chocolate Cookie Butter Cups, frozen

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. Spray lightly with nonstick spray, then set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or you can use a hand mixer if you don’t have a stand one), add applesauce and sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean and beat on medium speed.
Beat in eggs one at a time.
In a glass measuring cup (or separate bowl) combine buttermilk and vanilla extract.
With mixer on low speed, alternately add flour and buttermilk mixtures, starting and ending with dry ingredients.
Beat until just incorporated, scraping down sides of the bowl when necessary.
Fill 15 cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. I used a medium sized cookie scoop and it took 1 1/2 scoops per cupcake.
Drizzle in a small amount of cookie butter into each cupcake, and swirl lightly with a toothpick.
Press one Salted Chocolate Cookie Butter Cup into each cupcake.
Bake for 17-19 minutes. (I always turn mine around halfway through to keep even cooking)
Let stand for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Top with Vanilla Bean Cookie Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.

Vanilla Bean Cookie Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

yield enough for 20 cupcakes

16 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup TJ’s Cookie Butter
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Place cream cheese and cookie butter in a large bowl. Scrape in vanilla bean seeds and beat together for 1 minute.
Slowly beat in powdered sugar, scraping down sides of bowl when necessary.
Frost immediately, or chill in refrigerator.

Salted Chocolate Cookie Butter Cups

April 5, 2012 · by Ari ·

Honestly, does it really get any better than chocolate and cookie butter?

The answer you’re looking for is “No. It does not.”

Well unless you add Fleur De Sel. Then it absolutely does.

Freaking yum.

What do you even say about something that is basically a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, but made with TJ’s Cookie Butter and sprinkled with Fleur De Sel?

You say “Yes, please” and don’t ask any questions.

These are actually part one of a baking project that will continue tomorrow for a very special person’s birthday. A person so special, that he gets homemade candy inside his birthday cupcakes. He’s a lucky guy, I tell ya.

One of the best things about this recipe is that there are endless combinations. White chocolate, milk chocolate, any type of nut butter that exists, you name it. Trust me, I have about a million variations floating around in my head right now. Just think of it as a ‘coming soon’….

Until then, please join me in drooling over these bad boys and wishing they were magically calorie free. In a perfect world, right? Oh and did I mention they only have 4 ingredients? Almost perfect world…

Salted Chocolate Cookie Butter Cups

yield 24

lightly adapted from Ashley‘s Chocolate Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter Cups

20 oz dark chocolate (chips, or good quality chocolate chopped)
approx 1/2 cup Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter
1 scant tbsp coconut oil
Fleur De Sel for sprinkling

Directions:

Line 24 mini muffin tins with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, melt chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
Spoon enough chocolate to cover the bottom of each baking cup.
Add 1-2 tsp Cookie Butter.
Fill with chocolate until Cookie Butter is completely covered and top is smooth.
Sprinkle with a nice pinch of Fleur De Sel.
Freeze to set. Keep in freezer or fridge.

Fro Yo Cake with Nutella Cookie Crust

March 12, 2012 · by Ari ·

Remember this birthday cake gem that Steve got me from Yogurtology?

That cake was perfection. More delicious than ice cream cake, but fro yo, so that makes it healthy, right? Riiiiiight.

What’s even better than a perfectly prepared oatmeal cookie fro yo cake made with love by a Yogurtology employee? One made with more love by ME!

With a butter cookie crust, layers of Nutella and TJ’s Cookie Butter, and topped with Yogurtology’s pretty much famous oatmeal cookie fro yo, this may not be the healthiest cake I’ve ever made, but when you compare to a typical ice cream cake, it definitely can at least hold up to a healthier title, and let me tell you, I would choose this over a regular ice cream cake any day of the week!

Fun fact, ice cream has always been my favorite dessert. I *almost* never eat it now, because I love fro yo so much and never really want to spend the extra calories, but I am of the opinion that if it doesn’t at least include ice cream, it’s not really a dessert. Plain cookie? That’s a snack 😉 Cookie a la mode? Mmmmm….dessert! Fro yo with cookie, Nutella and cookie butter? 3x a day for the rest of my life? Okay….If you insist….

Can we also talk about how this cake takes all of like 20 minutes to make? So easy, and ridiculously hard to mess up! Trust me, I can usually mess up anything 😉

Fro Yo Cake with Nutella Cookie Crust

yield approx 16 slices

1 package Chessman cookies (or any buttery shortbread type cookie), finely crumbled
1/4 cup apple butter
1/2 cup + 2 tbs Nutella, melted & divided
1/3 cup TJ’s cookie butter (or Biscoff spread), melted
1 quart + 1 cup fro yo of choice, softened but not melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a spring form pan with cooking spray, then wrap tin foil around the bottom to avoid fro yo dripping out.
In a medium bowl, combine cookie crumbs (reserving 1-2 tbs to sprinkle on top) with apple butter. I suggest just using your hands and getting in there.
Press cookie and apple butter mixture into the bottom of the spring form pan and bake for 8-10 min, until set.
Cool for 10-15 minutes, then spread Nutella on top. Let sit for a minute before brushing cookie butter on top of Nutella.
Use a spatula to evenly spread the fro yo on top.
Drizzle with Nutella and sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
Freeze for 2-3 hours until set, then serve and enjoy!

Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

February 17, 2012 · by Ari ·

Please don’t tell me you’re sick of the cookie butter already. You can’t be. This is only recipe #2. In fact, recipe #1 happened because the first time I tried this recipe it absolutely failed. I mean, it was delicious, but the brownies didn’t bake all the way through, and you couldn’t get it out of the pain, so you kind of had to sit there with a fork chowing down on a 9×13 pan of gooey half baked goodness. It kind of became a problem, and I had to give them away–well give it away, since it was kind of like one big bar. Anyway, I knew I was onto something with the taste, so I tried again.

Try #1 went brownie batter on bottom, cookie butter bar layer on top, bake. Try #2 included baking the brownie layer a little bit first, but still somehow came out looking like try #1. Third time’s a charm, I guess 😉

Cookie layer on the bottom because brownies cook more slowly–duhhh, Ari! The result? Gooey, brownie, cookie butter deliciousness that can actually be plated and served. See?

Cookie Butter Brownie Bars

yield approx 32 bars

1 box TJ’s reduced guilt brownie mix or No Pudge Brownie Mix
6oz nonfat vanilla yogurt (some other flavors also taste good mixed with brownie like red velvet–yum!)
1 cup cookie butter
1/2 cup apple butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
white chocolate and caramel for drizzling (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray to 9×9 baking pans with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Combine brownie mix and yogurt. Set aside.
Beat together cookie butter, apple butter, brown sugar, Splenda, vanilla, milk and baking soda. Slowly beat in flour.
Divide cookie butter dough in half and press into the bottom of each 9×9 baking pan. Smooth out the top as much as possible.
Evenly divide the brownie batter between the two pans, using a spatula to smooth on top.
Bake for 18-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Careful not to over bake–you still want a little gooeyness in the middle, but you want everything set enough to come out neatly.
Cool on a wire rack, then slice and drizzle with white chocolate and caramel if desired.

Cookie Butter Bars

February 15, 2012 · by Ari ·

Did you hear the news??? Trader Joe’s cookie butter is back! Please don’t ask how many jars I’ve gone through. It’s a little embarrassing. But, honestly, with bars like these, can you blame me? With cookie butter and apple butter, who needs actual butter? These bars have all of the delicious flavor of cookie butter and come as a cross between a cake and a cookie. Like a cookie cake. Cookies + cake + cookie butter. Yes, please.

These were my birthday treat to myself. And everyone (including our waitress) at Barrio Cafe 😉 I hope you enjoy them too!

Cookie Butter Bars

yield approx 30 bars

1 cup TJ’s cookie butter
1/2 cup apple butter
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 tbs Splenda
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Beat together cookie butter, apple butter, brown sugar, Splenda, vanilla, milk and baking soda.
Slowly, beat in flour.
Press batter evenly into pan. Use a rolling pin to smooth out top.
Bake for 18-22 min until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Do not over bake.
Cool completely on wire rack, then top with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and sprinkles if desired.

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

yield enough to cover 9×13 pan of baked goods

14 oz reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 tbs light, whipped butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup Sunspire white chocolate chips, melted
dash almond extract
1 cup powdered sugar (you may add more–I don’t like my frosting to be too sweet)

Directions:

Beat together butter and cream cheese. Beat in white chocolate and almond extract.
Slowly add and beat in powdered sugar, scraping down sides of bowl when necessary.
Spread evenly on top of desired baked good, and enjoy!

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