Bar Cookies

Bar cookies are probably the easiest to make. You don't have to roll them, assemble them or anything else. You just bake them in a pan and when they are cool, cut them into squares or bars. Bar cookies come in a variety of flavors and some are cake like while others are more dense and chewy. Brownies are probably the most popular bar cookie.

BROWNIES
The name of this cookie comes from the color of the cookie after they are baked. They are either cake-like or chewing and gooey and chocolate. You don't have to have a mixer to make these as you can hand stir the ingredients. The batter isn't all that thick. This makes about 16 bars.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 beaten eggs
1-1/4
teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened
Combine the rolled oats, flour, salt and 1 cup of brown sugar in a large bowl and whisk it with a wire whisk until it is well combined. Cut the butter in with a pie crust cutter until the mixture looks crumbly and well combined. Press half of this mixture into the bottom of the 9 inch square pan.

Place the dates, water and 1/3 cup of brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring this mixture to a boil and cook, stirring constantly until it thickens well. Add the lemon juice and remove from heat. Spread this mixture onto the crust and top with the rest of the crumbled oat mixture.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top is lightly toasted. Cool and cut into squares for a gooey and delicious treat.

Variation: Instead of using lemon juice us 1 teaspoon l teaspoon of almond extract. It gives the cookie a different and delightful flavor.

Chocolate Chip
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the butter in a 13 by 9 inch pan and put it in the oven for about 8 minutes or until the butter melts. Tip the pan so that the butter coats the bottom and sides of the pan. Pour in graham cracker crumbs to cover the bottom of the pan. Layer over the chocolate chips, then the butterscotch chips, then the nuts. Pour the can of milk evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the coconut. Bake about 25 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown. Let them cool before cutting into bars

Variations: There are so many things you can do with this recipe. Use peanut butter chips instead of butterscotch chips. Add dried cherries, raisins, currants or cranberries after the chips.

Cranberry Bars
These bars are perfect for the holidays including Thanksgiving or Christmas, but if you like cranberries you can make them anytime. They are tart and sweet at the same time.

Ingredients:
1 – 12 ounce package whole cranberries
1 cup granulated