cinnamon caramel swirl bars

Are you ready for something sweet, slightly spicy and very gooey? If you are then I’ve got a treat for you. Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Bars from Martha Stewart’s amazing Cookies App. My original plan was to share a recipe for Lemon Spice Cookies with you. I wasn’t very happy with the photos from that baking adventure. We’ll revisit those very tasty cookies another day.

The Cinnamon Caramel Swirls Bar batter came together very quickly. There are two stages of baking, and some microwave time involved. The most labor intensive step of the entire process is unwrapping the 14 ounces of store-bought caramels. It’s totally worth it. The gooey caramel center paired with the cinnamon spiked batter creates an irresistibly good bite. I’m more than sure that these would be Santa-approved, if left on a plate on Christmas Eve. Just make sure that there’s a tall glass of very cold milk next to them.

I hope that you’ve enjoyed these 5 Days of Sweets.  For me, it was a chance to reinvigorate my love for this blog. Reading your comments here, and on Facebook, has reminded me of how much fun it is to share great recipes and food with friends. I hope that you will share something sweet with your family and friends this holiday season.

Cinnamon Caramel Swirl Bars – Martha Stewart Cookies App

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 1 package (14 ounces) caramels, unwrapped
• 1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Line with parchment  paper, leaving overhang on the two long sides. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.

Combine brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla and pecans in a large mixing bowl. Add flour mixture; mix well. Reserve 1 cup batter. Spread remaining batter into prepared pan; bake until firm, about 15 minutes. remove from oven.

Microwave caramels and milk in a microwave-safe bowl on high for 2-3 minutes, or until caramels are completely melted, stirring after each minute. Pour over baked layer in pan and spread evenly, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Drop reserved 1 cup batter by spoonfuls over caramel layer. Cut through batter with a knife several times to create a marbleized effect.

Bake 15-20 minutes longer, or until center is set. Cool in pan on wire rack. Use parchment to lift from pan, and cut into bars.

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cranberry walnut oatmeal cookies

This Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookie is one of the reasons that I brought back the 5 Days of Sweets. I adore chewy oatmeal cookies (see this recipe from a few weeks back.) The addition of the cranberries and walnuts add great flavor and texture.  The next time I bake a batch, I may throw in some white chocolate chips, too. How bad could that be?

The original recipe is from our friends at Crisco.  I swapped out the shortening for butter. I’ve been stocking up on butter for my holiday baking, so there was plenty on hand. I don’t usually have shortening around, unless it’s to make my Dad’s amazing Ginger Cookies.

Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies – adapted from Crisco Holiday Cookies Advert.

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter, sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and add vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture until smooth. Stir in oats, cranberries and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on lined baking sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then place on cooling racks to cool completely.

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