Then I stumbled upon a recipe using the same concept as the cookies but in bar form. Excited much? Again, I saved the recipe for the next time I had a rainy day. Only problem this time was I couldn't seem to remember where I saved the recipe to and a google search didn't help me either - arghhhhhhhhhhhh! I gave it up as lost for good and moved on.
On Tuesday afternoon I decided to flick through my bookmark links for cookie recipes and guess what I found!!! See, patience is a virtue ;0)
The inspiration came from the misfit Christmas chocolates, you know the ones that are always lurking at the bottom of the chocolate tin after everyone has picked out their favourites and then their second favourites and then when forced to they pick out the ones that they'll eat but only when their first picks are no longer an option. In this case the misfits were lurking in the bottom of a tin of Mingles, I'd eaten the gold (white chocolate) ones and then the blue (truffle) ones and then the green (crunchy stuff of some description) ones .... which left the brown and red ones. Dark Chocolate and Peppermint Cream are not my chocolates of choice. Usually they would go into work or they would sit in a bowl on the table for visitors to snack on but this time their fate was sealed when I rediscovered the Compost Cookie Bar recipe! I also took the opportunity to rid the cupboard of some other Christmas leftovers like the Peanut M&M's I bought by mistake when I thought they were normal M&M's, salted and roasted peanuts and some shortbread biscuits and this is what they all turned into;
Compost Cookie Bars
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp salt
230g unsalted butter
200g caster sugar
125g light brown sugar
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp instant coffee mixed with a drop of water to make it a paste
350g of 'Compost goodies' (think of things like chopped chocolate, chocolate covered raisins, rollos, crisps, pretzels or nuts)
Preheat oven to 190C. Line a 9 x 13 x 2 - inch baking pan with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugars and corn syrup on medium high for 2-3 minutes until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.
On a lower speed, add eggs and vanilla to incorporate. Increase mixing speed to medium-high and start a timer for 10 minutes. During this time the sugar granules will fully dissolve, the mixture will become an almost pale white color and your creamed mixture will double in size.
When time is up, on a lower speed, add the flour mixture. Mix 45-60 sec just until your dough comes together and all remnants of dry ingredients have incorporated. Do not walk away from your mixer during this time or you will risk over mixing the dough. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula.
On low speed, add in the coffee and your compost goodies. Mix for 30-45 sec until they evenly mix into the dough.
Spread batter in your prepared 9 x 13 x 2 - inch pan. Sprinkle the top of the batter with about 1/2 tsp fine sea salt (optional). Bake at for 30-35 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars when cooled to room temperature.
Adapted from Alpineberry Blog
I think the best way to describe these is like the meeting of a Brownie and Rocky Road. The cake mixture never really cooks through and all the 'Compost Goodies' lend a very chunky texture. In this case the flavour is both sweet and salty but also has a very powerful mint kick. If I'm being honest, they aren't quite my cup of tea but I'm not sure if it would depend on what is added in at the goodie stage. Hubby, on the other hand, is more than happy to take them along to work with him for his mid afternoon sugar rush!
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