Fall festivals and Halloween parties always call for bake sale items. When it comes to bake sales, anything goes. Of course, the easier the better, especially if the bake sale is a last minute surprise.
Below are a few pantry recipes that will pull together in a flash, and put a twist on your old stand-bys. Take a flip through these favorites and maybe you’ll find the big ticket item for your next bake sale.
Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Pecan Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate mini chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next four ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in pecans and mini chips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls two inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on pans two minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.
Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
6 cups puffed rice cereal
1/2 cup whole roasted peanuts
4 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, chopped
Flaked sea salt, optional
Lightly butter a 13- by 9-inch baking dish.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over low to medium-low heat until light brown specks start to form and the butter starts to smell nutty, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the peanut butter until melted. Add the puffed rice cereal and peanuts. Stir until well coated.
Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, place the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals until the chocolate is melted.
Drizzle the chocolate over the cooled rice crispy treats and sprinkle with flaked sea salt if desired. Cut into 18 bars.
Movie Munchers
Mix movie-watching candies into chocolate chip cookie dough, then press the dough into mini muffin cups. Use chocolate candies, chocolate-covered raisins and peanuts, or let your kids pick their favorites. This one is super simple and a big seller because it looks so inviting.
Hello Dolly Bars
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 9 cookie sheets)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup butterscotch morsels
2/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 (15-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper; cut off excess parchment paper around top edge of pan.
Place crumbs in a medium bowl. Drizzle with butter and one tablespoon water; toss with a fork until moist. Gently pat mixture into an even layer in pan (do not press firmly). Sprinkle chips and morsels over crumb mixture. Top evenly with coconut and pecans. Drizzle milk evenly over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly around edges. Cool completely on wire rack.
NOTE: If you are like me, you want to forgo the parchment paper. But these bars can create a sticky mess in the pan, so it's pretty important to line it with parchment paper. Also, because the milk needs to soak into the graham cracker crumbs, don't pack the crumbs too tightly in the bottom of the pan.
Swag Bars
1 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light-colored corn syrup
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) chopped lightly salted, dry-roasted peanuts
3 1/2 cups (4 ounces) whole-grain flaked cereal (such as Total), finely crushed
Cooking spray
1/3 cup (2 ounces) chopped dark chocolate
Combine first three ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook four minutes or just until mixture begins to boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in peanuts and cereal. Spread mixture evenly into a 13- x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.
Place the dark chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high one minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 20 seconds. Drizzle chocolate evenly over peanut mixture. Score into 36 bars while warm.
Mudslide Cookies
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate mini chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place butter, bittersweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl; microwave at high one minute or until chocolate is almost melted. Stir until smooth. Combine coffee granules and one tablespoon hot water, stirring until granules dissolve. Stir coffee and vanilla into chocolate mixture.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Combine sugar, egg substitute and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed six minutes or until thick and pale. Gently stir one-fourth of egg mixture into chocolate mixture; stir chocolate mixture into remaining egg mixture. Stir in flour mixture, nuts and chocolate chips.
Cover baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls two inches apart on prepared baking sheets. With moist hands, gently press dough into one-fourth-inch thick rounds. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until set. Cool one minute. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
NOTE: When the cookies are done, they'll be cracked on top and still moist in the center.
Tammy Kelly is director, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center, 1791 N.C. 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or Tammy_Kelly@ncsu.edu.