Belle of the Bake Sale

Be the Belle of your next Bake Sale! Try out these sure fire treats. And, don't forget to package them in a pretty way. Get some cute, inexpensive ideas at Martha Stewart's website. www.marthastewart.com

Oatmeal Bars

(revised from Martha Stewarts Kids' Magazine)

Makes 1 dozen.

• 48 soft caramel-candy cubes or 2 cups caramel chips • Vegetable Oil Cooking Spray • 1/2 cup heavy cream • 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda • 1 teaspoon salt • 10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9-by-13" baking pan with cooking spray. Line with a 9-by-21" sheet of parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on each short side. Put caramels or caramel chips and cream in a small saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
2. Stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and the salt in a large bowl. Blend in butter with a fork or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal; press half of mixture onto bottom of lined pan. Bake until just set and starting to color around edges, about 20 mins. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 5 mins.

Sprinkle crust with chocolate chips; drizzle with caramel mixture. Top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake until pale golden, 20 to 25 mins. Let cool completely in pan before cutting into squares.

No Bake Candy Bars
Makes 2 dozen

• Veg. oil cooking spray • 9 oz. chocolate wafers (about 40 wafers), finely ground (2 c.) • 1 c. granola cereal without raisins (Cascadian Farms is good) • 1/2 c. old fashioned oats • 1- 1/4 c. confectioners' sugar • 1/4 tsp. coarse salt • 5 oz. (1 stick plus 2 tbsps) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces • 1 c. chunky peanut butter • 3/4 c. plus 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter •10 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted • 1- 1/2 oz. milk chocolate, melted

Directions

1. Coat a 9-by-13" baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2" overhang.
2. Combine wafers, granola cereal, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add chunky peanut butter and 3/4 c. smooth peanut butter, whisking until well combined. Add peanut butter mixture to wafer mixture, stirring until combined. Transfer to baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula to firmly press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 mins.
3. Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using an offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 mins.
4. Heat remaining 3 tbsp. smooth peanut butter in a small saucepan until runny. Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over peanut butter. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 min.

Use parchment to lift out chilled block of bars. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry well, and cut into 24 squares, wiping knife between cuts. Let bars stand at room temperature for 10 mins. before serving. (Sliced bars can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.)