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4.07.2014

secret recipe club: snickerdoodle bars & slow cooker chicken fajitas

for this month's secret recipe club pick at anna's bcmom's kitchen, i followed the same format as last month: a delicious dessert and an easy dinner. and while both were delicious, i have to give it to the snickerdoodle bars. the fajitas were easy - chop, dump, and cook for 8 hours - but i forgot how much i love the still crunchy texture of vegetables in fajitas. anyone that's slow cooked vegetables knows they don't stay crisp. so while the flavor was good and the ease of making them spot on, the texture of the vegetables weren't the best for me.

and then there were the bars. when i was making them, i honestly didn't think they would be anything special and was pleasantly surprised when i had my first bite. they have the perfect balance of sugar cookie and cinnamon sugar goodness, in bar form. so good, i had to hide them from my toddler. otherwise, i heard "mama! bar!" a couple times a day when he saw them sitting on the counter.


for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website!
 
check out my previous secret recipe club posts: meyer lemon iced raspberry yogurt cake & slow cooker chicken cacciatore, almond strawberry jam thumbprints, almond butter cookies, enfrijoladas, chocolate snack cake, bacon topped maple french toast cupcakes, cherry sorbet, slow cooker beans & mushrooms, mojito chicken tacos, maple glazed whole wheat spiced apple pizza, pig out cookies, pasta with blistered tomatoes & arugula and iced grapefruit cookies, mushroom barley soup, scalloped ham and potato bake & andes mint cake, chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, asian pork chops, lemon lime meltaways, blueberry peach crisp, minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

snickerdoodle bars
adapted from bcmom's kitchen
15 minutes active, 2 hours total; makes 9x13" pan

for the bars
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

for the cinnamon filling
1 tablespoons ugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

for the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk
  1. line the bottom of a 9x13" pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and set aside. preheat your oven to 350F.
  2. cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
  3. slowly add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined.
  4. spoon about half of the batter into the pan and spread evenly. the batter will be really thick. 
  5. sprinkle the cinnamon filling evenly over the batter.
  6. drop the rest of the batter on top to evenly cover the filling. don't worry if there are some places where the filling isn't totally covered by batter.
  7. bake about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
  8. let cool completely, about 1 hour.
  9. to make the glaze, mix the sugar with 1 tablespoon milk. if the glaze is too thick, add more milk, a teaspoon at a time until desired consistency. evenly pour the glaze over the bars.
  10. let the glaze harden before cutting into squares. store in an airtight container.


slow cooker chicken fajitas
adapted from bcmom's kitchen
8hours, serves 4-6

1 large onion, sliced
3 bell peppers, sliced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cumin
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
juice of one lime
  1. combine the onion and peppers in the bottom of a slow cooker and add the water.
  2. lay the chicken over the vegetables, season with salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. 
  3. add the lime juice. cover and cook on low for 8 hours.
  4. shred the chicken and serve in tortillas with your favorite fixings.

8 comments:

  1. Oh yes, those Snickerdoodle bars are yummy, aren't they? I love the picture of your toddler snatching one.

    I agree with you on the fajitas - they're not really fajitas, but they do taste good, and they're easy. They should probably have a different name so we don't expect that fajita crunch to the veggies.

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  2. The bars look easy and delicious!

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  3. looks like two great choices for SRC! what great photos too :)

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  4. Great picks. I can totally see why the snickerdoodle bars were the winners of this matchup... they look so beautifully dense and chewy and cinnamony!

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  5. So... Delicious! Relay Want to eat...

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  6. Love the sneaky little hand picture - I think I would have to hide them from myself if I'd made them because they look so delicious.

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  7. Two great recipes. I don't ever make fajitas because we don't like peppers, but I would love to try this recipe without them. I bet it would still be great.

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  8. The Snickerdoodle Bars effortlessly capture the classic snickerdoodle essence in a delectable bar form. The balance between the buttery cookie base and the cinnamon-sugar topping offers a harmonious marriage of textures and flavors, making these bars a perfect indulgence for anyone with a sweet tooth.
    Why do people from India Immigrate to the US?

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