Gurley’s Butterscotch Betweens

Try this rich and delicious butterscotch bar recipe. It’s quick and easy, and a party favorite – for adults and children. People are sure to ask you to bring this desert favorite.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter or margarine
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1-1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup quick oatmeal
  • 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Butterscotch Chips
  • 2/3 cup Gurley’s Flaked Coconut, packed
  • 1/2 cup Gurley’s Chopped Walnuts or Chopped Pecans (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven to 350º.
  2. Cream butter with sugar and salt.
  3. Blend in flour and oatmeal until particles are fine
  4. Press two-thirds of this mixture into greased 9×13-inch pan
  5. Heat condensed milk in saucepan (don’t boil).
  6. Stir in Gurley’s Butterscotch Chips, Coconut, and Nuts.
  7. Stir for 15 seconds and spread evenly in pan.
  8. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture and pack down tightly.
  9. Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
  10. Chill.
  11. Cut into 1 1/2 inch squares

Ultimate Blondie Bars

A blondie bar with Gurley’s ingredients is a rich, sweet dessert bar. It resembles the traditional chocolate brownie, but substitutes vanilla for the cocoa used in brownies, and contains a healthy dose of brown sugar.

You can use a 9″ x 13″ pan for thicker bars. Just add 8 minutes to baking time.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup (1 1/3 sticks) butter, melted
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups, firmly packed brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 3/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-12oz. pkg. Gurley’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar, white or cider
  • 2 cups Gurley’s Chopped Walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Lightly grease a 10″ x 15″ baking pan. (see notes for thinner bars)
  3. Combine the butter, sugars, salt, and vinegar, stirring to combine.
  4. If mixture is hot from the melted butter, let it cool to lukewarm.
  5. Add the eggs, vanilla, and baking powder, beating well.
  6. Stir in the flour, mixing thoroughly.
  7. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
  8. Scrap into the prepared pan, using your wet fingers to smooth the top.
  9. Bake the bars for 30 minutes, until the top is golden and shiny, and the center is just barely baked through.
  10. Use the sharp tip of a knife to peek into the center; it should be very damp, but not unbaked.
  11. Remove the bars from the oven, and cool to lukewarm before cutting.

Caramel Nut Bars

These caramel bars are made with with a brown sugar and chopped nut meringue topping. A Christmas favorite, and good any time of year!

For an extra treat, add chocolate chips to the caramel bar mixture before baking.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
  3. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl with a hand held mixer on medium speed, cream 1/2 cup butter with 1 cup granulated sugar.
  5. Beat in egg yolks and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
  6. With mixer at low speed, blend in flour mixture, alternating with milk and vanilla.
  7. Mix just until blended.
  8. Turn batter into prepared pan; spread evenly.
  9. Bake caramel bars layer for 30 minutes.
  10. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks begin to form.
  11. Gradually beat in brown sugar; stir in nuts.
  12. Spread over the top of the warm crust.
  13. Return to oven and bake 20 minutes longer, or until puffed and lightly browned.
  14. Cut into bars while still warm.
  15. Cool caramel bars in pan on wire rack.

Lynn’s Black Hills Brownies

My Sister-in-Laws sister, Lynn, brought these to a family gathering. It took a lot of prodding to get the recipe out of her. Do your first batch with double frosting the way Lynn always does.

Here at Gurley’s, we love the chewey, crusty, soft-ish combo. The best is when they are just out of the oven with a bit of vanilla ice cream and maybe a smidge of hot fudge. Mmmmmmmmm… Yummy!

Ingredients

  • Base:
  • 6 (1-oz.) squares unsweetened chocolate
  • 1 cup butter
  • 8 large marshmallows
  • 1 tbsp. corn syrup
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 ½ tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • ¼ cup Gurley’s Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
  • Frosting:
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 6 tbsp. butter
  • 6 tbsp. milk
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease and flour a 15” x 10” x 1” pan.
  3. In a large, heavy saucepan melt chocolate, butter, marshmallows and corn syrup. Remove from heat.
  4. Stir in sugar until well mixed.
  5. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  6. Stir in salt and vanilla.
  7. Blend in flour then fold in nuts.
  8. Spread in prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
  9. Frost when cool with:
  10. In a saucepan add 1 1/3 cups sugar, 6 tbsp. butter and 6 tbsp. milk and boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add 1 cup Gurley’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips. Stir until melted. Spread on cooled brownies.

CHERRY MASH BARS

Taste better than the candy bar and is quick and easy to clean up

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk or half-n-half
  • 1 cup mini-marshmallows
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Sweet Cherry Chips
  • 1 cups Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Spanish Peanuts (not Raw) , coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar, butter, salt and milk. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  2. Turn off heat and stir in marshmallows and cherry chips.
  3. Spread in 8 or 9-inch square pan lined with wax paper.
  4. In the same saucepan combine the chocolate chips and peanut butter over low heat until melted.
  5. Stir in peanuts and spread evenly over cherry layer.
  6. Let cool and cut into squares.

Chippy Dippy Bars (7-Layer Bars)

The simplest no mess recipe for bars everyone will love. Nothing to clean up except your measuring cups!

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup melted butter
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup Gurley’s Flake Coconut
  • 1 ½ cups Gurley’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • ½ cup Butterscotch Chips
  • ½ cup Gurley’s Chopped Walnuts
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Pour butter into a 9” x 13” pan and tilt to each side so butter covers bottom.
  3. Place ingredients by layer in order shown. Do not stir.
  4. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until lightly browned.
  5. Let cool and cut into bars.

Apricot Almond Bars (Nebraska State Fair Winner)

State fair winning recipe also makes for a super coffee cake on weekend mornings.

Ingredients

  • 1 package (16 ounces) pound cake mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • 1 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 cup apricot preserves
  • 3/4 cup Gurley’s flake coconut
  • 3/4 cup Gurley’s sliced almonds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 2 eggs, butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat until well blended.
  3. Fold in dried apricots.
  4. Spread into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; set aside.
  5. In another bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, preserves and remaining vanilla.
  6. Add remaining eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.
  7. Gently spread over cake batter. Sprinkle with coconut and almonds.
  8. Bake at for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
  9. Cool and cut into bars.
  10. Refrigerate leftovers.

Banana Bars

These bars are a delicious treat. Not possible to eat just one with a cup of milk or coffee.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 3 overripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1-2oz. pkg. Gurley’s chopped walnuts
  • Frosting:
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 8oz. cream cheese
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together in a medium sized bowl.
  3. Beat in eggs, bananas and vanilla.
  4. Combine flour, baking soda and salt then add to creamed mixture and mix well.
  5. Fold in chopped walnuts
  6. Pour into greased 15 x 10 x1 baking pan.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Cool then frost.
  9. Frosting:
  10. ½ cup butter, softened
  11. 8oz. cream cheese
  12. 4 cups powdered sugar
  13. 2 tsp. vanilla
  14. Cream butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl.
  15. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla; beat well.
  16. Spread over bars

Mixed Nut Bars

Simple to make and an outstanding bar to share.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. butter, cold
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  • 1 can Gurley’s Deluxe Mixed Nuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a small bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt.
  3. Cut in 1/2 of the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  4. Press into greased 9 x 13″ pan.
  5. Bake for 10 minutes.
  6. While baking, melt butterscotch chips and remaining butter. Stir until smooth.
  7. Remove from heat and stir in corn syrup.
  8. Sprinkle nuts evenly over baked crust and top with butterscotch mixture.
  9. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
  10. Cool on rack before cutting into bars.