Recipes…I wonder if they are good or bad. OK, a weird idea, I know, but would we be more creative if we didn’t have them. How many of us follow them word for word? I know I do the first time, but after that, I usually don’t, unless it is a precise baking dish.

I have a few cook books and I use recipes from them, but I never did the experiment like the gal in Julie/Julia using every recipe. There are some things I’m simply not interested in. I have been creating my own cookbook by typing up recipes I try and like, and then put them in a three ring binder. Right now I have two binders, but I haven’t put everything in them yet.

I like trying new recipes because I like a challenge. I’m not a gourmet, but I enjoy working with something and seeing if I can make it come out. Then, if I like it, I try to tweak it and make it more personal.
I tried a new recipe yesterday for a cookie bar that has coffee in it. I think this is one of those recipes that can be as personal as you like it. I used sour cream, but I think next time I’ll use yogurt. I did use a flavored coffee and it did give it a nice little kick. I think this recipe could be changed to add cocoa as well as coffee and make it even more chocolately. I may try that.

My grandmother used to make fudge and peanut brittle around the holidays and sell it to make some extra spending money. I was a little kid then and remember they were pretty good. When my grandmother died, my mom got her recipes. She tried the peanut brittle once and burned it. She decided it was too hard. We made the fudge each year and it was pretty rich. A few years ago I asked my mom for the peanut brittle recipe and she let me use it on the condition I gave it back immediately. I thought that was amusing because she wouldn’t ever use it again, but I did as she asked. I basically made the peanut brittle for her anyway since she liked peanut brittle so much. I now have the peanut brittle recipe since my mom has died and I find it incredibly funny that she was so secretive. It wasn’t like it was the Coca-Cola formula or the secret spices for KFC. If anyone likes something I make, I’m happy to share the recipe because I think they are meant to be shared and enjoyed.

Since I wrote that, I’m sharing the coffee-chocolate chip bars and hope if you find time to make them, you enjoy them.

Coffee-Chocolate Chip Bars
¼ cup butter
¼ cup sour cream
1 egg
½ cup cold coffee (flavored is great!)
½ cup sugar
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup chocolate chips (mini ones work great if you have them)
¼ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9 inch cake pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine butter, sour cream, and egg. Stir in coffee and sugar. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Mix gently just to combine. Fold in chocolate chips (and nuts). Spread batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until done with a cake tester. Place cake pan on a wire rack to cool. Cut into bars.