How do you organize the recipes you want to make? I would say I’m a bit of a hot mess in the area. I have a folder of favourites on my work computer (categories: Dinner, Treats, Breakfast, BBQ, Other Stuff), another system on my personal computer at home (categories: Treats, Pioneer Woman), a huge stack of magazines with page corners folded down (Everyday Food, Bon Appetit, a random Food Network Magazine, a few Food & Drink Magazines from LCBO), various cookbooks with Post-its sticking out, and finally an old paper folder with things ripped out magazines divided between two sides (one for eats, one for sweets). You don’t need to tell me this isn’t the most efficient system, and I really need to work on it.

I started with the favourites on my personal laptop. I know a lot of people use Google Reader to organize links, but I’m just not there yet. The things bookmarked in these folders are crazy old, like we’re talking YEARS old. I decided to start going through the recipes and deleting the ones that I know I’m never going to make, and actually make something from this list. I started with these Oatmeal Cream Cheese Butterscotch Bars, that are from the Food Network (USA) site from Anne Burrell. How long has it been since Secrets of a Restaurant Chef aired on Food Network Canada? Exactly. Who knows how long this has been sitting in there.

I made these for one of my favourite co-workers Kim for her birthday last week. Kim is the best because she and her husband own, like, every good show on DVD. The series I have watched and loved from Kim’s library are some of the best shows of the last 10 or so years: Six Feet Under, Alias, The Sopranos, and THE WIRE, my goodness.

Oh right, the bars. Worth the wait? Kathleen and I each tried a little piece on the weekend. I loved them, because I’m a sucker for a gooey square. Katy wasn’t so sure, because she’s not a fan of the fake, artificial taste of butterscotch chips. If that bugs you too, skip them, or experiment with white chocolate chips, or maybe even peanut butter chips. Final note: You need a food processor for this recipe and mine was almost overflowing. If I made this again, I would cut the recipe in half, and use an 8×8 square baking dish.

So keep checking back here as I work my way through these old bookmarked recipes, and we’ll see what’s good.

Oatmeal Cream Cheese Butterscotch Bars

Source: Anne Burrell

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature and cut into cubes

1 tsp cinnamon

1 bag butterscotch chips

8 oz cream cheese (1 block), room temperature

14 oz (1 can) sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

  1. In a food processor, add the flour, rolled oats and brown sugar and pulse to combine. Add the butter, cinnamon and butterscotch chips and pulse again until everything is combined (at this point I had to remove about half of the mixture because it wouldn’t all fit. So I mixed in two batches then combined everything in a big bowl. This is why I would make half the recipe next time.)
  2. Line a 9×13 pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Add half of the cookie mixture and press into the pan. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until light brown. Cool completely.
  3. With an electric mixer, blend the cream cheese, condensed milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour over cooled crust, and sprinkle the remaining half of the cookie crumbs over top. Bake for 40 minutes.
  4. Cool to room temperature, then chill, which will make it easier to slice.