Adapted Bar-Cookie Recipes Are a Huge Hit

Although carefully adapted cookie recipes do microwave successfully, you can “bake” so few at a time it hardly seems worthwhile. For that reason, we prefer the conventional oven for most cookies and certainly for any that should be crisp. The microwave fails dismally here as it also does with commercial slice-and-bake cookies that haven’t been especially formulated for the microwave.

But bar cookies are another story. We’ve adapted some of our particular favorites for the microwave and they’ve been a huge hit with family, friends and neighbors. Imagine brownies cooling on the counter in just 10 minutes. And that, of course, is the big microwave advantage.

Some Guidelines

For best results when making bar cookies for the microwave, follow these guidelines:

--Always use the size and shape pan or container recipes recommend.

--Always microwave uncovered so that steam can escape, otherwise the bar cookies will not set up properly.

--Always cool before cutting. The first bar may be tricky to get out of the pan, so pry up (gently) with flexible metal spatula. The rest will be a snap to remove.

--Store tightly covered either in the baking pan or airtight canister. Microwaved bars dry out almost as fast as they cook.

BROWNIES

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 eggs

1 cup sifted flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Soften butter by microwaving in wax-paper-covered mixing bowl on HIGH (100% power) 20 to 30 seconds (do not melt). Add sugar and cocoa and beat with electric mixer at high speed 5 seconds. Beat in eggs, 1 at time.

Sift flour with baking powder and beat in gradually at lowest speed. Add vanilla and beat at high speed 15 seconds. Stir in nuts, spread batter evenly in greased 8-inch square baking dish.

Cover corners smoothly with 2-inch foil strips, center dish on oven rack or elevate on shallow bowl and microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM (50% power) 6 minutes, rotating dish 180 degrees at half time.

Remove foil and microwave on HIGH 3 to 4 minutes, rotating dish 180 degrees at half time, until wood pick, inserted in center, comes out clean and top is springy. (Few moist spots on surface will dry as brownies cool.)

Cool brownies, uncovered, in baking dish set directly on heat-resistant surface, until room temperature. Cut into 2-inch squares. Makes 16.

PEANUT BUTTER BARS

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons milk

2/3 cup sifted flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup chopped toasted, blanched peanuts

Beat peanut butter with sugar, egg, vanilla and milk in bowl. Sift flour with baking soda and add to peanut butter mixture. Beat just until smooth. Mix in peanuts.

Spread evenly in greased 8-inch square baking dish. Center dish on oven rack or elevate on shallow bowl and microwave, uncovered, on MEDIUM-HIGH (70% power) 5 1/2 to 6 minutes, rotating dish 180 degrees after 3 minutes, until just firm to touch.

Let stand, uncovered, in baking dish 5 minutes, then transfer dish to wire rack and cool completely. Cut into bars. Makes 24.

Note: In ovens of less than 600 watts, increase cooking times about 15%.