chocolate

Homemade Snickers Bars.

January 26, 2012 · 261 comments

Insanity.

That’s what this is. Pure In.San.It.TEEEEE.

You know those days when you’re in desperate need of sugar and you’ve already downed more gummy vitamins than recommended while seriously considering how many more you can ingest without causing severe harm to your internal organs? They’re just so gooooood.

Well… in that case you should make some homemade snickers bars. Because I definitely did that.

And I KNOW you know what I’m talking about.

I spent the majority of my pre-pubescent and adolescent years scheming just how I would be able to steal my brothers’ Halloween candy. Snickers were always my favorite, and the boys weren’t huge fans so more often than not, they would hand them over. But sometimes… they kept them just to spite me. Brats.

Then I went through a SERIOUS phase of those Snickers ice cream bars. I swear they only had like 4 in a package or something but I could easily take down 2 for dessert. As kids, we were rarely allowed candy bars, but my mom had no issue with buying bags of fun-sized candy because, well… when things are fun-sized it means the calories don’t count.

And that you can eat a million of them.

 

These days, it’s rare that I crave actual candy, often preferring some chewy cookies or super rich cheesecake or a bar of amazing chocolate that costs thrice as much as the recent organic meyer lemons I purchased. But snickers are in my blood.

They are the peanut butter to my jelly.

The salt to my pepper.

The broccoli to my… wait, no.

This recipes comes from my friend Nikki who, well… I didn’t even know until Instagram and Twitter.

But now Nikki is like my bestest friend ever. Because when someone emails you a recipe for homemade snickers bars, they are your BFF for life. I mean, who else has my best interests at heart like that? I don’t even know.

And the fabulous part? This is SO EASY. So, so, so, so, so easy. Like, had-five-drinks-and-a-recent-breakup-easy. It has four distinct steps and in print seems slightly intimidating, but it isn’t whatsoever. I promise. I swear. I even had every single ingredient on hand. And not just because I’m a hoarder. Would I lie to you?

I’m not even going to waste your time trying to convince you to whip up a batch because, uhhh…. look at them. They are irresistible. Literally… considering they ruined two of my family members’ January diets.

Now that’s a win.

Homemade Snickers Bars

[recipe from Nikki, who lightly adapted it from and old Taste of Home recipe]

makes one 9×13 pan

bottom chocolate layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Thoroughly grease you baking pan. Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into the baking dish and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

nougat layer

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup salted peanuts chopped, roughly chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in sugar and milk, stirring until dissolved and bring to a boil. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in fluff, peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Turn off heat and fold in peanuts, then pour over bottom chocolate layer. Let cool completely.

caramel layer

1 14-ounce bag of caramels

1/4 cup whipping cream

Combine ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Let melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth – this took about 10 minutes for me. Pour over nougat layer and let cool completely.

Top chocolate layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour over caramel and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving, then cut as desired. These can stay at room temperature, but they do get gooey. I like them refrigerated best!

Note: for best results, buy one of the half-sheet aluminum cake pans at the grocery store. That way, you can pop the entire square out and cut from there!

I can’t even take that.

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{ 261 comments }

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cupcakes with Cinnamon Sugared Chip Frosting.

January 20, 2012 · 158 comments

Cake

fo’

life.

Wish I could say more but… am at a complete loss for words on this little Friday here. The only thing I want to do is smash my entire body into a some oatmeal cupcake pillows. And build myself a house of epic proportions, made of cinnamon sugar chip frosting.

And peanut butter.

Then eat myself out of house and home.

Literally.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cupcakes

[adapted from my sweet potato pie cupcakes]

makes 12 cupcakes

1 large egg

3/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 cup chocolate chips, tossed in a sprinkle of flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with liners.

In a large bowl, whisk egg and sugar together until combined and no lumps remain. Add in vanilla extract and butter, whisking until smooth. Add in flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon then add in milk and stir until combined and smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop about 1/4-1/3 cup of batter into each liner. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until cupcakes are set and spring back at the touch. Let cool completely before frosting.

 

Cinnamon Sugared Chocolate Chip Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of milk, if needed

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixture until completely smooth and creamy. With the mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar slowly. Gradually increase mixer speed and add brown sugar and vanilla, then beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of the bowl. If frosting is too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached If it’s too thin, add sugar gradually until it thickens. Fold in chocolate chips, then frost cupcakes. Extra frosting can be stored in the freezer for about 6 weeks.

The end.

{ 158 comments }

Gooey Chocolate Coconut Truffles.

December 20, 2011 · 124 comments

 The best thing ever happened on Friday night.

But first!

Some of you have asked how I dip my truffles since they appear all nice and smooth and stuff.

I use forks. No biggie. Pretty sure this happened by accident about 5 years ago when I ran out of spoons.

I hate doing dishes.

And yes, that would be me – the person who had a dish of brownies shatter in her oven – placing a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water. Sometimes I do stupid + desperate things.

You can see I’m not messy either. AT ALL.

Oh, and seriously? Most of my balls look like this. Not pretty. A nice, little hawt mess.

Anyhooooo… Friday night.

We were at a little holiday gathering. After a few adult beverages we were ready to eat (i.e. like ravenous) and started to load up our plates with breads and cheeses and roasted red peppers and beef and this amazing penne. You may recall that there are really only two foods that my husband seriously dislikes. The first being coconut – he just can’t take the texture. He loves the taste and can slam a handle of Malibu like he’s 22 years old, but refuses to put the actual shreds in his mouth because they make his skin crawl. And the second is ricotta cheese – which I chalk up to him having some really crummy lasagna at some point in his life where the cheese resembled grit. But what do I know? Just a guess.

My cousin Lacy and I sat on the floor with our plates on a mini table and ate like hogs while Mr. How Sweet stood against the wall, attempting to devour his own plate as another party goer commented, “uh, who are you? You have red hair and don’t look like anyone here so I’m trying to figure out why you’re at this party.”

Me too, lady. Me too.

 

A few minutes later Lacy turns to me and says, “do you think this is ricotta in the penne?” To which I respond, “I’m pretty sure it is, it’s soooo good.” And she goes with a smirk, “well your husband is standing over there scarfing it.”

And scarfing it HE WAS. His second plate of it too. I was dyyyyying inside with giddiness. I love when he thinks he hates something and then eats like five platefuls.

I don’t know where I disappeared to but when I returned, Lacy had filled him in on what he just ate and he couldn’t even take it. She was just as excited to break it to him too. Full on tantrum ensued. He refused to believe it. He insisted it was parmesan. Insisted it was feta. As the nice wife I am, I went on a mission to figure out how this penne was made and sure enough… it was penne with garlic and olive oil, topped with GIANT ICE CREAM SCOOPS FULL of ricotta. Yeah. That’s a lot of ricotta my friends. A lot of ricotta that he ate.

Since ricotta and I had easily one-upped him, I was aching to go 2 for 2. I made these truffles while he was at work (they are INSANELY easy, trust me), then strategically placed the pan in the fridge where he simply couldn’t miss them. Sure enough… he ate one.

Now the only problem is that I might be getting a divorce.

Gooey Chocolate Coconut Truffles

makes about 24 teaspoon-sized truffles

3 cups sweetened, shredded coconut

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

1 1/2-2 cups milk chocolate chips, melted

In a large bowl, combined coconut and sugar and mix to combine. Add in milk and coconut oil, mix constantly until a gooey coconut filling results. I used my hands to mix too! Roll between the palm of your hands into teaspoon-sized (or a little larger) balls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for 15 minutes, then remove from freeze and roll again between your palms to smooth any coconut edges. Freeze for 10-15 minutes more. While freezing, melt chocolate chips in a double boiled or microwave. Remove coconut balls from freezer and immediately dip.

Refrigerate until ready to serve – at least 15 minutes.

Moral of the store: make these tonight. They are so gooey and chewy I could die!

{ 124 comments }

Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles.

Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles makes about 50-60 balls, if teaspoon sized 2 cups creamy peanut butter 2 cups powdered sugar 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup crisped rice cereal 2 1/2 – 3 cups milk chocolate chips In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat peanut butter and butter until creamy and smooth. Gradually add in vanilla extract and powdered sugar with the mixture on low, speeding up once it becomes more combined. At this point you should have a cookie “dough” (depending on your brand of peanut butter you may need a little more sugar – add it 1-2 tablespoons at a time while mixing). Using a spatula, gently fold in crisped rice cereal so it gets distributed through the batter, adding more is desired. Be careful not to crush all the cereal so it stays crispy. Once combined, roll dough into balls (mine were slightly more than teaspoon-sized) and place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Some of the balls will have crisped rice edges sticking out and some may be crumbly – that’s okay, just roll as smooth as you can occasionally squeezing the dough together if [...]

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Brown Butter Double Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cookies.

Brown Butter Double Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cookies [from giant rainbow cookies] makes 24 cookies **You have two options here to make the dough. You can make two separate half batches of the recipe below in two different bowls (recommended if you don’t have a kitchen scale). Or, you can make the dough as calls for through adding the egg and vanilla extract. Then use a kitchen scale, measure it in grams, put an equal amount in each bowl, then make chocolate chip in one bowl and double fudge chip in the other. The latter is what I did and how I’m writing the recipe.** 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) of unsalted butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Heat a saucepan over medium-low heat and add butter. Whisk constantly until brown bits appear on the bottom (about 5 minutes), then remove and let cool completely. Once cool, add to a large bowl with sugars and whisk until completely smooth. [...]

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Triple Fudge Banana Bread.

Triple Fudge Banana Bread makes one loaf (or about 3 mini loaves) 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 2/3 cup brown sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 4 large bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1/4 cup milk 4 ounces dark chocolate, melted 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips + 1/2 teaspoon flour Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a loaf pan (mine was 9×5) liberally with non-stick spray or grease with butter. In a bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder, then set aside. In a large bowl, whisk egg and sugar together until smooth. Whisk in vanilla extract, then add bananas and milk and mix until combined. Add in dry ingredients slowing, mixing with a spoon until batter comes together. Add in melted butter and mix until incorporated, then stir in melt chocolate. Toss chocolate chips with 1/2 teaspoon to coat, then fold into batter. Pour batter into loaf pan. Set pan on a baking sheet, then bake for 55-60 minutes, or until center is set [...]

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Mocha Coconut Fudge.

Mocha Coconut Fudge [adapted from mother lovett's 3-minute fudge] makes one 8×8 pan 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 12 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped 1 can (15oz) sweetened condensed milk 1 1/2 tablespoons espresso powder (or instant coffee) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted Spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick spray. Add semisweet chocolate to a double boiler, and melt completely. One melted, add in half of the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla, the coffee powder and 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil. Stir with a spatula until combined and fairly smooth, then spread evenly in the bottom of the pan. Mixture will be thick. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Add white chocolate to a double boiler and melt completely. Add in remaining condensed milk, coconut oil and coconut extract, stirring until combined. Remove fudge from freezer and add white chocolate on top, spreading evenly to coat. Top with toasted coconut, then chill in the refrigerator for 60-90 minutes. When ready to cut, fill a large cup with hot water. Dip a sharp knife into the water, then blot on a towel. Use knife to cut fudge [...]

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Chocolate Fudge S’mores Thumbprints.

Chocolate Fudge S’mores Thumbprints [adapted from mother lovett's thumbprints] makes about 20 cookies 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg yolk 3/4 cup all purpose flour 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 mini chocolate chips 1/2 batch of marshmallow frosting 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, or more if desired. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt into a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until fluffy (scraping the bowl when needed), for about 3-4 minutes. Add in egg yolk and vanilla, and beat for another 1-2 minutes until combined. With the mixer on low speed, stir in the flour mixture and gradually increase the speed for the dough to come together, again scraping down the sides to combine. One batter has come together, fold in chocolate chips. Roll into balls that are about 1 inch in diameter and set on a baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from oven and gently press your thumb into the center of each cookie, creating a dent. Place [...]

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Pumpkin Pie Fudge Brownie Bars.

Pumpkin Pie Fudge Brownie Bars (brownies adapted from bourbon pecan brownies, pumpkin adapted from simply recipes) makes one 9×13 pan brownie layer 1/2 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup cocoa powder 1 1/4 cups sugar 10 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs Preheat oven to 325 F. In a small bowl, beat eggs and vanilla and set aside. In a double boiler, add butter, cocoa, sugar and salt. Mix until the mixture becomes a batter – this will take approximately 10 minutes and at first will just look like clumps of cocoa power. Be patient! Remove the bowl from heat and whisk in the egg mixture (very slowly while whisking, so you don’t have scrambled eggs!) until combined. Stir in flour until batter is smooth, then pour in baking dish. Use a 9×13 dish for thin bars, and an 8×8 for thicker bars. For 9×13 dish, bake for 12-13 minutes. For an 8×8 dish, bake for about 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely! Then make pumpkin layer. pumpkin layer 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 large egg 1 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup heavy cream [...]

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Grown Up Hot Chocolate with Homemade Bailey’s Marshmallows.

Grown Up Hot Chocolate [lightly adapted from food network] serves about 6 3 cups whole milk 1 1/2 cups cream or half and half 1/4 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark) 4 ounces milk chocolate, chopped 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pinch of salt 4-6 ounces of marshmallow (or vanilla, cake, whipped cream) vodka In a large bowl, mix together cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add milk and cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring every few minutes. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the milk to the cocoa and sugar, mixing thoroughly to create a paste. Once the entire thing is wet, use a spatula to add it to the milk and turn the heat down to low. Whisk continuously until smooth (do not let it boil), the whisk in chopped chocolate and vanilla extract. Remove from heat and whisk in vodka, or add to each glass right before serving. Top with marshmallows and whipped cream. For the Bailey’s marshmallows, I used this exact recipe for beer marshmallows, substituting Bailey’s for beer.

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