Snickers and Mars bars

 Here's to the mighty Snickers bar, and here's to making it (sort of) by yourself (sort of) at home (sort of)!!

I know I've talked about this recipe once before, but I found myself making two batches this month, one with peanuts (like a Snickers) and one without (like a Mars Bar).

So, if you ever really wanted to know what's involved in making your own, here's the (less than) skinny on the process.

(And maybe this will be my last set of parentheses!)

Bottom Layer Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

Nougat Layer Ingredients:

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

Caramel Layer Ingredients:
1 14-ounce bag of caramels
1/4 cup whipping cream

Top Layer Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

It's really not a lot, this process just TAKES TIME since every layer needs to cool enough to hold its own before you add another one on top of it.  I'd plan on at least an hour per layer, even if you use the fridge, because you really want that pretty set of layers to come out evenly when you're down.

 Directions (Bottom Layer):
1. Buy a 9x13 disposable pan and spray it with a non-stick cooking spray.  You really want disposable and you really want to grease it up.  Trust me on both.  It makes the final steps the easiest.
2. In a microwave safe dish/measuring cup, melt together the bottom layer ingredients over 90 seconds, stopping every 30 seconds to stir, or until completely melted and combined.
3. Spread out melted PB chocolate goo into prepped disposable container, set in fridge to solidify.

Directions (Nougat Layer):
1. Melt butter in your pan over medium heat, then add your sugar and milk and bring to a boil.  Stir well so everything dissolves nicely.
2. Cook for about five minutes, still stirring from time to time.
3. Add fluff, PB, and vanilla - keep stirring!  Make it smooth.

 4. Turn off the heat and fold in the peanuts (for Snickers), or don't (for Mars bar)
5. Pour and spread over cooled and set bottom chocolate layer.  Stick that puppy back in the fridge for another hour.

Directions (Caramel Layer):
1. Combine caramels and cream in saucepan over low heat.  Stir until smooth (10+ minutes).
2. Pour over nougat and return to fridge for another hour.


 Directions (Top Layer):
1. In a microwave safe dish/measuring cup, melt together the bottom layer ingredients over 90 seconds, stopping every 30 seconds to stir, or until completely melted and combined.
3. Spread melted PB chocolate goo on top of other three set layers.  Put back in fridge to solidify one final time.

 Directions to Serve:
This is the part where you're really thankful I told you to use a disposable pan...

First, peel back the edges if your pan.  You'll see how nicely the layers have set, making it super simple for you to take them out of the pan.

I just flip it upside down and peel off the bottom.  The flexibility of the disposable pan helps.  If you're super-anti-disposable pan, then try to use a silicon one or something with equal amounts of flex.

 Next, take your nicely sharpened knife and cut it up.  You can make bars, squares, or whatever your heart desires.  I'd store them in the fridge because the chocolate will go soft if you leave it out too long.

When I make a double batch (two 9x13" pans), I can keep them in the fridge for about two weeks and they still taste amazing.  I can't vouch for longer than that because they really won't ever last once people have tasted them.



Try it.  You'll never want to go back to your standard Snickers/Mars bar again.  I promise.

200th Post of Love: Salted Caramel Nutella Fudge!!

 Picked up the original recipe over at Doughmesstic, and it's worth every second!

This recipe makes one 9x9 pan, with as many pieces as you want (up to 50 if you plan accordingly!)

Bottom Layer

• 1 cup Semi Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 cup Nutella

1. Melt the chips in the microwave, stir every 30 seconds until smooth, then add the Nutella.  

2. Spread in the bottom of a parchment paper lined and greased 9x9 pan.

Salted Caramel Layer

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/4 cup sour cream

1. In a small saucepan, combine the cream and the salt.  Simmer over very low heat until the salt is dissolved.  Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and corn syrup carefully. They will not combine well until the sugar begins to melt. Cook over high heat for about 6 to 8 minutes.  Just pull the sugar off the heat when it is a medium goldish brown – it will continue to cook in the heat of the pan.  Remove from the heat and let cool for one minute.

3. Add the cream mixture and the vanilla to the sugar mixture.  Whisk in the sour cream.  Let the caramel cool to room temp

 Middle Layer

• 4 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1 7 oz. Jar Marshmallow Creme
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 cup Chopped Hazelnuts

1. Top caramel with chopped nuts.

2. In a medium pan, melt butter.  Add the sugar and evaporated milk.  Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 

3.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and marshmallow creme.  Pour mixture evenly over the previous layers.

Top Layer

• 1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 cup Semi Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 cup Nutella

1. Repeat process for bottom layer, and pour evenly over the top of the previous layers.

Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, until firm.  Cut into bite sized pieces.  Caramel layer will be gooey, keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

* Make sure you refrigerate between layers so there is a better distinction between each one when you cut into it. *



It's funny how the first 100 took the longest.  This second set of 100 posts went by in a blink.  Here's to many, many more.

Enjoy!

S'moreful September: S'mores Cupcakes

I'm not going to lie, this is the recipe I was waiting for.  It was the whole reason that I decided to celebrate National S'mores Day, and the reason that I will probably continue to celebrate every year after this one.

I do love this recipe from start to finish, and (as you well know) any time that I can use a box mix while creating a full recipe, it's a good day.  There's something about saving those middle steps that really appeals to me, especially when I know I love that particular brand or flavor.
Ingredients (bottom/crust layer):
1 1/2 C finely crushed graham crackers
1/4 C sugar
5T unsalted butter
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
about 200 mini marshmallows (less than half a bag)


Directions (bottom/crust layer):
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin tins with paper liners.
2. Mix graham crumbs and sugar in a microwave safe bowl.  Top with butter and microwave until melted.  Stir well to mix the butter throughout.
3. Place about 1 T of crumb mixture into each muffin cup, and press down (I used the bottom of a cup).
4. Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove then top with a tsp (or so) of chocolate pieces and 4-7 mini marshmallows.

Ingredients (cupcake layer):
1 box of favorite chocolate cake mix
all related ingredients for cake mix (eggs, oil, water, etc.)

Directions (cupcake layer):
1. Mix all necessary ingredients for box mix.
2. Add to top of bottom crust layer in each paper muffin cup.
3. Bake according to box mix directions, but watch closely as it goes a little more quickly.  Remove and let cool.

The frosting was so heavy it broke our cheap hand mixer!

Ingredients (frosting layer):
1/4 C butter, softened
1 jar (7oz) marshmallow creme
1 tsp vanilla
16 oz powdered sugar (or less)
1-2 T milk

Directions (frosting layer): ***
1. Hand/machine mix butter, marshmallow creme, and vanilla until well blended.
2. Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition until well blended.
3. Add in 1 T of milk and blend.  Add more milk, if necessary, for desired consistency
4. Top your cooled cupcakes with the frosting.
5. Lightly brown in broiler or with kitchen torch.

So, as you see, the frosting and I didn't get along.  If you look here, the frosting was supposed to be pipe-able.  Yeah, that totally didn't work, and trying to lightly brown it made it even worse!  The cupcakes tasted amazing, but I blew out a hand mixer on the frosting and it went down hill from there.  Hand mixing the heavy marshmallow frosting was very difficult (as my hand mixer obviously doth protest too much) and it didn't firm up as needed.  In the end, sure, it looked like a melted slice of provolone, but it tasted amazing.  Next year, I'll have to play with it to see how it goes.

My assistant thought this was a good form of 'decorating'.

Sigh. Well, it was a great S'moreful beginning to this September, and I had a blast with National S'mores Day.  And?  The greatest part about Pinterest?  There are a ton more s'more recipes to be had for next year.

Score!

S'moreful September: PB S'more Brownies

It was only a matter of time before peanut butter was added to this mixture.  This recipe appeals to me for its simplicity, and the way you combine the peanut butter into the mixture to make you feel better about your life.  It's protein, it's healthy, right??

Ingredients:
1 box of your favorite brownie mix (plus it's ingredients, usually oil, eggs, and water)
1 jar (7.5oz) of marshmallow creme
1 C of your favorite creamy chocolate frosting
1 C of your favorite peanut butter

* See how this recipe is bound to be your favorite?  Three of the ingredients are your own personal favs!*




Directions:
1. Make, bake, and cool your brownies in a greased 9"x13" baking pan.  Usually the recipe calls for up to
a 8x8 size, so this will bake in less than half that allotted time.  Watch the brownies, use a toothpick.  You should know what you'd like your brownies to look like.
2. Drop spoonfuls of the marshmallow creme on top of the cooled brownie.  Lightly spread the fluff around.
3. Melt the frosting in a microwave safe bowl.  Pour and spread over the fluff.

4. Melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl.  Pour and spread over the chocolate.
5. Using a knife, spread around the chocolate and peanut butter to marbleize it.
6. Cool in the fridge until more firm.  Cut and enjoy!

OH SO GOOD!!!

S'mores Cookie Bars

"More s'mores!"  You seemingly exclaim at me as I sit to write this post.

"Of course," I reply, calmly.  "It's summer, is it not?!"

There really is an entire conversation that I'm participating in that goes along these lines.

Unfortunately, I'm the only one talking.

On both sides of the conversation.

sometimes you run out of chocolate bars and make due with the chips from the cupboard...

 I can't help it.  I just love s'mores.  I have about 5 more recipes that are vaguely s'morish that I want to still try.  Maybe I'll space them out.  Maybe tomorrow I'll make another one.  There's no way to know for sure what I'm capable of.

Here's my original recipe from Crepes of Wrath, who, of course gets bonus credits for the reference.

The nice thing about this recipe is that there's really not much to it, other than the assembly.

 Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 graham crackers - I just crushed mine in a zip lock bag)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 king-sized milk chocolate bars +
2 (7 oz) jars of marshmallow Fluff (not melted marshmallows because they harden when cooled)

1. Preheat your oven to 350, and grease your container.  I used a disposable half pan (11.75"x9.5").

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. (Don’t worry if it seems thin; the baking powder will allow it to rise.)

4. Place chocolate bars in a single layer over dough, then spread the marshmallow Fluff over the chocolate bars. Finally, top the Fluff with the remaining dough by forming the dough into sheets with the palm of your hands and laying it down. When you get tired of just palming the dough into flat sheets, just spread the rest of the dough sprinkles over your gaps and press it down.  It doesn't have to be perfect, it'll rise and do it's own thing once you start baking it.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Let it cool before cutting.  Or don't, it'll just be crumbly/flaky if it's still warm.

so melt in your mouth, buttery, and gooey...AMAZING!

Fruit Fluff

I was making small fruit salad kabobs the other day at work, and discovered a hole in my platter.  I didn't have any garnish on hand, and I didn't want to find another platter that was more size appropriate for the amount of fruit I had.

So I turned to my go to girl, the Brown Eyed Baker, for an easy fruit dip recipe.  Turns out that was the right choice.

This is all you need:

1 Jar of Marshmallow Fluff (7oz)
1 Brick of Cream Cheese (8oz)

Blend and serve.  It's not too sweet or savory, but it's the perfect complement to your fruit.

You're welcome.  ;)

Taste of Sweetness Saturday: Snickers!

Home made Snickers?  Sounds like a great way to spend a Friday afternoon, right??

Actually, it's like your entire Friday.  Not because it's really labor intensive, but because it takes a long time to cool all of those layers into their yummy goodness!

 The recipe is here, and I followed it to the T.

 The chocolate, melted with peanut butter, is amazing by itself.  It just means that the chocolate doesn't really set unless cold.  It melts quickly in your hands, so I've found it's better to keep it in the fridge while it's not being eaten...  if you can keep it that long!

The nougat is amazing as well.  I hate working with marshmallows or marshmallow fluff, but it's totally worth it.

I couldn't find chopped peanuts -  is that even possible in this day any age?!  No worries, I chopped them myself with a knife.  I was just surprised, that's all.

It was amazing I didn't burn the caramel.  It goes quickly.  Almost did, but that's what I call the authentic, "home made" effect! 

 

The hardest part about this entire process is waiting between all of the layers.  The nougat melted the first chocolate layer, the caramel started to soften the nougat, and so on down the line.  I LOVE that the original blogger suggested using a throwaway aluminum pan for this.  It made removal so simple.  The only realy change I made was I cut the 9x13 of Snickers before adding the top layed of chocolate, and then I just dipped the pieces into the final chocolate and drizzled the extra on top.  I made some "bite sized" pieces, but most of them were about 1.5" squares.  Since I've been keeping them in the fridge, thinly slicing each piece helps with eating it, but really it's gone before you care that much, anyway.  Regardless, outcome: AMAZING!