Snickers Brownies – Unbelievably Amazingly Ridiculous

I realized the other day that it has been a WHILE since I baked anything new – like – over a MONTH! It’s been a busy summer, and I haven’t had much time to focus on my one true love – BAKED GOODS. Well, I decided then and there that that was unacceptable – I needed to get on it like yesterday. So, since I am a nice wife, I asked my husband what he might want – and he said “something with caramel and brownie” – well – it didn’t take me long to land on these Snickers Brownies

Snickers has been a long time favorite candy of mine – and when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it – as it fulfilled both my husband’s desire for caramel and brownie, as well as my desire to turn an amazing candy bar into dessert!

Ingredients and Tiny Baking Assistant? Check!

Snickers Brownies
(Recipe Courtesy of My Litter)

Layer #1: Brownie
1 box of brownie mix
Ingredients called for on box
1/4 cup hot fudge topping

Layer #2: Nougat 
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup evaporated milk
2 (7 oz.) jars marshmallow creme (@1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup peanut butter ( I used Trader Joes Cookie Butter)
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla

Layer #3: Caramel
1 (17 oz.) jar of caramel, preferably Mrs. Richardson’s Butterscotch Caramel

Layer #4 Candy Bar Topping
1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:
First Layer: The Brownie
Take a mix, make it according to directions. Add the 1/4 cup hot fudge sauce, directly from the hot fudge jar. Stir it in. Bake according to box. DO NOT OVERBAKE. In fact, I pulled mine out and was just a little worried about the center, but it finished baking after it was out.

Layer 2: The Nougat
Melt the butter, with the sugar and the milk. Bring to a boil and add the marshmallow. Add the peanut butter and vanilla. Then stir in peanuts. Pour over cooled brownies.

Layer 3: Caramel
Scoop the caramel into a pan, heat it up just a little so it is liquid-y and not all cold and hard to spread. Then pour over nougat layer that is solid because you had it in the fridge!

Layer #4: The Chocolate Topping
Take the PB and add it to a bag of chocolate chips in a pan, add about 1T oil. Melt the chips slowly, do NOT burn. When it is smooth, pour it over the caramel layer. Stick that back in the fridge, and when the top layer is set, you are ready to eat!

Nougat assembly

The layers of the finished product

When it comes to baking, I tend to gravitate towards “ridiculous” desserts – like adding frosting to these already insane Oreo Blondies, or making Slutty Pumpkin Bars and Slutty Brownies – and these Snickers Brownies DEFINITELY fall into the ridiculous category – they are SUPER RICH – and super sweet, too. The saltyness of the nuts helps, but it’s still overall a LOT OF SUGAR to handle all at once. I cut it into like a LOT of smaller squares – almost fudge sized – because really anything more than that is TOO much

That all being said, they are SUPER DELICIOUS – I love how it tastes just like a Snickers – but BETTER! If you’re a big Snickers fan like me you gotta try this recipe

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Skip The Fire With This Easy (And Tasty!) S’mores Poke Cake

Happy (slightly belated) 4th of July! I hope you enjoyed your day off with family, friends, and GOOD FOOD – I know I did! We went to a friend’s house for a BBQ – and it was a great time (despite the heat and humidity ugh)

I took this opportunity to try out a new dessert (obviously – any gathering is a good excuse to try something new!), and what better to try than a recipe that turns everyone’s favorite campfire treat into a delicious cake?

Enter – the S’mores Poke Cake – Graham flavored cake with chocolate, topped with marshmallow buttercream and all the makings of the classic s’more – what could be better?

S’mores Poke Cake
(Recipe Courtesy of Delish)

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CAKE
Cooking spray, for pan
1 box vanilla cake mix, plus ingredients called for on box
1 1/2 c. crushed graham crackers (about 10 crackers)
FOR THE FILLING
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips, melted
FOR THE MARSHMALLOW FROSTING
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 (7.5-oz.) jar marshmallow crème
3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. heavy cream
FOR TOPPING
2 Hershey’s chocolate bars, broken into squares
1 1/2 c. mini marshmallows
2 graham crackers, crushed
Melted chocolate, for drizzling

DIRECTIONS
-Preheat oven to 350º and spray a 9-x-13” pan with cooking spray. Prepare cake batter according to package instructions. Fold in crushed graham crackers.
-Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
-Let cool slightly, then poke holes all over bottom of cake with a wooden spoon. -In a small bowl, mix together sweetened condensed milk and melted chocolate. Pour mixture into poke holes.
-Make frosting: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy, then add marshmallow crème, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Gradually add heavy cream if mixture is too stiff.
-Frost cake and top with marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers.

 

Liquid chocolate – ready to go into the “poke” holes

Tried my best to direct the chocolate into the holes – didn’t work so well, but at least I was left with an awesome chocolate layer on top of the cake!

So – marshmallow buttercream -it’s sort of like vanilla frosting, only WAY SWEETER (I was on board with this for SURE)

I love the way the top turned out – makes it pretty clear what’s in it anyway ha!

I mean – truthfully, this one had me at “marshmallow buttercream” – because – what’s not to love about EXTRA sweet frosting? Overall the dessert was really sweet – but definitely accomplished embodying the S’more itself – the graham, chocolate, and marshmallow flavors all came through really well

This was really easy to put together, and was a great alternative to actual S’mores. Everyone at the BBQ seemed to like it, and I think I will definitely make it again next time I head to a summer get together!

Oh and if you’re looking for some more s’more treats – check out these s’more bars, and these s’more cookie bars (both delicious and gooey like the real thing!)

An Ice Cream Cake For My Long Distance BFF

Friendships have always been something that is super important to me – and as I get older (and in theory – wiser?), I am reminded just how much a good friend is worth. Sometimes it’s a lot of effort to maintain/cultivate friendships, and it can be even tougher when the friends don’t live near each other. Long distance relationships – whether they be romantic or just platonic friends – are HARD. For those of you who haven’t experienced it – you’re lucky – TRUST me!

A few snapshots of me and my Long Distance Bestie over the years

My best friend from college lives in Virginia with her husband and two kids, and I miss her every day. We are lucky enough to get to text, email, call, and FaceTime pretty often (thank GOD for Iphones, right?), and we also take turns traveling to see each other several times a year.

In fact, we just returned from a long weekend at their house – full of fun and crazy kids and laughter – and I wouldn’t have it any other way! We celebrated hers and her husbands birthdays while we were there – and when I was thinking about how to celebrate, I KNEW some kind of baking had to be involved – I just wasn’t sure what. Her favorite (and probably my LEAST favorite) birthday dessert is Ice Cream Cake. I hate it because it’s not even really cake – which means no frosting (a BIG no no for me – as what’s the point of cake with no frosting?), and she loves it because ice cream is awesome and it reminds her of her childhood as they always got them growing up. So – I can see where she’s coming from – and decided to make one for her – cuz I love her THAT much

Finding a recipe was not too hard – scrolling through Pinterest and This one caught my eye – using store bought brownie mix and ice cream – easy enough!

Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake
(Recipe Courtesy of Suburbia Unwrapped)
Ingredients
1 box brownie mix for 9 x 9 inch pan
1 container Blue Bunny PB N’ Cones ice cream
FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
FOR THE TOPPING
peanut butter chips or chopped peanut butter cups

Instructions
-Make the package of brownies according to package directions EXCEPT bake in a greased 9 x 13 inch pan for 20 to 25 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Let brownies cool completely
-When you are ready to assemble: Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 20 minutes until slightly softened. Spread over cooled brownies and place in freezer.
-MAKE THE SAUCE: In a double boiler, combine the heavy cream, chocolate chips and peanut butter. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is smooth. Let cool slightly. (SAVE 1/4 CUP FOR SERVING!)
-Remove the brownie/ice cream layer from the freezer and pour the chocolate sauce over the top. (don’t forget to save some!) Smooth it out and return to the freezer.
-MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM: In a mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
-Remove the brownie/ice cream/ sauce from the freezer and spread the whipped cream over the top.
-Sprinkle the peanut butter chips or chopped peanut butter cups on top and freeze for THREE HOURS before serving.
-Right before you serve, drizzle with remaining chocolate sauce that you have heated slightly.

I was lucky enough to have TWO tiny adorable kitchen helpers this time – my son and my BFF’s daughter helped with all the prep:

Brownie baking and Ice cream testing (both very important)

Whipping the cream and assembling the layers

“Decorating” the cake with Mini Reese’s Cups

The delicious finished product

I used Moose Tracks Ice Cream for this – which is basically vanilla with PB swirl, fudge and PB cups – but you can really use any kind you want for it – anything with peanut butter would work great! I also substituted the PB chips for the mini PB cups – I figured they would be more delicious

This was really easy to put together, and the kids had a blast helping! My BFF and her husband loved it so much that they didn’t even want to share it with their friends when we had them over for a Memorial Day BBQ the next day! And I can’t blame them – this was REALLY tasty – the chewy brownie, the ganache – YUM. While it in no way constituted a cake in my mind (what with it’s lack of frosting) – it was still a really delicious dessert, and I was glad to make it and get to enjoy it with my BFF (who I won’t get to see until July now – boo – but luckily, there’s FaceTime to get us through!)

“Death By Oreo” Cupcakes (What A Way To Go!)

I wanted to make something for our daycare provider’s birthday this week (I mean – it’s the least I can do, after all, she wipes my kid’s butt and all that, so) – and I wanted to make something special, something more than just your typical chocolate or vanilla cupcakes. So I figured – well – everyone loves Oreos, so why not incorporate them somehow? Then I came across this recipe for Death By Oreo Cupcakes – and I knew they would be perfect!

Death By Oreo Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 package Oreo Cookies, regular size
1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional)
1 package chocolate cake mix (mix according to directions on box)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cupcake liners

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Mix packaged cake mix according to directions
-Line cupcake tins with liner, place a regular size Oreo cookie in the bottom of each liner
-Take 1/2 of remaining cookies and chop coarsely and add to cake mix. Fill the cupcake tins
-Bake for 15 minutes (or according to box directions). While cupcakes are baking make the frosting
-Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, then add powdered sugar slowly until blended well
-Chop remaining regular-sized Oreos very fine & add to frosting
-After cupcakes have cooled frost and decorate with Mini Oreos

These were really easy to make, since they started off with your basic boxed cake mix (what a time saver!), and then added the cookies to that. 

Which – speaking of – I was distracted by my little sous chef and forgot to add the Oreo pieces to the cake batter – but – no worries – I just added some on top of each one and kind of tried to mix it in with a spoon – turned out fine!

 

Speaking of my little sous chef – he was MORE than happy to help prepare the frosting portion of the recipe….

I used a scoop to ensure I was getting a relatively similar amount of frosting on each cupcake – worked really well!

Taste Tester #1 – APPROVES!

Taste Tester #2 – THUMBS UP!

Our daycare provider loved them too – she raved about them to me, and I have to agree with her – they are a winner! A nice break from a traditional birthday cake, these would be fun for anyone who loves chocolate, and Oreos (so – basically EVERYONE!)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

Peanut Butter and chocolate is one of those magical combinations – from peanut butter cups, to cakes, to brownies and cookies – it is a union that will forever be amazing and delicious. These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars are no exception – and they were so easy to make, too!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
(Recipe Courtesy of Averie Cooks)

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1/3 heaping cup peanut butter (I use Jif, Skippy or similar; natural PB can separate and/or be too oily)
1 large egg
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + 2 tablespoons, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:
-Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
-In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
-Wait momentarily before adding the egg so you don’t scramble it. Add the peanut butter, egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
-Add the flour and stir until just combined, don’t overmix.
-Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.
-Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula.
-Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons chocolate chips, smoothly the top lightly with a spatula.
-Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until done. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Bars will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

This is one of those doughs I had to restrain myself from inhaling raw – it was just so perfect looking (and tasting!)

Before and after baking

That cross section says it all – melty chocolate and gooey bar – yum!

Had all ingredients on hand? Check
Easy to make? Check
Delicious? CHECK!

These were a winner – definitely great for beginner bakers – and anyone else who cherishes the marriage of Peanut Butter and Chocolate as much as I do!

Nutella Monster Cookies

I was itching to bake something new, and so instead of starting a new search for something, I headed to my “Must Try Desserts” Pinterest board. Ah….Pinterest. The home of ambitions, dreams, ideas – and most of all, the home of “shit I want to try/make/do but will never have the time/money/patience to do so” (harsh, but true). So – needless to say, there were plenty of recipes saved there that I have yet to find time to bake – and after careful consideration I decided to give these Nutella Monster Cookies a try

Nutella Monster Cookies
(Recipe Courtesy of Something Swanky)

Ingredients
3 eggs
1/2 c. shortening (not butter!)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda
4 1/2 c. oats
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. corn syrup
1 1/2 c. Nutella
1 package M&Ms
1 c. dark chocolate chips

Instructions
-Using the paddle attachment in a stand mixer, combine all ingredients except for the M&Ms and the chocolate chips.
-Add in the chocolate chips and M&Ms using the lowest speed on the mixer.
-Scoop by tablespoons onto parchment lined baking sheets.
-Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. Let set and cool on the baking sheet.

It was my little sous chef’s first time trying Nutella – he LOVED it!

Bringing these “monsters” to life – the various stages of dough and baking 

Ok – so – truth be told – I really don’t care much for these cookies. I hate how much they spread, how crispy they are, how thin they turned out…NOT a favorite for me. The recipe doesn’t have any flour in it, and I think that’s the main issue – they didn’t stay together and rise like a “normal” cookie does

I got so mad about halfway through that I ended up adding a few cups of flour to it – helped a lot in keeping the cookies from spreading into crispy thin masses – but it sort of took some of the taste away, too

I think one of the reasons I am so irritated with the way these turned out is that I went to the store and spent money on a bunch of ingredients: Nutella, M&M’s, dark chocolate chips, extra oats, etc – and the results were just not something I really enjoyed at all. I LOVEEEEEE a huge, gooey, thick cookie – and these just did not do it for me. However, everyone else who tried them liked them – so if crispy cookies are your jam – you should give these a go!

And if you’re a Nutella lover (like me) who likes a thick, gooey cookie (like me!) – try these Soft and Chewy Nutella White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Scones: First Attempt (With Tasty Results!)

My husband and son cuddling our newborn niece ❤

I mentioned recently that I was going to be baking some items to bring to my brother in law and sister in law when we went to visit them and our BRAND NEW NIECE – one of the things I made (with the help of my little sous chef!) were some these No Bake Cereal Bars which were easy to make and turned out great!

I also said I was going to attempt scones for the first time – and truthfully I was nervous! I don’t know why – but scones seemed like fancy, and higher difficulty level than most baking I usually did – but nonetheless, I was determined to give it a go

I started by getting a recipe recommendation from a friend who had recently made scones a bunch of times – and has made this exact recipe multiple times (and I was lucky enough to try some when we had brunch together – so good!)

Cinnamon Chip Scones
Recipe Courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction)

Ingredients:
Scones
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (careful not to overmeasure)
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons (115g) unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream (plus a little extra for brushing)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cups cinnamon chips1
optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on top before baking
Glaze
1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
3 Tablespoons (45ml) black coffee (or milk/half-and-half/cream for a plain vanilla glaze )
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Adjust baking rack to the middle-low position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
-Grate the frozen butter. Toss the grated butter into the flour mixture and combine it with a pastry cutter, your fingers, or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.
-In a small bowl, whisk the cream, egg, and vanilla together.
-Drizzle it over the flour mixture and then toss the mixture together with a rubber spatula until everything appears moistened.
-Slowly and gently fold in the cinnamon chips. Try your best to not overwork the dough at any point. Dough will be a little wet.
-Work the dough into a ball with floured hands as best you can and transfer to the prepared baking pan. Press into a neat 8″ disc and cut into equal wedges with a very sharp knife.
-Using a pastry brush (or your fingers!) brush lightly with a little bit of cream and then sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Separate the scones and line them on the baking sheet with a little space between each one.
-Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes.
-During this time, make the glaze by whisking all of the glaze ingredients together until completely smooth. Drizzle over scones right before serving.

Make ahead tip: Scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature for 2 extra days. Scones freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat up to your liking before enjoying.

Not gonna lie – the butter grating was a huge pain – it took forever and the butter was so hard from being frozen that I actually got a workout in just to get it grated

Gloriously fragrant dough

Before and after their time in the oven (they look a lot better once baked!)

Drizzle on the glaze? Screw that – how about we heap it on? 

The new parents enjoying the finished product

My brother in law sent me this a few days ago – I am so glad they enjoyed them!

A few notes:
-Ok the butter grating – I mentioned above how I didn’t love it – and honestly next time I might forego it altogether. I would still freeze the butter but I would probably just cut it into small chunks and then work it in that way
-I kinda want to experiment with a smaller scone – like 16 instead of 8 per batch? Obviously I would have to bake them for less time – but I like the idea of a smaller version for like a brunch or baby shower or something like that
-I substituted maple syrup for coffee in the glaze (mostly because I was too lazy to brew some coffee!) and it turned out great – a substitution I would recommend if you don’t like the idea of using coffee – BUT the coffee version tastes amazing too so if you want to stick to recipe you won’t be disappointed

I don’t know what I was scared of! They really weren’t that hard to make, and they are pretty impressive looking and make a great gift! Oh – and they taste good – so – that is a plus, too obviously!