Caramel Candy Chocolate Chip Cookie

I have a bit of a caramel obsession right now. I will blame it on my girl friend Brooke and Bakedbree.com for getting me hooked. :-) I made some cookies last week that were a bit on the boring side and very dry. In the end I added a lot more chocolate and a bunch of caramel to make them yummy and boy did I ever do something right. These cookies are thin, chewy, perfect and the best cookie I have every made, or eaten for that matter.

Caramel Candy Chocolate Chip Cookie

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup (1 - 1/2 pint jar) Sea Salt Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (If not in caramel sauce)
2 1/2 cups uncooked quick oats
1 pkg semisweet mini chocolate chips
2 milk chocolate candy bar, coarsely chopped chilled
5 Rolo Candy Rolls; unwrapped and chopped (40 pcs) chilled

Cream Butter with both sugars. Add eggs one at a time and then vanilla and caramel sauce. (If using Sea Salt Caramel Sauce, you do not need the additional 1/2 tsp salt, unless you really want it.)

Pulse oats in a food processor or blender a couple times. I don't like mine to turn quite to flour, but almost. Kind of an in between oats and four. But either way is good, so go with what you prefer. Mix Flour and oats together, add baking soda and baking powder until combined. Slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture. This dough will get very thick, so if at all possible, use a kitchen aid mixer or get a work out in.

I find it best to chill the candy before I chop it. Pull chocolate bars out the fridge and chop. Do the same with the caramel candies. (I use my pampered chef chopper and it's a breeze) You can also do this before hand if you read the full recipe before just making them. I'm guilty of being sure I have all ingredients and then just diving in.

Mix chocolate chips and both candies into dough until combined. Use a small scoop and bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for 9 min at 350 degrees F. (If you are not a big chocolate fan, reduce the chocolate chips down to 1/2 or 3/4 of a bag.)

Allow cookies to cool on pan slightly before moving to a cooling rack. Store in air tight container.

p.s. I apologize for no picture, that awesome girl friend of mine told me it looked like a thin hamburger patty, so I will have to work on getting you all a picture that does the cookie justice.

Grasshopper Bars

These were so wonderful, yummy, rich, delightful, perfectly and not too pepperminty. They are just to die for!!!!

Grasshopper Bars

For the brownie base:

• 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona)
• 5 ounces good quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Butter the sides and bottom of a glass or light-colored metal 9-by-13-inch pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper or foil, and butter the parchment or foil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, the salt, and cocoa powder.

Configure a large size double boiler. Place the chocolate and the butter in the bowl of the double boiler and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water of the double boiler and add both sugars. Whisk the sugars until completely combined. Remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be at room temperature.

Add three eggs to the chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until just combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour/cocoa/salt mix over the chocolate. Using a spatula (do not use a whisk) fold the dry ingredients into the wet until there is just a trace amount of the flour/cocoa mix visible.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with an offset spatula, and bake for approximately 15 to 18 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. The brownies should be just a tad underdone (not too gooey, but ideally, just 1 minute from being cooked through completely). A toothpick inserted into the brownies at an angle should contain a few loose crumbs. Remove the brownies from the oven and let cool completely while you make the creme de menthe filling.

For the buttercream:

• 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 3/4 cup butter, softened but still cool, cut into small cubes
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally until mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until filling is light and fluffy.

Add the peppermint extract and mix until combined. If the filling is too soft, chill slightly in the refrigerator and then mix again until it is the proper consistency.

If the filling is too firm, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and re-mix to proper consistency. Spread the filling evenly across the top of the brownie layer and place the pan in the refrigerator, for a minimum of 45 minutes, while you make the chocolate glaze.

For the Chocolate Ganache:

• 5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 4 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.

Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

Refrigerate and store in an airtight container if they last that long. :-)

*ps I apologize for the crazy blogger layout and font, it was not being nice to me tonight.

Gone with the Wind Pudding

 Ingredients :    Mixture 1

1 c. milk
1 c. sugar
2 egg yolks
2 env. Knox Gelatin
1/4 c. cold water    
  Mixture 2
1 1/2 c. Heavy Cream, whipped
2  Whipped egg whites 
2 tsp.  Vanilla
Pinch of salt
Crust 
6 c. graham cracker crumbs
6 tbsp. brown sugar
6 tbsp. melted butter 

   Preparation : 

Combine mixture 1 of milk, sugar, egg yolks. 

In a small bowl add 2 pkgs knox gelatin to 1/4 cup water and let soak.  

Cook mixture 1 over a double boiler for 15 minutes. 

 Add gelatin and slowly mix into mixture one and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool while you prepare mixture 2.  

Prepare crust.  Press just over half into an 8x8 pan. Reserve remainder for topping.  

Whip heavy cream, set aside.  Beat 2 egg whites until stiff.  

Fold eggs and cream together with vanilla and set aside.  

Gently fold in cooled, but not firm mixture 1 to mixture 2.  Once combined pour into pan.  

Sprinkle remaining crust over top of pudding mixture. 

Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.  Cut and serve.  

*This recipe comes from my Grandma Smith.  

My dad really likes it and I thought I would give it a try.  I found it to be more intense 

of a recipe for the quality of food.  It was good, but didn't have a wow factor.  It is more

 of a bland dessert that could use some fresh fruit or something.  However my dad likes

 it, so I may occasionally make it if need be.  :-D

Cherry Dump Cake

Cherry Dump Cake

Ingredients

• 2 - 20oz can's Cherry Pie Filling
• 1 - 15oz can Crushed Pineapple, drained
• 1 Yellow or White Dry Cake Mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

Pre heat oven to 350 F.

Lightly grease a 9x12 baking dish. Dump the Cherry Pie Filling into a 9x12 baking dish and then the add drained, crushed pineapple. Now you can mix it up a little, leave it just on top, anyway you like it. I like to mix mine a little so it's nice and even.

Evenly sprinkle dry cake mix over top cherries and pineapple. Melt butter and drizzle over top dry cake mix.

Bake in oven 35-40 minutes or until top crust is golden brown.

Serve plain, with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

My Notes: I accidentally purchased no sugar added cherry pie filling once and it helps to reduce the sweetness since this is a very sweet dessert. I prefer the regular cherry pie filling, but if you are not as much of a sweets fan as myself, then you may want to purchase the no sugar added pie filling on purpose. Either way it is wonderful!! :-)

Peaches and Cream

Love Dessert but want something a little lighter??

Throw some Cool Whip on top some Peaches (canned or fresh). Makes for a delicious, simple, healthy dessert!!

Idea from my dear friend Tiffany.

Chocolate Chip Dessert Pizza

Chocolate Chip Dessert Pizza

Ingredients

• 1 pkg refrigerated pizza crust dough
• 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
• 1 - 12oz pkg Mini Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Butter (Not Margarine) Melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F

On a lightly floured surface roll out your pizza dough as thin as you can (or as thin as you would like.) We like ours very thin. Lay your pizza crust on pizza pan.

In a medium size bowl mix together melted butter and dry cake mix using a pastry dough blender (or a fork will do the job). Your cake mix will become a fine crumbly mixture. Then add in your chocolate chips and stir until combined.

Spread your crumbly cake mixture overtop your pizza crust, spreading out and lightly pressing down evenly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Baking time may very depending on how thick or thin you make your pizza.

Let cool slightly before cutting and serving. Once cooled completely, store in air tight container.

Chocolate Pecan Chewies

Chocolate Pecan Chewies

These are almost the exact same as Safeway's Chocolate Pecan Chewies.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped pecans
• 3 large egg whites ( do not use egg substitutes)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons ground-up pecans (I use my Pampered Chef Chopper)
• 1 pinch salt
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F

Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Toast nuts until fragrant and brown. Cool. (I was impatient and did not let cool)

Beat egg whites one at at time, then continue beating while adding powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Add vanilla; beat 2 minutes on high speed.

Fold in toasted pecans.

Drop by heaping tablespoon on baking sheet 2-inches apart.

Bake in the middle of the oven 15-18 minutes or until dry on surface but soft in the center when pressed. DON'T OVER BAKE.

Cool. Store in an airtight container for 3 days, or freeze up to 1 month.

My Notes: I used my small pampered chef scoop and baked for 11 minutes. *I found with the first pan that I baked, the cookies were not flat and did no spread at all. I added about a tsp of water and that did the trick. The cookies looked darker, they flattened a little, like they should and got that crinkled look on top. Now, just to keep myself from eating them all. :-)

Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars

1 Cup Butter (soft)
2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar

*Mix those three together, spread in 9x13 pan, Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min.

4 eggs
6 tblsp. Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Cups Sugar

*Mix the above ingredients and pour over the cooled crust, Bake again at 350 degrees for 25 min.

*Sprinkle with Powdered Sugar when done. Enjoy.