Chocolate caramel bars

This morning brought mine and my nearly-six-year-old's first snow-shoeing experience. My oldest boy, who did not take his first step until he was three years old, was running around in sub-zero temps with snow shoes strapped to his feet. I don't know that I would have believed this three years ago! I'm a proud mama. And I want more snow-shoeing! Er, maybe when it's 20 degrees warmer outside.

Tomorrow is Elijah's sixth birthday, so I have cupcakes to bake. In the meantime, I will share these delicious bars with you. This recipe comes from my husband's side of the family. After I made this batch, he sank his teeth in and said, "Mmmm, childhood." Gotta love treats that bring back a little piece of childhood.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

Mix until crumbly. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine:

14-oz. bag caramels, unwrapped

1/4 cup milk

Warm over low heat, stirring constantly until caramel is melted and smooth.

Remove the bottom crust from the oven and sprinkle an 11.5-oz. bag of milk chocolate chips evenly over the top.

Pour the melted caramel evenly over the top of the chocolate and top with the remaining flour-oats crumbles.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool completely before serving.

Enjoy! I hope you are staying warm, wherever you are today!

Printable recipe: Chocolate caramel bars

Baby Ruth caramel corn

We made it! It's Day #12 of Twelve Days of Christmas Treats! It went fast, didn't it? I still plan on sharing a few more goodies, but perhaps after a few days off. Any requests?

I have spent a good deal of time thinking about this particular recipe. I wanted to make caramel corn, but not just plain old caramel corn. And then one day I was in the grocery store and I spotted a Baby Ruth candy bar as I waited in the checkout line. I thought about how Baby Ruths are the most underrated candy bar in existence. Have you eaten one recently? They are good. The best! Well, one of the best. And that is how caramel corn and Baby Ruths became one.

I hope you enjoyed my string of treats! It has been a ton of fun posting and of course eating all of it (which is why I sit here at my computer sipping a mean green veggie juice).

Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F. Coat a large, rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Prepare 10-12 cups of popcorn in a large, heavy-duty saucepan. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over medium heat.

Add:

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup light brown sugar

Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and amber in color, 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add:

1/2 cup marshmallow creme

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir until the mixture is free of lumps.

Pour over the popcorn.

Carefully stir with a large spoon until the popcorn is well-coated.

Add:

12.5-oz. package of fun-size Baby Ruth candy bars, unwrapped and coarsely chopped

Carefully fold in the candy bar pieces.

Pour the popcorn onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, occasionally reaching in to stir and flip the popcorn around.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the popcorn cool for a few minutes. At this point you can either let it harden on the sheet and then break pieces off, or you can form the popcorn into balls (or whatever shape you wish) and then let it harden.

Either way, you are going to love this stuff. 

See you in a few days, friends. 

Printable recipe: Baby Ruth caramel corn

Peppermint bark

This Christmas treat was readers' choice, chosen by my Facebook friend Brittany. Great pick! Thanks for the suggestion, Brittany. I had never made Peppermint Bark before. It's easy, simple and addicting.

Before I get to the recipe, it has been snowing in our neck of the woods for just about the entire day. It is gorgeous! The boys had so much fun playing in it. We made a snowman named Charlie, and a fort with a back door. We can't wait to get back out there tomorrow to throw some more snowballs around!

Back to the star of the post, the Peppermint Bark!

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

Pour an 11.5-oz. package of milk or dark chocolate chips into a small bowl and an 11.5-oz. package of white chocolate chips into another small bowl.  

Microwave the milk (or dark) chips in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until the chocolate is smooth.

Pour onto the prepared baking sheet.

Smooth it out with a spatula and place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to harden.

Meanwhile, melt the white chips using the same 30-second interval method.

Pour the white chocolate on top of the hardened milk (or dark) chocolate.

Spread evenly with a spatula.

Sprinkle chopped candy canes over the top (approximately 6 large ones) and place back into the fridge until it is completely hardened.

Break into pieces and serve!

Printable recipe: Peppermint bark

S'mores brownies

So I'm a bit off today. One of my boys was very sick and up a lot during the night. He had a minor surgery yesterday, which went great, but his stomach did not agree with the anesthesia. There is nothing tougher on a mama than having a sick/sad/hurting kid! He is resting now. I should be resting, too, but I have posts to write and treats to make!

Sorry, not much fluff today. Aside from the marshmallows, that is. 

Here is Day #8 of Twelve Days of Christmas Treats!

(Recipe adapted from The Emeals Blog)

Prepare a 19.5-oz. box of brownie mix (family size) in a 9x13 baking dish, according to package directions. 

While the brownies are baking, set the following aside:

8 cinnamon graham crackers, broken into pieces

2 cups miniature marshmallows

Three 1.55-oz. Hershey's bars, broken into pieces

Remove the brownies from the oven and set oven to Broil.

Top the brownies with the graham cracker pieces and the marshmallows. No structure is needed here. Unless you want there to be. 

Once the broiler is ready, return the pan to the oven and broil for no more than 2 minutes, or once the marshmallows just start to brown.

Remove the brownies from the oven and immediately place the chocolate pieces over the top. Allow the chocolate to melt slightly. If they aren't melting enough for your liking, place the pan back in the oven for a minute.

Cut into squares and serve. Store, covered, at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

You can't go wrong with these. They are virtually impossible to mess up! Good luck! Farewell! Till next time (tomorrow)!

Printable recipe: S'mores brownies

Chocolate crinkle cookies with a Rolo surprise

I love hiding edible treasures inside baked goods. The obvious perk is consuming said treats, but I also love seeing others' reactions upon biting into something unexpected. "Oohh, what a good coo....OHHHh! Is that CANDY?! CARAMEL?! WHAT IS THAT?!!" The only thing better than pleasing a friend with a holiday cookie is double pleasing a friend with a holiday cookie. 

This was my first attempt at a crinkle cookie and also my first time baking with black cocoa, which added a delicious touch of richness. If you are unable to find black cocoa, replace it with unsweetened cocoa. The cookies will still make you squeal, I promise.

Here is Day #7 of Twelve Days of Christmas Treats!

In a medium bowl, combine:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup black cocoa (substitution: unsweetened cocoa)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Mix well.

In a large bowl, combine:

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Using a hand-held mixer, mix on medium speed until smooth.

Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. 

Using your hands, pat the batter into a giant ball and wrap it up in plastic wrap.

Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, or until completely chilled.

While your dough is chilling, unwrap 24 Rolos candies and set them aside.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

I turned around to find a gigantic chocolate tower that had been constructed by my youngest helper. Nice, Sammy!

Pour 1 cup of confectioners' sugar into a small bowl and set aside.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Scoop out a large spoonful of the dough and flatten it into a disc, using your fingers. Place a Rolo into the center of the disc.

Wrap the dough around it, forming a ball. Smooth out the creases in the dough as much as possible.

Roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar and coat completely. Do this twice! 

Repeat this process with the remainder of the dough and place on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Enjoy your weekend (and, um, these cookies)!

Printable recipe: Chocolate crinkle cookies with a Rolo surprise