Homemade Samoa Bars

We are always on the lookout for a new sweet treat. I am constantly baking with my boys to keep us all entertained during the day, especially in the winter. To top that, my hubby is constantly searching magazines and the internet for new food that he or I can whip up. He found these and I just had to make them. They are super impressive for company, so perfect for this season! I will tell you, I double the shortbread recipe, we LOVE to have a thick shortbread on the bottom of these decadent bars. Actually, we love double the crust on pretty much everything!

Homemade Samoa Bars

Printable Version

Shortbread (I DOUBLE this shortbread recipe, we prefer thick crusts)

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

Coconut topping

4 cups shredded sweetened coconut

20 ounces store-bought

3 Tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 ounces dark chocolate

Make the shortbread cookie base:

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line a 13-by 9-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides.

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

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Turn the mixer to low, and then carefully add the flour mixture to the bowl, beating just until combined and scraping down the sides as needed. (Do not overmix the shortbread dough or it'll be too crumbly to cut once baked.) Transfer the dough into the prepared baking pan and press it into an even, flat layer.

Bake the shortbread until barely golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let it cool completely while you make the topping.

Make the coconut topping:

Turn the oven up to 350ºF. Spread the coconut flakes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the coconut for about 10 minutes until it's toasted, stirring frequently to ensure even browning and so that it does not burn. Alternatively, you can do this in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium low heat, stirring constantly.  Remove the toasted coconut from the oven and set it aside.

Melt the caramels, milk and salt in a double-boiler by placing the ingredients in a medium saucepot set over a large saucepot of simmering water. Cook, stirring, until the caramels are fully melted. Remove the saucepot from the heat and combine the caramel mixture with the toasted coconut in a large bowl. Immediately spread the coconut mixture over the cooled shortbread, pressing it to adhere to the shortbread base. Work quickly, as the caramel mixture will begin to firm up and won't adhere if it cools too much. Let the bars sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Using the parchment paper overhangs, lift the shortbread out of the pan and onto a cutting board. Slice the shortbread into bars by spacing your cuts to make 3 columns down and 10 rows across to form 30 roughly 2-inch by 1-inch cookie bars.

Melt the dark chocolate in a double-boiler or in the microwave. Dip the bottoms of each of the cookie bars into the chocolate and place them on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Use a fork to drizzle the tops with chocolate. Let the cookies sit until the chocolate hardens fully.

Recipe from justataste.com

Makes About 30 cookie bars

Pretzel Peanut Butter Treats

It’s Valentine’s day!!! I had the best intentions of decorating my house this year for this romantic holiday....but this month has come and gone so quick! I missed it. Oops. Better luck next year, I guess:). I did get around to making these amazing little morsels, however. If you want your valentine to gain about 5 pounds, make them an entire batch of these! (I’ll warn you though, you will end up helping them eat every.last.one!) You know me, peanut butter and chocolate are my weakness. Make it white chocolate, and I melt. Literally! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Dipped Pretzels

Printable Version

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 Tbs. butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1-16 oz. bag Pretzels

6 squares chocolate (or white chocolate) almond bark

Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside.

Mix peanut butter and butter together. Scrape down bowl, add sugars and beat until combined. You should be able to roll the mixture into balls without sticking to your hands. Add more powdered sugar until you reach this consistency.

Roll the mixture into small balls. Sandwich the balls between two pretzels and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Melt the chocolate according to package directions. Stir occasionally until smooth.

Dip each pretzel bite halfway into the melted chocolate and place on the prepared baking sheet. Let sit until the chocolate is set.

Makes approx. 75 pretzel sandwiches

Recipe from Julieseatsandtreats.com

Ice Cream Crunch Bars

O summertime. What a great excuse to eat ice cream on a daily basis...you see I  live in the middle of hot, humid nebraska and I play outside with my boys all day!! I am usually not the type to dish up a bowl of ice cream, but make it taste like deep fried ice cream without all the work, and I’m in. You can make up to 15 bars at a time, freeze them, cut them, and throw them each in an individual zip-top bag and your grab-n-go ice cream is ready!

Ice Cream Crunch Bars

Printable Version

3 cups Rice Krispie Cereal

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

3/4 cups brown sugar

8 tablespoons butter melted

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened to the consistency of soft serve

Optional but even more delicious: Heat a large skillet over medium low heat and add coconut. Toast, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a 9×13 inch pan with foil, extending a little over the edges of pan.

Place Rice Krispies, coconut, and brown sugar in pan.  Drizzle butter over mixture and combine well. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes during cooking time.  Remove from oven when toasted and golden brown and let mixture cool completely.

Remove half of crispy mixture and spread remaining half in an even layer on the bottom of prepared foil lined pan.  Gently spoon softened ice cream on top of mixture.  Use a spoon and very gently spread mixture, being careful to not lift up crisp from bottom of pan.  Spread ice cream out evenly and then top with mini chocolate chips, then remaining crisp mixture.  Gently press top crisp into ice cream with hands.  Cover pan with plastic or foil and chill until firm (preferably overnight.)  When ready to serve, use foil to completely remove ice cream from pan.  Slice into 15 squares and serve.

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Makes 15 bars.

Brigidaires (Brazilian Chocolate Balls)

My husband has a new addiction...Saveur Magazine. He has an entire list of recipes that he wants to whip up...and did I mention, an entire list that he wants ME to whip up! Well, I was up to the first challenge he gave me, especially because it only had 6 ingredients, and three of them were chocolate! These fudge balls are simple, just require some stirring, which anyone can do. The first time we made these we handed them out to all our neighbors to enjoy, and the second time we made them for the faculty of my husband’s school. They are perfect for impressing a crowd, obviously!

Brigidaires (Brazilian Fudge Balls)
Printable Version

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. heavy cream
2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk
3 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup chocolate sprinkles

Bring butter, cream, and milk to a boil in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat. Add chocolate and cocoa powder, and reduce heat to low; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is the consistency of dense, fudgy batter, about 16 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; let cool. Chill until set, at least 4 hours.

Using a tablespoon, portion out fudge and roll into balls. Roll each ball in chocolate sprinkles until evenly coated. Chill until ready to serve.

Recipe from Saveur Magazine
Makes about 40

Chocolate Raspberry Crepe

O crepes. I could eat 10 of you, which is the problem! Thank heavens I made these last Sunday, after a very NOT good dinner! This redeemed me in my hubby’s eyes...These are so delicious. I am used to just normal crepes, but these are heavenly! A smooth chocolate batter that holds the perfect melt-in-your-mouth raspberry creme sauce.

Chocolate Raspberry Crepe
Printable Version

Crepe
4 large eggs
1 cup milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 cubes

Filling
1 cup strawberry jam
1 cup mascarpone, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread, such as Nutella

For the crepes: Combine the eggs, milk, flour, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a blender or bowl. Blend or whisk by hand until the mixture forms a smooth batter.
Preheat a 10-inch nonstick crepe pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Melt 1 cube of butter in the pan. Add 1/4 cup of batter and quickly tilt the pan to form an even coating of batter on the bottom of the pan. Cook until set, about 1 minute. Using a heat-resistant spatula, carefully loosen the sides and gently flip the crepe over. Cook for 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining batter and butter.

For the filling: Mix the jam, mascarpone, and sugar  in a small bowl until smooth.
Spread each crepe with 3 tablespoons of the jam mixture leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold the two opposite ends of each crepe inward and roll into a tube shape. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Arrange the crepes on a platter.
Heat the chocolate-hazelnut spread over low heat in a small saucepan, stirring constantly, until warm. Spoon over the crepes and serve.

Recipe from Giada

Smores Cookies

I couldn’t stop. I REALLY couldn’t stop eating them! Doughy deliciousness on top of perfect crunchy cracker. I liked these hot, cold, and right in between. Thank you for introducing me to these Amanda!

Smore’s Cookies
Printable version

11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ½ cups flour
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces
1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and combine on low speed.
Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 11x17 baking pan with parchment paper.
Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible (they should be touching). I used 16 graham cracker squares. You may have to add or remove graham crackers according to how much dough you have. If you want your cookies thicker you will use more dough and less graham crackers.

Place tablespoons of dough on graham crackers about 1 – 1 ½ inches apart. I averaged about 2  tablespoons of dough per graham cracker square as seen in the picture above. Press down slightly with fingertips.

Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey’s bar pieces on to the top. You can place as many pieces or as little as you want depending how much chocolate flavor you want.

Bake for 5 – 7 more minutes or until dough is beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. For clean cutting make sure cookies are completely cool and cut with a sharp knife.

Recipe from The girl who ate everything
Makes 16-20 cookies

Cakey Peanut Butter Bars

My good friend Crystal made these for my baby shower (twin boys!) last month. Unfortunately, she has also made them for me three times since! I am totally addicted to this sweet treat. I love peanut butter and chocolate so much I could survive off just them! They are pretty quick and easy to whip up, and they serve alot of people. You won’t regret making these babies:)

Cakey Peanut Butter Bars
Printable Version

1 (18.25) package plain yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
1 (12 oz) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine cake mix, melted butter, peanut butter, and eggs in a large bowl using a mixer or spoon. Press this into a 9X13 pan reserving 1 1/2 cup of the mixture to crumble on top.
In a small pot, melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Spread chocolate mixture over the mixture pressed in the pan and then crumble the 1 1/2 cups of reserved cake mixture on top evenly.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Recipe from thegirlwhoateeverything.com
Makes 25-30 bars

Flat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

O chocolate chip cookies, I only like you straight from the oven. Piping hot in my hands, melting in my mouth deliciousness. Well, guess what? I ate these cookies after they had completely cooled, and kept going back for more! That really never happens in my house, so I was elated to have to as an addition to my chocolate chip cookie recipes! The cornstarch in these cookies helps them to be extra chewy in the middle, and the large amount of butter compared to shortening makes them flat...which my hubby requires!

Flat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Printable Version

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tbs. cornstarch
2  sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 Tbs. butter flavored shortening
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cornstarch together into a large bowl.
Beat the butter, shortening, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet, or use a silpat. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are golden around the edges but still soft in the middle, about 9-11 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Recipe highly adapted from Food Network Magazine
Makes 60 small cookies

Death by Chocolate bars

The title says it all. I never, I MEAN NEVER, think a dessert is rich. Well, folks, their is a first time for everything I guess! I took a big, honking bite of these babies straight from the oven, and whew! They were rich! I could only eat about a 1x1 inch square. However, once the cooled, I did not feel that they were quite as rich and I consumed much, much more than that. Thankfully! Ha!. My momma has been telling me about these little dream bars for months, and I just got around to whipping them up. They were devoured, I was loved, and all was well.

Death by Chocolate Bars
Printable Version

2 german chocolate cake mixes (powder only)
1 cup melted butter
⅔ cup evaporated milk
12 ounces prepared caramel sauce
12 ounces chocolate chips

Mix first 3 ingredients in a large  bowl, it will resemble cookie dough consistency. Remove ½ of the dough and spread in the bottom of a 9x13 inch cookie sheet. (This is a small cookie sheet, almost half the size of a large one). Cook at 350 degrees for 6 minutes.

Pour prepared caramel sauce on top of warm bottom layer of chocolate cake. Then scatter 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a layer on top of caramel sauce. Drop, in marble size balls, the remaining cake batter mixture to create a top layer. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes at 350 degrees.
Allow to cool, cut into bars, and enjoy!

Makes about 20 bars, depending on size cut.
Recipe from Mom

Brownie Bites with White Chocolate Frosting

Yummy! I had these about 1 year ago at my sister in laws house. I have thought about making them ever since but I haven’t had the perfect even to show them off at. This week I threw a baby shower, and these were more than perfect! Since they are made in a mini cupcake pan, they are perfect to just pop in your mouth, and women were attracted to them because of the fruit! O, and the chocolate! The fudge that is hidden between the brownie and the amazing white chocolate frosting give these an extra dimension. O yum. I want one now.

Brownie Bites with White Chocolate Frosting

Printable Version

1 Package brownie mix OR one batch of Homemade Brownies

½ cup hot fudge

chopped strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries

white chocolate frosting, below

You can do whichever brownie recipe you prefer, or whichever time allows for!

Fill mini cupcake pans ¾ full with brownie batter. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, or until cooked through. Allow to cool before topping with about 1 tsp. of hot fudge, (do not heat the fudge up, just spread it on cold), then with White Chocolate Frosting, below. (If brownies poof up while cooking, feel free to cut off the tops in order to have a flat surface for the fudge and frosting.)

White Chocolate Frosting

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened

1/2 stick of butter, softened (8oz)

1 ounces of white chocolate, melted

1/2 tsp of almond or vanilla extract

1 ½  cups powdered sugar

Mix butter and cream cheese together then add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Put frosting into a pastry bag and pipe on cooled brownie bites. Top with desired fruit and enjoy!

Recipe from Wendy

Makes about 36 mini brownie bites

Homemade Brownies

This is my first shot at homemade brownies...and mmm were they good! Top them with ce cream and they are even better. I always have all of the ingredients on hand, which will make these a go-to recipe when I need a little chocolate...or a lot for that matter. They are a one-pot shot, so clean up is a piece of cake! (Or brownie, I guess!) Try using this recipe for Brownie Bites with White Chocolate Frosting to jazz these homemade brownies up a bit! (shown above)

Homemade Brownies
Printable Version

12 oz chocolate chips (whichever type you prefer)
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate chips. Stir constantly and remove from heat when chips are fully melted. In the same pot, blend in the sugar. Then add eggs, blending fully one at a time. Add flour and beat until air bubbles form in the batter. Pour into a greased 9 X 13-inch pan (this recipe works great doubled and poured into a large 11 X 17-inch rimmed baking sheet, or halfed and put into an 8x8). Bake for 20 minutes. Turn heat down to 325 degrees and bake for 10 more minutes.

Recipe from Melanie

Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake

From the first bite of this chocolate cake, I knew I was in love. Talk about a moist party in your mouth! Every bite of this cake is deliciously moist and the frosting is so perfectly smooth it is unreal. My mouth is actually watering right now just writing about eating this. And to think...this recipe has always been at my fingertips! (I got it off of the Hersey’s Cocoa box!) Note: if you are layering your cake, I would consider doubling or one-and-a-halfing the frosting recipe.

Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake
Printable Version

Cake
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
Chocolate frosting (recipe follows)

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with chocolate frosting below.

Pan Variations

*One pan cake:: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

*Three Layer Cake:: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

*Bundt Cake:: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

*Cupcakes:: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Serves 12-15

Recipe from Hersey’s