Pecan Pie Bars

I had every intention to post this 2 months ago when I made them....

Pecan Pie Bars

Ingredients:

For crust

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For topping

• 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 cups chopped pecans

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 9x13-inch pan with foil.

2) Cream together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. 

3) Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.

4) Press the crust into the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

5) Combine the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.

6) Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.

7) Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.

8) Remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan.

9) Slice into bars and serve.

Pretzel Turtle Bites

These pretzel bites have been popping up all over the internet recently.   The day before christmas Eve my mother decides that she wants to get in on the action and make them as well.  The original recipe calls for Rolos, but due to the popularity of these things every store we went to was sold out of bags of Rolos.  They did have bags of the mini Rolos but we were afraid the chocolate to other stuff ratio would be off.   We browsed the candy aisle and finally decided to go with Dove caramel filled milk chocolates.  Then we got home, got some wine, and set to work making these little treats.

Pretzel Turtle Bites

Ingredients:

• Pretzels (I chose the mini twists but any roundish shape should work)
• Pecan halves
• Dove caramel filled milk chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. 
2. Place one chocolate covered caramel candy on each pretzel.    
3. Bake for 4 minutes. 
4. While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. 
5. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Graham Cracker Ice Cream Sandwiches

Summer is in full swing and I have been craving some ice cream.  The only ice cream I have in my apartment is pumpkin ice cream left over from all of my Halloween activities.  Pumpkin ice cream isn't something I normally eat on its own, so I had to find something to add to it.  After lots of experimenting I found it best when it was turned into a simple ice cream sandwich.

Graham Cracker Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• Ice cream
• Graham crackers
• garnishes 

Instructions:

1) Begin by letting the ice cream sit out long enough so that is soft enough to spread.

2) Using a spoon take a large spoonful of ice cream and spread on the graham cracker.

3) Place a 2nd graham cracker on top to form a sandwich.  You can then roll the sides in whatever garnish you would like. Sprinkles, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, etc.  I tried black sprinkles to give it a Halloween vibe but it looked pretty bad so don't try that.

4) Place the completed sandwiches in the freezer and then freeze until the ice cream is firm.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Scones

Today we had a brunch at work for all the administrative staff.  So. Much. Food.  I haven't baked anything in awhile so I decided to contribute some homemade scones for the occasion.  They seemed to go over quite well.  Hopefully there won't be any leftovers to take home.

Dark Chocolate Espresso Scones

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp coffee grounds
• 6 tbsp very cold unsalted butter
• 5 oz. dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 large egg
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions:

 1) Preheat the oven to 400.  In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and coffee grounds. I used pumpkin spice coffee so feel free to play around with flavors.

2) Cut the cold butter into slices and add to the dry ingredients.  Using a whisk or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour.  The chunks of butter shouldn't but much larger than pea size when you are done. 

3) Stir in the chocolate chips.  

4) In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, half and half, and vanilla.  Make a well in the dry mixture.  Pour the wet mixture into the dry one. Stir until loosely combined.

5) Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and press together gently until it forms a ball.  Pat dough into a circle that is about 1 inch thick.  Using a biscuit cutter cut the dough out in circles.  Combine the scraps and press together again. Cut out more circles.  Keep doing this until you have used all the dough.   I got about 12 circles out of mine. 

6) Brush the tops of scones with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

7) Bake 17-20 min or until golden brown.  Let cool on a cooling wrack. 

Strawberry Dark Chocolate Hand Pies

It's February 2nd and while my Christmas tree is still up, I think it's time to shift the focus toward Valentine's Day.  In theory I really like this holiday but after spending the past four Valentine's days alone it has become more of an excuse to stuff my face with large amounts of chocolate.  Like most girls, I like my chocolate paired with strawberries. This year I came up with some fun hand held pies to indulge my cravings.

Strawberry Dark Chocolate Hand Pies

Ingredients:

• Fresh strawberries
• Glaze for strawberries
• 1tsp flour
• 1tbsp sugar
• Dark chocolate chips
• Pre-made pie crust

Directions:

1) Pre-heat the oven to 350.  Begin by rolling out the pie crust and cutting out 16 heart shapes.  

2) Dice 6 large strawberries and place them in a bowl. Toss with the sugar, flour, and 1tbsp strawberry glaze.

3) Place a spoonful on each of the 8 hearts.

4) Top with a few dark chocolate chips.

5) Place a 2nd heart on each of the original hearts and crimp the edges closed with a fork.

6) Sprinkle sugar over the finished pies and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Bark

So...I've been slacking a bit with this blog.  I meant to post this a month ago and failed. I cut back on the amount of sweets I made this year for Christmas, but I had to make my favorite treat.  It's sooo yummy and as a bonus it end up looking pretty cool as well.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Bark

Ingredients:

• Graham crackers 

• 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup peanut butter 

• 3 oz white chocolate

Directions:


1) Line a  9x13 baking sheet with foil, making sure to cover handles. Layer grahams onto sheet, covering as much space as possible.

2) Melt semi-sweet chocolate and peanut butter in the microwave, and stir until smooth.

3) Pour melted mixture over the graham crackers and spread until smooth.

4) Melt the white chocolate in the microwave and dollop over the chocolate.

5) Using a knife, swirl the chocolate into whatever pattern you like.   Refrigerate until firm.  Once firm, break it into pieces. 

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

 

Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  This scares me a little since the end of Thanksgiving means the beginning of the Christmas season.  I'm just not ready for Christmas.  Things just need to slow down a bit while I get my life in order, or at least take down my Halloween decorations.  Anyway.  Here is a dessert that is super simple and will look great on your Thanksgiving dessert table.  I give to you....

 

 

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

 

 



 

 

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker pie crust

1 gallon pumpkin ice cream

1 cup caramel sauce

1/3 cup chopped pecans

 

Directions:

 

1) Spread softened ice cream evenly into the pie crust. Cover and freeze for at least an hour.

 



 

2) Spread top of pie with caramel sauce and top with chopped nuts.  Cover and freeze for another hour.



 

3) That's it!  Two simple steps.  Serve it up and let the compliments roll in.

 



 

Candy Corn Cookie Bark

 



This bark might not be super pretty, but what it lacks in looks it makes up for in taste.

 

 

Candy Corn Cookie Bark

 

 

Ingredients:

•  1 package white almond bark
•  1.5 cups pretzels, broken into piece
•  16 Halloween Oreos, broken into pieces
•  1 cup Candy corn
• Halloween sprinkles
   

Directions:

 

1) Spread the Oreos, pretzels, and half the candy corn on a cookie sheet (ideally with sides) lined with foil

 

 

2) Place the bark in a microwave bowl and microwave slowly until its melted. About 2 minutes



 

 

3) Carefully pour the almond bark over the cookie sheet

 



 



4) Spread the bark so that all the Oreos and pretzel pieces are covered.  Top with sprinkles and remaining candy corn

 

 

5) Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until hardened



 6) Break into small pieces and serve.