Chocolate Caramel Nut Bars

I found this recipe a couple of Christmases ago.  I couldn't stop snitching them from the freezer.  A lovely buttery shortbread crust topped with chocolate and caramels can't be anything but wonderful.  There's really nothing else to say, so let's eat!

Chocolate – Caramel Nut Bars

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chilling Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 36 bars or triangles

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened
½ c. packed brown sugar
2 c. flour
¼ t. salt
1 (12 oz.) pkg. Semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips
1 bag of caramels (about 50)
¼ c. whipping cream
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°.  Line 15x10x1 inch baking pan with aluminum foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan.  Grease foil.  Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add flour and salt, beat on low speed until crumbly.  Press firmly into prepared pan.  Bake 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown; sprinkle with chocolate chunks/chips.  Cover with foil.  Let stand 5 minutes or until chocolate is melted; spread evenly over crust.  Refrigerate 15 minutes or until set.  Microwave caramels and cream on high for 2 minutes or until caramels beginning to melt; stir until caramels are completely melted.  Gently spread over chocolate layer.  Sprinkle with walnuts or pecans; press gently into caramel.  Cool.  Cut into 36 bars or triangles. 


This recipe was found in a Kraft Foods Magazine

Spicy Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Chunks

It's still the season of pumpkin.  So I thought I'd share another pumpkin recipe. This cake is moist and I loved the fact that it started with a cake mix.  I also pretty much love anything with cream cheese and chocolate.  So this one's a winner.  I hope you like it too.

Spicy Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Chunks

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cook Time: 40-45 minutes plus cooling

Yield: 16 slices

Ingredients:
1 pkg. Spice cake mix
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened, divided
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 t. ground cinnamon
½ t. ground ginger
6 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ c. thawed Cool Whip (I use real whipped cream)
2 T. sugar
Directions: Preheat oven to 350°.  Prepare cake mix as directed package, reducing water to ½ c. and increasing oil to ½ c. Add half of the cream cheese, the pumpkin, cinnamon and ginger.  Beat on medium speed until well-blended.  Stir in chopped chocolate.  Pour into greased 12 c. fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan.  Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.  Mix remaining cream cheese, whipped topping and sugar until well-blended.  Spread on top of cooled cake.  Cut into 16 slices.  (You can substitute the spice cake mix for a yellow cake mix.)

Chocolate Toffee Cake

I made this about a month ago and we all really liked it.  Did I mention that I love toffee?  So this cake seemed right up my alley.  There are a few things that I think I will do a little differently when I make this again.  I didn't get the toffee bits and chocolate chips spread through the whole cake it was all at the top, it would be even better if it had, so I am wondering if coating them in flour first might help.  Also I think I cooked it a little too long (I have a dark bundt pan), so watch out for that.  And if I remember right the frosting took a bit longer to cook than the recipe says.  Make sure you let the frosting cool long enough or else all your frosting will be down around the base of your cake.  Otherwise, the flavor of the cake is great and I think it was even better the day after.  A little vanilla ice cream scooped on the side is optional.

Chocolate Toffee Cake

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 55 minutes + cooling
Yield: 12 servings
 

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) milk chocolate English toffee bits
1 c. (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
2 T. brown sugar

CAKE:

1 c. butter, softened
1¼ c. packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
3 c. all-purpose flour
1½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
½ t. baking soda
1¼ c. buttermilk
 

CARAMEL ICING:
¼ c. butter, cubed

2 t. all-purpose flour
1 can (5 oz.) evaporated milk
1 c. packed brown sugar
Directions: Combine the toffee bits, chips and brown sugar; set aside.  In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (mixture will appear curdled).  Beat in vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking powder; salt and baking soda; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.  Pour a third of the batter into a greased and floured 10-in fluted tube pan.  Sprinkle with a third of toffee mixture.  Repeat layers twice.  Bake at 350° for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack to cool completely.  For icing, in a small saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add evaporated milk and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 4-5 minutes or until thickened.  Cool.  Drizzle over cake. 

(The recipe and photo came from tasteofhome.com)

Peanut Butter Chippers

Chocolate chip cookies are my go-to comfort food.  A warm chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven seems to solve every problem, at least for a little while.  I found this recipe earlier (in Taste of Home) this year and I love it.  First, they are so delicious.  Second, they don’t make a ton so you don’t spend all day baking and eating cookies.  Third, the peanut butter makes them more than just a chocolate chip cookie.  YUM!  Let me know if you like them!

Peanut Butter Chippers    

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 11-14 minutes for each batch
Family Friendliness: I don’t know any child alive that doesn’t love a chocolate chip cookie.
Yield: The original recipe says 3½ dozen, but I must make my cookies bigger because I only get 2 dozen.  Or maybe I eat too much of the dough.  I know Mom, I shouldn’t, but I do.

Ingredients
6 T. butter, softened
¼ c. peanut butter
½ c. sugar
½ c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
1¼ c. all-purpose flour (I add about ½ c. more because otherwise they are flatter than I like my cookies)
½ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
1 c. milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet depending on what my mood is, or sometimes I mix them)
Directions: In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars.  Add egg; mix well.  Beat in vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 350˚ for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove to wire racks.   

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Mix

It’s raining here and starting to get a bit chilly.  It makes me want to curl up on my cozy couch, grab a warm blanket, a book and a cup of hot cocoa.  That sounds like bliss to me.  I honestly can’t remember where I got this recipe but I like it.  I usually just make a cup at a time, but when we want more, I’ll just make a batch in my Cocoa-Latte.  In case you don’t know a Cocoa-Latte is a little mixer that blends up your hot chocolate and heats it at the same time and then keeps it hot.  I love how frothy and hot it gets my cocoa.  I am thinking it might be time to upgrade to the larger size since my family will drink more than 4 cups of cocoa anymore.  And no, this is not a commercial I just really like my Cocoa-Latte.  As far as the recipe goes, if you don’t like the cinnamon, just leave it out.  I’ve also changed it up by changing the flavor of the creamer.  Also I wait to put my marshmallows in until I serve it, the Cocoa-Latte melts them.  Let me know if you like it!

Cinnamon Hot Chocolate Mix

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: Depends on how hot you like it!
Family Friendliness: 2 thumbs up!

Ingredients:

1¾ c. instant non-fat dry milk powder
1 c. powdered sugar
½ c. non-dairy creamer
½ c. baking cocoa
½ t. cinnamon
1 c. miniature marshmallows
Directions: Mix together and store in an airtight container.  To prepare one serving mix 3 T .mix with ¾ c. hot milk or water.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake

This is another one of my favorite ways to use zucchini.  I got it from a church cookbook from back home.  Thank you Tammy Mar.  The warm gooey goodness of this cake with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream just seems to melt away  the stresses of the day.  It is better to eat it right out of the oven or put a piece in the microwave for a few seconds, but always with ice cream.  If you're feeling like a little more sweetness use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet.  I don't use nuts because I feel they get in the way of the gooey-ness.  Let me know if you like it!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Family Friendliness: Chocolate cake, really do you have to ask?

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake
Ingredients:
½ c. oil
1¾ c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
½ t. cinnamon
4 T. cocoa
½ c. sour milk (½ T. vinegar in a ½ c. measuring cup, then fill with milk, let sit for 5 minutes)
¼ c. margarine
2 eggs
2 c. grated zucchini
2½ c. flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt

TOPPING:
1 (12 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ c. chopped nuts (completely optional)
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. white sugar
Directions: Mix all cake ingredients together and pout into a greased and floured 9x13 pan.  Before baking, mix together topping ingredients.  Sprinkle on top of cake and bake at 350° for 40 minutes.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.