Fluffertella

I was, but I couldn’t taste test it, so my friends did. To find out if they preferred this Nutella Fluffernutter hybrid to the straight-up Fluffernutter hit the jump to find out and for the recipe.

Fluffernutter Bars

This past weekend was madness for us. I came from work on Friday night and Matt stopped me before I could come in to tell me some heartbreaking and painful news that’s too difficult to share until we can resolve it. So being the weekend and without any resources to handle what has come our way I baked through the night for some calming therapy.

Thank goodness for baking and blogging to calm my racing mind while I wait for Monday to come. I’m hoping what seems catastrophic and devasting now will give way to professional reassurance that everything will be fine.

Cole has no idea what is going on, but I still wanted to give him a little piece of sweet happiness, so I made these bars for him since he absolutely loves Fluffernutter. Oddly, he did not initially like them. He said they were too big to eat – makes sense for his little mouth, so I sliced them into little matchstick-size bars and he loved them.

A few notes:

• To shortcut the hands on time and avoid chopping up the regular size Reese’s cups, use mini Reese’s cups.
• The Fluffernutter Bars can be prepared a day in advance and will keep for up to 2 days once made.

Fluffernutter Bars

Makes 8×8 pan | Preparation: Line pan with a foil sling and cover with bake spray.

Ingredients:

• 10 Nutter Butter sandwich cookies, chopped
• 10 Reese’s cups (regular size), chopped
• 3 cups mini marshmallows, divided use
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 8 oz. Reeses Peanut Butter chips

Instructions:

1. Place chopped Nutter Butter sandwich cookies, Reeses Peanut Butter cups and 1 ¼ cups of mini marshmallows in a bowl and toss to combine. Set aside.
2. Place remaining 1 ¾ cups of marshmallows in a pan over low heat and stir until melted. Add in butter and stir to combine. Add in Reeses Peanut Butter chips and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
3. Pour warm marshmallow mixture over chopped Nutter Butter and Reeses Peanut mixture. Fold to combine and pour into prepared pan. Using an offset spatula spread top to an even finish. Chill in refrigerator for about one-half to two hours or until bars set. Once set remove from refrigerator and cut to desired size.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars

Here’s a question, have you ever been caught double fisting food like a toddler in a high chair or opening wide for a bite, by wide I mean, when your jaw becomes unhinged-not attractive.

Keeping those two things in mind and having a bowl left of chocolate chip cookie dough, I decided time to get a mash-up going in a mini sort of way by using Wilton’s mini brownie pan. I have to admit I was a little worried they would be difficult to pop out or they just might crumble while being removed from the pan, but neither proved to be true.

The best part about these bars is they are super  easy to make and always a hit.  

A few notes:

• For the chocolate chip cookie portion, I used my favorite recipe found here. Feel free to use your favorite recipe or ready-made cookie dough to short cut the time.
• You can bypass using the brownie bite pan and just use a regular 8×8 pan and then increase the bake time to 30minutes.
• If you are using Wilton’s Brownie Bite pan, it works out much better if you prep each well manually by smearing the bake spray in each well one at a time, rather than doing a sweeping spray of the whole pan. The latter tends to leave heavy pools of bake spray here and there.
• Do not try to remove these from the pan while warm or they will crumble. Once cooled the bars will pull away slightly from the walls and make for easy removal.
• Unrelated: Bark recipe will be up tomorrow . . . I’m really excited about this one! And don’t forget to enter the LeCreuset Holiday giveaway here.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars

24 mini bites (using Wilton’s Brownie Bite pan) | Preparation: Heat oven 350 degrees F. Cover each well with bake  spray.

Chocolate chip cookie dough:

• Chocolate chip cookie dough recipe  found here

Cheesecake:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

1. Add cream cheese and sugar in a bowl and beat until well blended. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until blended.
2. Press approximately ½ teaspoon of dough into each well. Add approximately ½ teaspoon of cheesecake mixture on top of bottom layer. Crumble remaining cookie dough and spread on top of cheesecake layer.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until inserted toothpick into the cheesecake portion comes out clean. Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack to completely cool before removing chocolate chip cookie and cheesecake bars. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bark

Don’t be mistaken by the quiet look of this bark. Between the white chocolate and dark chocolate layer you will find a surprising crispy crunch of cocoa pebbles for added texture and flavor. Adding to that is dry cake mix folded into the white chocolate for a cookie dough profile and finishing it all off is a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips. And there you have it, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bark.

Alright, now, I will ease up on the bark.  I have to say it was a fun run. Fast, easy and tasty.

And I’m going to keep this post super short, since my to-do list is quickly turning into an overdue list.  I also need to nail down a persuasive pitch explaining to Matt that laundry is over-rated. I need to convince him that we should just buy enough underwear, socks and other necessitating clothes to warrant laundry once every 3 months instead of 2-3 times a week.

I hate laundry. You know what sucks most about it? It tethers you to home all day long.  You know what I mean, the swish-swashing of the washer and the bing-bonging of the dryer, Then after an hour and a half of that, you to have fold or hang it all up or else everything is a wrinkled mess. This is nothing short of just plain ol’ suck-y work.

Well I’m going to remedy this swish-swashing and bing-bonging annoyance by explaining to  him we are going to buy clothes and undergarments in bulk like people shop at Costco in bulk-The. End.

Aside from that, just think of how many more desserts I could make if I wasn’t saddled with this silly business of clothes washing.

A few notes:

• I recommend use dark not milk chocolate for the base, as the dark will provide a soft subtle counterpoint to  the sweetness of the white chocolate.
• Store bark in refrigerator for maximum freshness and remove 10-15 minutes prior to serving.
• You can use Cocoa Pebbles or Cocoa Krispy cereal or skip it all together without too much lost in the overall flavor. The cereal just adds a nice textural contrast to the smooth chocolate.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bark

Preparation: Line 8×8 pan with parchment or wax paper.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz dark Ghirardelli dark chocolate
• 10 oz white Ghirardelli chocolate
• ½ cup cocoa crisp
• 1/3 cup of dry white cake mix
• ½ cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Place dark chocolate in a heat proof bowl over (not on) simmering water and stir until melted. Pour melted chocolate into 8×8 pans, using an offset icing spatula smooth out chocolate until an even layer is achieved. Sprinkle cocoa pebbles on top and gently press it into the chocolate. Place pan in refrigerator for 5 minutes for chocolate to become slightly harden.
2. Place white chocolate in a heat proof bowl over (not on) simmering water and stir until melted. Remove pan bowl from heat and fold in dry cake mix.
3. Remove pan with chilled dark layer and pour melted white chocolate on top. Using an offset icing spatula smooth out chocolate until an even layer is achieved. Sprinkle mini chocolate chip on top and return to refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes or until bark is fully set.

Turtle Bark

Yes, I’m kinda bark crazy right now, aren’t I? If you are a regular reader, than you know when I get caught on a run of something you will probably see a few variations. I can’t help it. My mind starts to rush ideas at me with the speed of an Indie car racer pedaled down on a straightaway.

And it seems the only way to calm this maniac state is to work through most of the ideas. If not, the ideas flip back and forth in my head and I’m left wondering will it work, how will it work, and most importantly—how will it taste.

Well I’m happy to share, this turned out really well. Here’s the thing-I love making candy bark because it’s so easy and all I need to think about when I’m creating one is finding components that will break up the texture and flavor. Aside from that, candy bark always makes for great gift giving-so it’s a perfect thing to add to your holiday baking arsenal.

A few notes:

• Toast your nuts for best flavor extraction.
• For the caramel cook it until it is a deep amber in color, as it will impart more flavor than pulling it off when the sugar just turns a light amber. For a step-by-step picture tutorial to making homemade caramel click here.
• Make sure the Turtle Bark is nice a cold when cutting for clean even edges.
• Use at least 65% cacao as the anything less will melt too fast in the hands of those eating it.
• You will have more caramel then you need, so keep the leftover in a jar to use in or on another dessert.

Turtle Bark

Makes one 8×8 pan | Preparation line 8×8 pan with parchment or wax paper.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup pecans, toasted

Caramel Filling:
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 5 tablespoon heavy cream

• 16oz Ghirardelli 65% chocolate chips

*Optional Topping:

• 2 tablespoon pecans, finely chopped
• 2oz caramel sauce

Instructions:

1. Toasting the pecans: Place pecans on bake sheet pan and toast at 375 degrees for about 5-6 minutes then stir for even toasting and bake for about another 5-6 minutes or until nuts darken and become aromatic. Remove bakesheet from oven and set aside to cool. Once pecans are completely cooled; chop and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans and chop it some for a finely chopped consistency; set aside for finishing.
2. To make the caramel filling: Add sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Use a wet brush to remove any crystals that form on the side. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high. Now and then, using the handle give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute. As the mixture darkens to a medium amber color, approximately 5-7 minutes, add the butter and heavy cream to saucepan. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Set aside to cool completely.
3. To melt the chocolate: Place chocolate in a heat proof bowl over (not on) simmering water and stir until melted.
4. To assemble: Pour half of melted chocolate into 8×8 pans, using an offset icing spatula smooth out chocolate until an even layer is achieved. Place pan in refrigerator for 5 minutes for chocolate to become slightly harden. Remove from refrigerator and pour ¼ of caramel on top and sprinkle pecans on top of caramel and gently press pecans down into caramel. Place pan in refrigerator for 7 minutes for caramel to become slightly harden. Pour remaining chocolate on top and return to refrigerator for 20 minutes for fully assembled Turtle bark to set
5. Finish top by sprinkling remaining 2 tablespoons of finely chopped pecans. Drizzle with caramel.

Nutter Butter Bark

I know, I make many proclamations about my baked goods. And you’re probably wondering what can I possibly offer in my defense for such a grandiose statement?

Nutter Butter Bark

Well, I like to aim high. In this case, not much other than my friends telling me this is “baking hero” material. In other words, this bark created a lot of sweet satisfied smiles. And, I should clarify-a friend not friends made this statement. But do nodding heads in agreement of such a statement count for the plural use of “friends” here? Maybe.

But like I told her, that’s a sound bite. And since this is a written blog, how I wrote it, is how it shall be conveyed.

I guess you’ll just have to make this to find out on your own if this will recipe will make you a baking hero.

A few notes:

• For those of you who may not know what Nutter Butter Cookie Sandwiches are-think Oreo cookies, but Nutter Butter is made with peanut butter cookies and at the center is a peanut butter creme filling.
• You can certainly make this treat without the Nutter Butter, but I’m all about texture so I wanted something to break up the chocolate and peanut butter.
• The recipe can easily be doubled, tripled and beyond to suit your needs.
• To lessen the hands on time even more, use mini Nutter Butter cookies to bypass chopping the cookies into small pieces.
• Completely unrelated-For those waiting for the mini crepe cake I blurped about featuring . . . well, I’m sorry, I have to re-do the recipe. The frosting was a fantastic flop, but more on that later when I do feature the successful finish.

Nutter Butter Bark

Makes one 8×8 pan | Preparation line 8×8 pan with parchment or wax paper.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Ghiradelli 65% chocolate chips
• 8 Nutter Butter sandwich cookies, chopped to small pieces
• 10 oz Reese’s peanut butter chips

*Optional Topping:

• 2 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles
• 2oz melted chocolate

Instructions:

1. Place chocolate in a heat proof bowl over (not on) simmering water and stir until melted. Pour melted chocolate into 8×8 pans, using an offset icing spatula smooth out chocolate until an even layer is achieved. Sprinkle chopped Nutter Butter on top and gently press it down into the chocolate. Place pan in refrigerator for 5 minutes for chocolate to become slightly harden.
2. Place Reese’s peanut butter chips in a heat proof bowl over (not on) simmering water and stir until melted. Pour melted Reese’s peanut butter chips on top of Nutter Butter layer and, using an offset icing spatula smooth out Reese’s peanut butter until an even layer is achieved. *Optional: Scatter chocolate sprinkles on top and then drizzle melted chocolate on top. Return pan to refrigerator to chill and set for 15-20 minutes.

Rocky Road Bark

Remember this Rocky Road Cookie flop. I tried again and froze the marshmallows as suggested to no avail. The marshmallows inside, melted into the cookie dough and the ones on top created a weepy pool once more. Ready to give up on rocky road, I decided—no. Seldom do I ever give up on anything and I’m certainly not going to let a few marshmallows beat me.

With that in mind, I decided to flip my rocky road into: chocolate bark. And holy-mama!  I’m so glad I did. These are so good. Nothing special—just tasty and addicting. So much so, that I took the photos and passed them to Matt and his brother to dig into-and then, I had to tell them. . . .”WAIT! Stop eating. I need to re-shoot.” Do you know how well that went over?

Not well. They left me with four pieces-the four you see here.

The upside is I now have a new bribery recipe that does not involve peanut butter or salted caramel. In fact these were so popular, Matt suggested I make this to give away for the holidays.

And you know what? I totally am. This Rocky Road Bark recipe is an easy to make-10 minutes to prep, 10 minutes to chill and then split with a fork. Throw it in some cellophane bags; tie a ribbon on it and-Done!

A few notes:

• Make sure to use salted almonds and not just regular roasted almonds. The salt adds a deeper flavor and gives this bark the perfect sweet and salty combo.
• Your palate your preference:  If you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, milk chocolate will work just as well.

Rocky Road Bark

Preparation: Line a 8×8 pan with enough parchment or wax paper for a 1 inch overhang on each side.

Ingredients:

• 10oz. Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips
• 1 ½ cups salted almonds, chopped or whole
• 1 ½ cups mini marshmallows

Instructions:

1. Place chocolate in a saucepan over low heat and stir continuously, until chocolate is completely melted.  Transfer chocolate to a heat proof bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Add almonds and mini marshmallows and stir to combine. Pour mixture into pan. Use a spatula to smooth out top. (Leave top bare or to finish like the pictures, finely chop ¼ cup of almonds and sprinkle on top). Chill for about 10 minutes until chocolate becomes solid.
2. Lift whole bark out of pan by holding onto parchment or wax overhang. Split bark into pieces with a fork.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Banana Rice Krispie Treat

I really should have thought of a better name, but I didn’t want to cheat those looking at the bars wondering what’s in them. Chocolate and peanut butter are pretty much a no-fail pairing, but inspired by little guy’s love for peanut butter and banana sandwiches, I threw in a banana for added goodness.  

So yeah, you can absolutely feel good about serving this updated classic dessert to your little one—there is after all a fruit serving involved.

Hit the jump to Endless Simmer  for the recipe.

S'more Bars

I’m pretty sure having a good smore recipe is a requirement for good parenting, right? I mean you don’t want to send your child all the way through 10 years of school without ever knowing what one is—because that would be embarrassing.

S'more Bars

What could be worse than missing culinary cultural references as such? I’m sure many things but when you are an awkward teenager, it seems like the end of all coolness.

Not wanting history to repeat itself, I’m determined to make my little guy a well-traveled culinary ninja. I made it, plated it and . . . . He turned his nose up at it. Yep. My little guy has no idea that as soon as he hits five, dessert enforcement will come down on him with no kid gloves.

That’s right, People, I’m a sugar pusher.

Hit the jump over to Endless Simmer for the recipe write-up and to uncover the secret weapon to becoming a culinary ninja. Okay not really, but I did throw a little twist  in the recipe.

Oh, and hey, there are plenty of good S’more recipes out there, but this one from Cookie Crazed Mama is the latest to catch my eye: Smore Krispy Treat. Ahem, we have a key ingredient in common when it comes to making s’more bars.

Salted Caramel and Chocolate Pretzel Cups

The salted caramel along with the pretzels provides the needed balance to the sweet richness of the filling. It also gives enough texture and body to the dessert to keep the filling from hitting the roof of your mouth like a dog with a spoonful of peanut butter.

If you are wondering, yes, I have a slight obsession with salted caramel. And as I have previously mentioned, I also have a slight obsession with trying to improve my photography skills. That said, the trend you maybe noticing here is a mini onslaught of salted caramel recipes and a mini dark-shot series.

A few notes:

• I kept this a no-bake recipe, so no need to bake the graham cracker crust. If you decide to bake it for an added crispness, place the pan in the oven for 6-8 minutes at 350 degrees F.
• For a variation check out these Belt Busting Bars that utilize a short bread crust with a peanut butter pretzel filling.
• For another no-bake recipe with this flavor combination check out these Chocolate and Salted Caramel Pudding Pops.
• The bars can be made a day in advance and refrigerated. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes prior to serving
• You can skip the cupcake liner and use an 8×8 pan.

Chocolate and Pretzel Salted Caramel Cups

Preparation: Line cupcake pan with paper liners |  Makes 12 cups

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 12 whole graham crackers, crushed
• 7 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ sugar

Filling:

• 11oz chocolate, melted (65% cacao)
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup salted caramel (recipe follows)
• 2 ½ cups pretzel
• 2 tablespoon fleur de sel

Salted Caramel Sauce:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons of heavy cream
• ½ teaspoons of kosher salt

Instructions:

1. For crust: combine graham crackers, butter and sugar and mix to combine. Press two tablespoons of mixture into each cupcake liner (The crust works just as well unbaked. If you decide to bake it place pan in oven at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes.)

2. for filling: Melt chocolate in a pan over (not on) simmering water. Add milk and whisk to combine. Remove chocolate mixture from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Measure out 1/3 cup of chocolate mixture; set aside.

3. Fold crushed pretzels into the chocolate. Pour mixture over graham cracker crust. Pour remaining chocolate on top. To finish, drizzle caramel on top and sprinkle with fleur de sel Place pan in refrigerator to set for at least thirty minutes or overnight.

4. Add sugar and water into a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Use a wet brush to remove any crystals that form on the side. Once sugar has dissolved increase heat to high. Now and then, using the handle give the pot a swirl to keep the mixture moving. Do not stir the mixture directly. The mixture will start to bubble after a minute. As the mixture darkens to a medium amber color, approximately 5-7 minutes, add the butter and cream to saucepan. The mixture will bubble wildly. Whisk to combine (bubbles will subside upon cooling). Add salt and stir to combine.