Caramel Brownies

Real quick, before we get on to the chocolatey-caramel deliciousness, I just wanted to say a humble thank you for yesterday.  

  I guess I figured it would be the fellow bloggers that would connect and respond to my ‘Bloggers Are People Too’ post with a “yes” and an “amen” and a comment about it.  Oh, there were definitely some amens from fellow bloggers, they totally got where I was coming from, they have been on the receiving end of nasty, too.

  I think what surprised me, was all the comments from people who don’t blog.  You all didn’t let that stop you from coming alongside me with words of affirmation and encouragement, and that meant the world to me! You took the time to show me compassion, even if you hadn’t walked my path.  Simply amazing. I am blessed to have you in my life!  

  Truthfully, what I wanted to do yesterday was stamp my foot and shout to those mean forums,
“STOP looking for my husband on dating sites, STOP saying Jesus can’t heal a broken marriage this fast, stop calling me mean names, stop hate reading my blog, STOP accusing me of hurting my kids and especially of not giving the best care I could to my father in law. STOP COMING HERE TO THROW STONES…..”

You don’t know how many times I checked that site the first day I found it. They were sending all kinds of people my way, so I followed the link back to them.  I was actually in schok, unable to look away, even through little gasps of horror, and tear filled eyes.  After that first day, I walked away. I won’t go back.  I don’t want to know what they will say next.  I know who I serve, I know who I answer to, and I know one day, everyone will face their Creator and give an account of their lives, their actions and their words.  

  You don’t know how many times my fingers twitched and hovered over the keyboard with rebuttals and arrows to fling back.  But I didn’t.  I didn’t have to, because you all pointed me to Jesus.  You reminded me why the attacks come. My battle is not with flesh and blood, my battle is not with forums and snarky websites.  My battle is with satan, the prince of darkness.

Duh. How could’ve I missed that part?  Thanks for pointing me to the bigger picture yesterday. I needed it.

  The cool part about this, is that hundreds of people are coming from those sites, daily, to see what all the fuss is about.  I can only hope they find Jesus while they are here, that they find themselves captivated and unable to look away, because our Savior is irresistible.

 Hey, crazier things have happened!  😉  That’s enough serious talk for today, let’s move on to dessert.

  This one comes from my Momma’s recipe box, and it always takes me back to my childhood. We lived in the coolest little bitty town.  The kind where you rode your bike alone everywhere, and played outside until dark, and your mom didn’t worry a bit.

   This simple recipe starts with a cake mix, and was the “Go To” recipe for Desserts at our house…when she let us have dessert, which wasn’t often.  She was a worse Sugar Nazi then I am!  Haha.

  I remember sneaking into our kitchen, and carefully opening the non-creaking cupboard door, where she had the Little Debbie’s stashed.  I would wait until she laid down for a little snooze on the couch, in the living room, so that I could be sure my “Operation Little Debbie” would be successful this time.

  Wouldn’t you know, the MILLISECOND that package crinkled she’d say, “HEY!” or “What do you think you are doing?” from the couch, and scare the living tar out of me.  Rats, so close!

  She did let me and my little brother peel the wrappers from the caramels used in this recipe.  And sometimes, she even let us eat the extras! Maybe THAT is where my obsession with caramel started?! Hmmm.

{click title to print}

Description

These simple, but delicious, cake mix Brownies come from my Momma’s recipe box.

Ingredients

• 1 box (15.25 Ounce Box) Chocolate Cake Mix
• ½ cups Melted Butter
• 5 ounces Evaporated Milk, Divided Use
• 37 Brach’s Caramel Squares
• 1 cup Chocolate Chips

Preparation

  Combine DRY cake mix with 1/2 cup melted butter and 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Mixture will be thick.
Press a little over half into a sprayed 9×13 glass pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes.
Unwrap 37 caramel squares, and combine them with 1/3 cup evaporated milk in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat and stir to melt and combine.
Sprinkle one cup of chocolate chips over par-baked brownies, then pour caramel over top.
Drop remaining batter in tablespoons over the surface.
Return to oven for 15 more minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cut while warm, but not piping hot, for best results.

Dig in!

~T

Gold Rush Cobbler

  Threw this together spur of the moment one night, when I had a hankering for something warm underneath my ice cream.  I didn’t know what to expect with 4 ingredients: graham crackers, chocolate chips,  sweetened condensed milk and pecans, but it was really tasty!  Serve it warm from the oven with ice cream for cobbler scoopability.

  OR, I discovered that the next day, it turns into more of a yummy, chewy brownie consistency that you can cut into squares and pick up to eat.  Either way, its a WIN!

{click title to print}

Ingredients

• 18 whole Graham Cracker Rectangles, Crushed
• 28 ounces, fluid Sweetened, Condensed Milk
• 12 ounces, weight Milk Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Pecans, Cropped
• 1 carton Salted Caramel Ice Cream
• Caramel Ice Cream Topping, For Drizzling

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Place crackers in a sealed zip lock and crush with a rolling pin.
Mix crumbs with sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and pecans.
Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lightly sprinkle with flour. Press mixture into pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve cobbler warm with caramel ice cream and a drizzle of caramel for pretty.

Enjoy!

~T

Hollywood Makeover: Brownie Edition

  I must have a sweet tooth this week, this is the 4th sweet/bread item I have shared. Don’t worry, that doesn’t mean I made and ate them all this week! 🙂 I often am working a month or two ahead, …

Banana Cream Pudding Cups

  Happy Labor Day!  I promise you won’t labor too hard for this delicious dessert.

 From the moment I saw Nilla Wafers on sale, I KNEW…..

  It was time to introduce my family to Banana pudding!  {squeeee!}  So exciting!

  Now, you know me and my love of all things creamy, so I had to doctor up the recipe a bit, so this is NOT your ordinary Banana Pudding!  I mean, with heavy whipping cream, sour cream and cool whip, how could it be?

  Don’t think about calories, think about how much you are gonna love it! 

Here is my spin on the recipe on the side of the Vanilla Wafer box: the end result was rich, smooth, creamy and oh so goooooood!

{click title to print}

Ingredients

• 1 box {3.4 Oz} Banana Cream Instant Pudding
• 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 4 ounces Sour Cream
• 8 ounces Cool Whip , Thawed, Divided Use
• 2 whole Bananas, Sliced
• 12 ounce Box Of Vanilla Wafers

Preparation Instructions

In a bowl, combine heavy whipping cream with pudding powder. Add in 4 ounces of cool whip and 4 ounces of sour cream. Whisk together until smooth and thick.
Slice bananas. Put 1 vanilla wafer in the bottom of each of your 6, 4 ounce jars. Add pudding for the next layer, then banana slices, then another vanilla wafer, more pudding, this time to the top of the jar.
Add 3 more banana slices to the top before covering in cool whip and garnishing with a Vanilla wafer. Repeat 6 times. You may have enough pudding for the 7th jar, or you could eat the leftovers with a spoon, up to you! No judgment from me!

Enjoy your day off!

~T

S’Mores Pie

  I have made so many S’mores recipes, it’s not even funny.  But I JUST CAN’T HELP MYSELF! 

I am a S’mores loving fool!

 Some of the recipes I have made and posted on this blog are….

No Bake S’Mores Bars
 
I Want S’More Bars

 

Gooey S’mores Cake 

And Fluffy S’mores Cake.

  Not to leave any dessert-type out, I now give you S’Mores Pie, adapted from a recipe on Weekend Potluck from Cookies & Cups!

{click title to print}

Ingredients

• 1 stick Softened Butter
• ½ cups White Sugar
• 1 cup Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 7 ounces, weight Container Of Marshmallow Creme
• 8 whole {1.55 Oz} Hershey’s Chocolate Bars
• 1 cup Marshmallows
• ¼ cups Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9″ pie pan with baking spray.
Beat butter and sugar together until combined, then add egg and vanilla.
Stir in flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking powder. Divide the dough in half. Press half the dough in the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pie pan.
Evenly spread the Marshmallow Creme over the bottom crust
Separate chocolate squares and place on top of the Marshmallow Creme.
paper. Place 1 cup of full sized marshmallows on top.
Using remaining crust, pat sections of dough on top of and around all the marshmallows. {they will still show through and that is GREAT!}
Sprinkle with 1/4 cup chocolate chips, then bake 20 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool COMPLETELY before cutting, or you will have a gooey mess that looks nothing like a piece of pie.

Not that I would know……

   Okay, okay, maybe I DO know. 

Either way, enjoy your gooey treat!

~T

Snickers Cheesecake Pie

  I told you yesterday, that we were all still a bit green around the gills, so we stayed home last night. But, Destiny had been well since Sunday, so she went to Fall Fest last night with some friends.  You know I wouldn’t be ME, if I didn’t have a photo to share.  🙂

I was very pleased with the way the skirt and outfit turned out.

Sweet lil’ Peanut knew she wasn’t going, but asked so nicely if she could at least try her outfit on for a picture like big sis.
Consider this a sneak peek for next year:

Ok, so I KNOW, you’ve already gone through your kids’ candy from last night, and divided out the chocolate from the other stuff, right?

 I mean, come on, we don’t want that chocolate starting to taste like GRAPE now do we?!

  Save those Snickers, because do I have the dessert for you!

  I found this recipe at Weekend Potluck by Jessica at A Kitchen Addiction.  Oh my stinkin’ yum, was it ever DIVINE!  And it’s the perfect way to use up your collection of mini Snickers!

This pie makes my top 5 dessert recipes!

Did you hear me?  

The best Snickers Pie E-V-E-RRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!

A huge thank you MUST go out to Jessica, who invented it.  Genius I tell you, sheer Genius!

(click for easy printable)

Ingredients

• 1 whole Chocolate Crust
• 4 Tablespoons Each Fudge And Caramel Toppings
• 12 ounces Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• ½ cup Creamy Peanut Butter
• ½ teaspoon Vanilla
• 3 full sized Snicker Bars or 9 Snack Size or 18 Mini’s
• 8 ounces Cool Whip , Thawed
• Caramel And Chocolate For Drizzling, Optional

1. Drizzle 4 T. each of caramel and fudge into the bottom of your chocolate crust. Refrigerate.
2. Mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla, stir well.
3. Add in 2 chopped Snickers bars and cool whip. Do not over stir!
4. Pour into pie crust.
5. Drizzle with caramel and chocolate sauce and add last Snickers bar, chopped to the top.
6. Refrigerate 4 hours to set. Serve cold and slice it small, this pie is RICH!

~T

No Bake S’Mores Bars

  If you have been following my blog for a while, you know by now, a few things about me:

1) I am an Ice Cream-a-holic and may or may not have 8 different kinds of ice cream in my freezer at all times.

2) I am GAGA over anything toffee or caramel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! {drool}

3) I like sour cream, cream cheese or anything whippy or creamy!

4) I LOVE everything that tastes like S’mores, especially around October.

5) I need my list to stop at 5, because stopping at 4 felt wrong. This is called OCD.

  Anyhow, I have posted a VARIETY of S’mores-esque recipes in the past like…..

Gooey S’Mores Cake    I Want S’More Bars

And,

Fluffy S’Mores Cake!

  But none as easy as the new S’mores bars in town.  Ok, not new, I totally remember making these as a kid, but NEW as in I had forgotten all about them!

  Oh, how I have missed you…….

{click title to print}

Ingredients

• 12 ounces, weight Golden Grahams Cereal
• 16 ounces, weight Mini Marshmallows
• 1-½ cup Mini Chocolate Chips
• ½ cups Chocolate Chunks
• 5 Tablespoons Butter

In a pan, melt butter until just browned, add 5 cups of marshmallows. Stir until melted. Remove from heat and scrape into large mixing bowl.
Add cereal to bowl and toss to coat. Add both kinds of chocolate chips and remaining marshmallows. Stir.
Press s’mores mixture into a greased 8×11 rectangle glass pan. Refrigerate for one hour to firm up, then cut into squares.
Serve at room temperature.

YUM!

~T

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Bars

  I don’t think that I have ever purchased a roll of cookie dough. Ever.  Guess I am an old fashioned girl. If I want cookies, I want homemade ones.  But when I found a random recipe using a roll of cookie dough, which just so happened to be on sale AND I had a coupon for….I knew I needed to try it.

  These come together so easily, it almost feels like you aren’t really baking!  And it only makes a 9×9, which means it doesn’t linger in your fridge days after you have got your fill of it.

(click title for easy printable)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 package (16.5 Oz) Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Roll

Set cookie dough out to soften about 15 minutes ahead of time. Preheat oven to 350*.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth.
In an un-greased 9 inch square pan, press half of the cookie dough into the bottom of your pan. {flour your fingers if necessary}
Spread cream cheese mixture onto dough layer. Top with blobs of remaining cookie dough.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool 30 minutes, then refrigerate 2 hours before serving.
It’ll be hard to wait, but do it, they are so much better set up!

  Enjoy!

~T

Peaches & Cream Pie

  This Peaches and Cream pie will rock your world! Make this QUICK before summer leaves us and Peaches are no longer available!!! 

  This is my NEW favorite Peach recipe……..and that’s saying a lot, because I had several favorites last year, including Peaches and Cream Torte and Peach Crumble Pie. 

Peaches & Cream Pie

{click for easy printable}

FOR THE CRUST:

1-½ cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

¼ cups Sugar

6 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

FOR THE FILLING:

4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened

½ cups Powdered Sugar

½ cups Cool Whip , Thawed

FOR THE TOPPING:

3 ounces, weight Peach Jello

3 ounces, weight Cook And Serve Vanilla Pudding

1-¼ cup Water

2 cups Fresh Peaches, Peeled And Sliced

  Mix cracker crumbs with sugar, stir in melted butter and pat into 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375* for about 6 minutes. Cool.
In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and powdered sugar, fold in whipped topping and spread over crust. Refrigerate until set.
For the topping, combine jello and pudding in a small sauce pan, add water and heat to a boil, stirring constantly on a medium high heat. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
Arrange peach slices neatly over filling and spread jello mixture over all.

  Refrigerate several more hours, or until set.

Delicious! 

  Come see me tomorrow, I want to tell you all about our Branson trip.  First time we’ve gotten away for an extended vaca with no kids in 6 years!!!!

~T