Twix Bars

Mmmmmm.

Yes, let's say that again, Mmmmmmm.

These are tasty!  I made them for a family Halloween party and they were gobbled up quickly!

It might be partially due to the fact that there is 1 pound of butter in a 9x13 pan.  Oh yeah, and some sugar.  Throw in some sweetened condensed milk, and what's not to love?

Shortbread Crust:
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
Mix and press in 9x13 pan. Bake @ 375 for 20 min.

Caramel:
2 sticks butter
1 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
 Cook over med heat- boil 5 min. Pour on crust. Put in fridge 1 hour.

Chocolate:
Melt 12 oz bag of milk choc chips
 2 tbsp veg. Oil
 Spread over caramel and put in fridge for 2 hours.

I discovered that if you 1/4 this recipe, it makes a perfect 8x8 pan.  It is thinner layers of the caramel and crust and I think it is a nice change.  Plus making only an 8x8 pan means there's less laying around that I am going to eat.

1/4 recipe:

4 T butter
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
Mix and press in 8x8 pan, bake at 375 for about 14-15 minutes.  Check it to make sure it doesn't get too dark.

4 T butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T corn syrup
5 T sweetened condensed milk
cook over medium heat - boil 5 minutes.  Pour on crust, put in fridge 1 hour

1/3-1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 T vegetable oil
melt together, spread over cooled caramel layer.  Refrigerate until set.

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake

This year when I was a few months away from my birthday, I happened to stumble upon this blog.  I don't even remember how I came across it but I was instantly intrigued.  Each recipe she posted just looked like something I wanted to try.  Then, I saw this recipe.  And I knew I wanted it to be my birthday cake.  I probably looked at it every other day during those two months.  I kept thinking about how it would taste and how much fun it would be to make.  A week before my birthday I went and bought the chocolate and the raspberries and the jam.  We were out of town over the weekend and got home in the afternoon of my birthday.  We were pretty busy that evening and didn't know if we would end up making the cake that night or the next day.  Finally we decided to just make it that night, and it wasn't done until about 11:30 - but it was so worth it!  I definitely recommend this cake - it is delicious!!

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Cake

from Elissa at 17andbaking.com
Makes a three layer 8″ cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Raspberry Ganache (recipe follows)
2/3 cup raspberry jam **I used seedless raspberry jam and it turned out awesome!**

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8″ cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter again.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in the oil and sour cream, then gradually beat in the water. Add the vinegar and vanilla and mix to combine, and finally beat in the eggs until the batter is well combined. Divide among the three cake pans.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out almost clean. **I checked mine at 33 minutes and the toothpick came out completely clean.  I think they turned out perfect, but definitely check the cakes a little earlier, depending on your oven**  Cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and peel off the parchment paper, letting the cakes cool completely. These cakes are very soft, and it helps to freeze them for 15 minutes at this point. While the cakes cool, make the Raspberry Ganache.

If the cakes are not flat, use a serrated knife to even the tops. Place one layer onto a parchment-lined cardboard cut out and spread 1/3 cup raspberry jam. Cover the jam with a thin, 1/4″ thick layer of raspberry ganache. Top with the second layer and repeat. Then invert the final layer and place on top.

To frost the cake, start with a crumb coat: barely cover the entire cake with a thin, see through layer of ganache. This is to help create a smooth finish later. Chill the cake for 10 minutes.

Frost the cake with the remaining raspberry ganache and top with fresh raspberries.

Raspberry Ganache
Makes just enough to fill and frost a three layer 8″ cake

15 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped **I used half 50% cocoa and half 70% and sometimes I felt like it was too bitter, other times I felt it was just right.  I definitely wouldn't want it more than 60%**
1 2/3 cups frozen raspberries
8 oz (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

Bring an inch or two of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. As the water heats, microwave the raspberries in 1 minute intervals, stirring and mashing with a fork, until they become a smooth liquid. Pour through a strainer (should yield 1/3 cup raspberry juice) **I didn't measure, but mine definitely yielded more than that - and I just used it all** and set aside to cool.

Place the chopped chocolate and the butter in a large heatproof bowl and set over the saucepan. The bowl should not touch the water or fall more than halfway into the saucepan. Stir until the chocolate and butter melt, then gradually add in the slightly warm raspberry juice, whisking to combine.

Take the ganache off the heat and let cool until spreadable, stirring once in a while.

Here are my pictures from the process -- enjoy!!

mixing the raspberry juice into the melted chocolate

My cakes weren't perfectly flat but I didn't care, so I didn't waste time cutting them with a knife.

first jam layer

and ganache

repeat the process

I hadn't ever made ganache before - so when it said cool until spreadable, I didn't really know what that meant.  And since it was really late, I just kind of poured it on.  It looks really drippy and sloppy here, but then we put it in the fridge and it hardened and looked really nice, except where it had all dripped down on the plate.  It was plenty thick too, so I wouldn't necessarily worry next time about waiting until it was spreadable just to prevent the ganache from slipping down.

MMMMMM!

Grilled Jam Sandwich

When we were in Texas, we went to a restaurant called Cheddar's and had the Monte Cristo sandwich.  Delish.

Although this is not the same, when I saw it that is what it reminded me of.  It's so good.  It's kind of like a warm jelly-filled donut, only much easier to make!

I got the recipe from Real Simple Magazine.

I don't think I need to put step by step directions on here, but you just make a jam sandwich (I used strawberry, but anything would be good).  Then you butter the two outside pieces of bread and cook it in a frying pan over low heat until it is golden brown.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar for a fancy look.

Carmelita Bars

Carmelita Bars
***These are so tasty, so please don't automatically disregard them when you find out how much butter they have in them!***
--also, read the notes at the bottom--

2 1/4 cups melted butter
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups oatmeal

6-12 ounces chocolate chips
17 ounces caramel ice cream topping

Combine first six ingredients.  Spread half of dough on an ungreased jelly roll pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Sprinkle chocolate chips over the dough.  Pour caramel topping evenly over chips.  Use remaining dough to press into palm-sized sections and place on top of caramel.  Bake for 10-12 more minutes.

***Notes***
***** This makes a pretty big recipe -- I cut it in half and just use a 9x13 pan.  It works out great.
***** Instead of pressing the second half of the dough over the top, I just crumble it over, trying to spread it evenly.  It prevents you from having to touch the hot cooked part, with the melting chocolate chips and caramel.