Holiday

#BundtBakers: Naughty or Nice

~ lk529 ~ 24 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspostIt’s that time of month for me to share a bundt cake with you alongside #BundtBakers. #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. This month Olivia of Liv for Cake picked a festive theme of “Naughty or Nice” that allowed our imaginations and personalities to shine through our baking.

The weekend before Thanksgiving my best friend here in Ohio invited us over for a Thanksgiving potluck. I was going to bring my creamed onions but I knew the menu was lacking on the sweets side. I accepted the request and used it as the perfect opportunity to share a bundt cake!

My cake today falls under the “nice” category and fits a festive theme. It is studded with both dried and fresh cranberries and has lots of warming spices flowing through it. I even broke out my newest bundt pan and practiced patience in decorating by piping an orange buttercream frosting along the stained glass design.

If you’ve ever baked a bundt cake, then you’re probably familiar with the fact as the cake bakes and rises a dome appears in the middle of the exposed surface – aka the bottom of the cake. There’s a debate as to whether or not it’s best to level out the bottom by cutting it off or not. I usually don’t because my cakes are stored on a plate instead of a cake platter, so that extra “lift” from the dome makes it look perfectly flush with the edges of the plate. For this cake though, I had to make an exception. I needed to try this cake before bringing it to the Thanksgiving potluck and I couldn’t show up with a beautiful one-piece-missing cake! (We had bites of cake bottom for breakfast.)

Cranberry Spice Bundt Cake

Ingredients for the cake:

  • 2 stick butter, softened
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 C brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 C flour
  • 3/4 C almond meal
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 C rough chopped fresh cranberries
  • 1/2 C dried cranberries

Ingredients for the frosting:

  • 1/2 stick butter, softened
  • 3/4 – 1 C powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp orange extract
  • milk, if needed

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease bundt pan.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and yogurt and mix until combined.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Add to the stand mixer and mix until combined.
  4. Fold in the cranberries and pour batter into prepared bundt pan.
  5. Bake 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool in the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.
  6. Make frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment beat butter. Add in powdered sugar and orange extract. Beat until combined. (If frosting doesn’t come together, add just a little bit of milk at a time until a smooth texture is reached.) Frost cake when completely cooled.

*The cake recipe is adapted from Dorie at http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spiced-cranberry-bundt-cake*

Cranberry Spice Bundt Cake for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Amaretto Almond Bundt Cake by I Bake He Shoots

Angel Food Bundt Cake with Cranberry Filling and Lemon Glaze by Taking On Magazines

Anise Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes

Bundtcake Especiado by La mejor manera de hacer…

Candy Cane Bundt by Cali’s Cuisine

Cherry Chocolate Bundt Cake by Basic N Delicious

Chocolate Gingerbread Bundt Cake by How to Philosophize with Cake

Chocolate Gingerbread Bundts with Cream Cheese Frosting by I Camp In My Kitchen

Christmas Fruitcake by Tea and Scones

Christmas Rose Bundt Cake by Living the Gourmet

Eggnog Pound Cake by Palatable Pastime

Hot Buttered Rum Bundt by Food Lust People Love

Maple Pecan Cake by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Naughty and Nice Kahlua Gingerbread Bundt Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Old Fashioned Marble Cake Bundt by Brooklyn Homemaker

Peppermint Candy Cane Bundt Cake by The Freshman Cook

Rum & Eggnog Bundt Cake by Liv for Cake

Spiced Fruitcake by Magnolia Days

Spiced Ginger Bundt Cake with Caramel Brandy Sauce by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Spiced Rum Eggnog Bundt Cake by Making Miracles

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice Cake by Eat, Drink, Be Mighty

Super Naughty Chocolate Whiskey Bacon Jam Bundt Cake by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite A Whiskered Accomplice

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Mexican Monday Latkes

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

My husband has always had a mild obsession with trying to make potato pancakes at home. He did it once with a sweet potato a couple of years ago but it just wasn’t right. (Odds are there was still too much moisture in the potato.)

So when the December issue of Food Network magazine arrived with a page on “Mix-and-Match Latkes” it was immediately added to the menu. I looked at the “recipe” and decided on a Mexican Monday themed latke (because Mexican is always welcome in our house and I usually have all the ingredients I need).

We were beyond impressed with how our recipe turned out! Stuart squeezed the liquid out of the potatoes and onions and he must’ve done a perfect job, because there wasn’t any splattering when I added the latkes to the oil (aka no water!) and they held together wonderfully. These latkes were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

To make the latkes our main meal I topped them with chorizo, sour cream, and cheese. I realized when I pulled out the camera that I didn’t have any greanery – I’d be “chopped” for my plating for sure! And while eating dinner I realized that chorizo is a pork product and therefore these latkes were no longer Kosher. Oops. But any taco meat would work – ground or pulled beef, turkey, or chicken.

We will definitely be experimenting with other flavor combinations! A BBQ inspired one is up next.

Mexican Monday Latkes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb sweet potato, peeled and shredded
  • 1/2 lb russet potato, peeled and shredded
  • 1/4 of a large sweet onion, grated
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 C diced red bell pepper
  • 1/2 C frozen corn, thawed
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/3 C flour
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • optional toppings: taco meat, shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, cilantro, salsa, etc

Steps:

  1. Place shredded potatoes, onion, salt, and pepper in a clean dish towel. Squeeze until potatoes are dry.
  2. Put potatoes a large bowl along with the bell pepper, corn, garlic, and cumin. Mix. Add the beaten egg and flour, mixing until combined.
  3. Form potato mixture into 1/4 C patties and place on a paper towel lined plate. Will make 9-12 latkes.
  4. Heat 1/4″ vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry latkes 4 minutes on each side. Remove to another paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with a little salt.
  5. Serve latkes warm with desired toppings.

Mexican Monday Latkes | Sew You Think You Can Cook

#handcraftededibles: Cookie Tray

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

#handcraftedediblesIn an effort to make all of her holiday gifts this year, Camilla at Culinary Adventures with Camilla invited some of her favorite foodie bloggers to share recipes for hand-crated edibles. Over the course of twelve weeks, we’ll be sharing recipes for all your homemade holiday gifts or things to serve at holiday parties. Hope you’ll follow along for inspiration. You can find out more information, including the schedule here.

It’s hard to believe we’re at week 11! Today’s theme is “Cookie Tray.” A lot of people assemble cookie tins for gifts and if you’re one of them do you stick to your tried and true or venture out and try something new? I encourage you to mix it up and check out the cookie tray we’ve assembled for you today.

Today I am sharing a slight twist to the traditional gingerbread cookie. This one has honey in it, which provides a floral, smokey, sweetness to the spicy cookie.

I played around with the baking times, thinking they needed a little bit longer after the first batch were done, but giving them an extra two minutes yielded very hard cookies that would be more appropriate for ornaments or dog treats once they’d fully cooled. I know gingersnaps are a little harder than your average cookie, but these were too far gone. I urge you too bake on the side of caution and let batch one cool completely before continuing on with your baking.

Honeyed Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 C honey
  • 1 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 1/2 C molasses
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 6 1/2 C flour
  • 3 tbsp gingerbread spice
  • 2 tsp baking soda

Steps:

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the honey, brown sugar, molasses, and butter. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved. Allow mixture to cool for  at least 15 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl sift together the flour, gingerbread spice, and baking soda. Stir in the cooled honey mixture until fully incorporated. It will be sticky! Note: I would suggest doing this in a stand mixer.
  3. Wrap cookie dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
  4. Preheat oven to 320 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  5. Roll cookie dough to 1/6″ thickness. Cut shapes with cookie cutters and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake 8 minutes (See my story above regarding baking time) . Let cool on wire rack. Store cookies in an air tight container.

*This recipe is adapted from Nora at http://www.savorynothings.com/homemade-gingerbread-spice-mix-perfect-gingerbread-recipe-free-printables/*

Honeyed Gingerbread Cookies for #handcraftededibles from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Here are some other options to fill your Cookie Tray:

Next week – week 12 and our final week – is all about wrapping. How to label those jarred mixes. How to mail cookies safely. How to….

Don’t forget to check out our #handcraftededibles pinterest board.

#FoodieExtravaganza: Fruit Cake

~ lk529 ~ 8 Comments

foodieextravaganza-300

It’s the first Wednesday of the month (the last month of the year! YIKES.) and that means it’s time to celebrate some foodie fun! Specifically Fruit Cake. This month’s event is hosted by Laura of Baking in Pyjamas.

The Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme into recipes to share. If you are a blogger and you’re interested in joining in the fun, visit us at our Facebook Foodie Extravaganza page. You can also visit our past party submissions on our Pinterest Foodie Extravaganza board.

I’ve never had fruit cake so I decided to do a little research and find a way to manipulate the controversial dessert into a format that would be most welcome in my house – as breakfast!

I took some of the traditional flavors of fruit cake (minus the booze) and created an original recipe Fruit (Pan)cake! I opted for dried fruits instead of candied, in my case cherries and golden raisins. Because a little one would be eating these pancakes I decided to pulse the walnuts so as to not be a choking hazard, doing so created a great texture to the pancakes and provided heartiness. I used traditional spices to amp up the batter too – cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg – and instead of white sugar I used brown sugar for some extra warmth. If you want some of that boozy flavor try adding some rum extract or making a rum syrup!

An Original Recipe

Fruit (Pan)cakes

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 C flour
  • 1/2 C ground walnuts
  • 3 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 C milk
  • 3 tbsp melted butter
  • 1/2 C golden raisins
  • 1/2 C dried cherries

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, walnuts, baking powder, brown sugar, and spices.
  2. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and fold in the fruit.
  3. On a hot buttered griddle drop 1/3 C of batter into pancakes. Cook until golden on both sides. Flip pancakes when batter starts to set and bubbles form in the center of the pancake.

Fruit (Pan)cakes for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out these other fruit cakes:

Aussie Boiled Fruitcake by Food Lust People Love

Brandied Apricot-Ginger Fruitcake by Cherishing a Sweet Life

Chocolate Fruit Cake by Baking in Pyjamas

Cinnamon Apple Cake by Fearlessly Creative Mammas

Dried Plum Stollen by Caroline’s Cooking

Festive Kid Friendly Fruitcake Muffins by A Day in the Life on a Farm

Irish Spiced Fruitcake by Making Miracles

Lemon Berries Bundt Cake by Cookin and Craftin

SRC: Cranberry Tart

~ lk529 ~ 18 Comments

newsrcbanner

Good morning and welcome to another edition of The Secret Recipe Club. For a little “behind the scenes” information, The Secret Recipe Club (SRC) is divided into four group. Each group posts on a different Monday of the month. I am in Group D and always post on the 4th Monday of the month. This means that those special months with five Mondays there’s a week without any fun reveal day! That is all about to change, beginning with today. On the 5th Monday of the month there will now be a themed reveal and it’s a “free for all,” which means that there aren’t any group restrictions. I’m looking forward to getting to know some of the other bloggers in the club.

With Thanksgiving behind us it’s time to set our eyes on the holidays and that’s why our themed reveal this month is Holiday Treats. My assignment this month comes from Group A, Anna over at BCMom’s Kitchen. Anna views recipes as “suggestions,” something I’d always had a problem doing. As I’ve been blogging and cooking I’ve become more accustomed to this line of thought and can comfortably change recipes to suit the ingredients in my pantry (and budget).

Given the theme for the month I immediately went to Anna’s “sweets” index and searched with the holiday frame of mind. I found myself being pulled to anything and everything cranberry! Apple Cranberry Crisp, Cranberry Tart, and although not a dessert, Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip.

We had this “tart” for our Thanksgiving dessert. My Thanksgiving menu this year was a little unconventional because we had a small group (just us and my in-laws). Instead of turkey we had pork roasts, cornbread dressing, sweet potato casserole, and green bean casserole. We had my Award Winning Chili on Saturday so we did get some turkey during the holiday weekend.

I chose the cranberry tart, but found it difficult to call this dessert a tart. I struggled with how to categorize it though. It’s not quite a tart because there isn’t a crust topped with a filling. It’s almost a pie with a crust going on top of the filling, but it’s not a crust, it’s a batter. It’s probably most like an upside down cake, but I didn’t photograph it upside down – I had to take the pictures Wednesday, before we ate it, while there was light. There was no way I’d risk turning the “tart” upside down in case it didn’t work that way. I’ve decided to call it a “pie cake.” Whatever you call it, it’s delicious – a perfect blend of sweet and tart with some texture.

I found this dessert best served warm alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Cranberry Tart

Ingredients:

  • 2 C fresh (or frozen) cranberries
  • 1/2 C chopped pecans
  • 1 1/2 C sugar, divided use
  • 1 C flour
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp almond extract

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9″ pie pan.
  2. Place cranberries, pecans, and 1/2 C sugar in the pie pan.
  3. In a bowl mix the flour, remaining sugar, melted butter, eggs, and extract. Pour over the cranberries.
  4. Bake 40-45 minutes until the tart has risen slightly, is set, and lightly golden.

*This recipe is adapted from Anna at http://recipes.alwaysbcmom.com/2011/06/cranberry-tart.html*

Cranberry Tart for #SRCHolidayTreats from Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in the themed Secret Recipe Club this month click here:

Thankful for Friends and Bloggers

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

Last month my wonderful friend Tara of Tara’s Multicultural Table threw me a surprise virtual baby shower for my baby boy. The theme behind this blogging event was Thanksgiving.

Lauren-Shower

With a Fall baby, I couldn’t have picked a more perfect theme. Especially when Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I definitely have so much to be thankful for this year.

12187851_10103327191159111_6314454968916339502_n

Tara gathered together a wonderful group of bloggers willing to share a Thanksgiving recipe in honor of my baby boy.

Thank you again to all of the bloggers who came to my shower and a huge thank you to Tara for hosting. I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving surrounded by those you love.

Homemade Candy Corn

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

I conclude my Halloween candy week with a non-chocolate holiday favorite: candy corn!

This candy endeavor is the first one that’s actually a candy – aka it involves boiling sugar. Yikes!

I had to make two attempts at this one, but I’m glad I didn’t give up because I feel quite accomplished having made homemade candy corn! In my opinion this candy tastes much better than the packaged kind. It lacks that “honey” flavor and artificial after taste. I’m not an expert in candy making but I’d imagine you could add a little honey to the corn syrup mixture if you want that taste? Maybe?

After attempt one I decided to do a little more research and found a post on The Kitchn that went into the chemistry of candy making and how to know what went wrong. (In my case, I over cooked the sugar/syrup mix.) The ingredient list was the same (but halved) so I was content to give it another go. Attempt two involved sifting the powdered sugar mixture – I do not recommend skipping this step as it mixed into the syrup mixture much easier. Attempt two also went off of sugar temperature and not time. I think that’s the real key to candy making – if you don’t have a candy thermometer, I wouldn’t recommend attempting this recipe. Another difference was spreading the candy mixture out onto a baking sheet to cool – doing this ensured even cooling of the candy and easy division into three batches.

To be a little “different” I decided to make purple and green candy corn instead of the classic orange and yellow. I just love the addition of
purple and green to the classic Halloween colors – it feels more “wicked.” But honestly, you could do any color combination you want – perfect for tailgates, birthdays, and other holidays.

IMG_6566I only made 3/4 of the batch of candy corn, sacrificing the remaining quarter to the little boy who climbed up into my lap while I was cutting my triangles. Even still, I managed to fill three 4.25 oz jars with homemade candy corn. (I knew I saved those baby food jars for something!)

Homemade Candy Corn

Ingredients:

  • 1 C powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp powdered milk
  • 1/8 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/3 C corn syrup
  • 1/2 C sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • food coloring

Steps:

  1. Sift together powdered sugar, powdered milk, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Place butter, corn syrup, and sugar in a medium sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until butter has melted, stirring gently a couple of times. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer measures 245 – 250 degrees F. Remove from heat and mix in the vanilla extract.
  3. Working quickly, mix the powdered sugar mixture into the syrup mixture (I found this easy to do in batches) until smooth and fully incorporated.
  4. Spread mixture onto a lightly greased baking sheet (or use a silipat mat if you have one). Allow mixture to cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Do not wait too long or the candy will become too hard to deal with, if this happens microwave the candy for 5 seconds to soften, if that doesn’t work you may need to start over. Note: For “trouble-shooting” please see the original recipe linked below.
  5. Cut the candy into thirds and knead desired food coloring into each batch. Like you would with Play-doh, create ropes from the candy. To make it easier to work with I created 4 ropes from each color. Again, microwave the candy as needed to work with easily.
  6. Line one of each color rope next to each other, press together, and flatten with a rolling pin. Cut triangles out of the trio-rope. Repeat until all candy is used up.
  7. Allow candy corn to harden at least one hour. Keep in an airtight container for several weeks – until the candy simply becomes too dry to enjoy.

*This recipe is adapted from Emma at http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-homemade-candy-corn-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-99717*

Homemade Candy Corn | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Homemade “Kit Kat Bars”

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

Before I get into today’s recipe I feel compelled to explain why I put “Kit Kat Bars” in quotations. It’s for the same reason these don’t get the tag “Copy Cat.” The Kit Kat you buy in the red wrapper does not contain nuts, this homemade version gets its goodness from Nutella. But seriously, have you ever actually smelled Nutella? And have you ever smelled a Kit Kat? Samesies!

There are a lot of “copy cat” Kit Kat recipes out on Pinterest that use a wafer cookie for the filling. This recipe uses Nutella and crushed corn flakes to get that wafer effect and it’s delicious! We could just eat that filling and forget about the chocolate. I would suggest using whatever chocolate quality you prefer, I used bittersweet chocolate.

Stuart pointed out that this recipe would work much better as truffles, forming that filling into balls and then dipping into the chocolate as my chocolate to filling ratio was way off. (User error though – I’m sure the recipe is fine.) Another option would be to make half the chocolate and spread that out, let it set, then make the filling, and top it off with the rest of the chocolate for a more traditional “sandwiched” Kit Kat Bar.

Much like the Reese’s Cups from yesterday, these melt so are best kept in the fridge. And they actually taste better the next day(s)! My husband has banned me from making them again, because you open the fridge, you see a tray of Kit Kat Bars staring at you, so naturally you have to take one. Happy Halloween, right?

Homemade “Kit Kat Bars”

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (a scant 1/4 C)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 3/4 C Nutella
  • 2 C crushed corn flakes (3-4 C whole)
  • 12 oz bittersweet chocolate, broken
  • 1 3/4 C heavy cream

Steps:

  1. Melt chocolate chips and 1 tbsp butter over a double boiler. Remove from heat and mix in the Nutella. Allow the mixture to cool slightly before stirring in the corn flakes. Spread mixture onto a 9×13″ baking sheet. Set in the fridge.
  2. Melt chocolate into heavy cream over a double boiler. Pour over Kit Kat Bar filling. Set in fridge until firm. Cut into bars.

*This recipe is adapted from Balaboosta by Einat Admony*

Homemade Kit Kat Bars | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Copy Cat: Reese’s Cups

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

I can’t have a candy week without including the most popular piece of candy – Reese’s.

That chocolate and peanut butter combination has become a winning recipe in everything from cakes to ice cream.

Reese’s has been one of those candies I thought would be easiest to make as there isn’t any boiling of sugar involved. I couldn’t have been more right! Although slightly tedious, this was a chocolate product I managed to do without supervision.

I had enough chocolate to make 24 Reese’s cups – thank heavens for the invention of the spatula because I scraped that bowl clean to cover that final piece of candy. I had enough peanut butter to make probably 10-15 more chocolate peanut butter cups. (I saved that peanut butter filling for mixing into brownie batter – because, why not!?)

I was quite nervous that despite spraying them I wouldn’t be able to pull the candies out of the cupcake liners. I had nothing to fear and these tasted just like the real thing- maybe better!

Without the added chemistry type ingredients, these babies melt fairly quickly, so I suggest storing them in the fridge.

Copy Cat: Reese’s Cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag (11.5 oz) milk chocolate chips (you could use dark or white chocolate if you prefer)
  • 1 jar (10 oz) creamy peanut butter
  • 3/4 C + 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 2-3 tbsp melted butter

Steps:

  1. Line a mini muffin tray with mini cupcake liners. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
  2. Melt chocolate over a double boiler.
  3. Spoon chocolate into liners and spread it up the sides. Place tray in the fridge for 10 minutes.
  4. In a large bowl mix peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter with a hand mixer until smooth. Place in a piping bag. Pipe peanut butter mixture into chocolate lined cups. Flatten with spoon or finger.
  5. Top peanut butter filled cups with remaining melted chocolate.
  6. Chill at least 1 hour.

*This recipe is adapted from Jillee at http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/homemade-reeses-peanut-butter-cups.html

Copy Cat: Reese's Cups | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Copy Cat: Snickers

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

It’s Halloween week and that means I’ve got a theme. My very first Halloween blogging I did a week of Candy Corn inspired recipes and posts, including a pillow cover and pizza. The following year ghosts hit the scene so pancakes and cookies were created in adorable ghostly shapes.

I toyed with the idea of mummies, Frankenstein’s monster, or pumpkins this year but the opportunity to make candy couldn’t be surpassed. It was time to face my chocolate and sugar fears and try making trick-or-treat favorites at home. For the these 4 days I’ll be sharing some sweet treats all made from scratch!

To kick off “candy week” I am sharing a Copy Cat recipe for Snickers! And it was much easier than I ever thought it would be. I was definitely doing a happy dance after taking my first bite of homemade candy bar. It actually tastes like the real thing! I was nervous that the amount of chocolate looked too thin, but the ratios of chocolate to nougat and caramel is perfect!

This recipe makes a 9×13″ pan of layered goodness. That’s a cake’s worth of candy bars people! I hope you have friends to share these with. Throughout my weeks of candy making I’ve realized that homemade chocolate candy bars melt/soften fairly quickly and are best kept in the fridge. Keep that in mind if you plan on gifting some homemade candy – don’t leave it on someone’s doorstep… unless there’s a lot of snow and cold to keep the candy from turning into a delicious mess.

Copy Cat: Snickers

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 C milk chocolate chips, divided use
  • 3/4 C creamy peanut butter, divided use
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1/4 C evaporated milk
  • 1 container (13 oz) marshmallow creme
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 C roughly chopped salted peanuts
  • 14 oz caramel squares, unwrapped
  • 1/4 C heavy cream

Steps:

  1. Line a 9×13″ cake pan with foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1 1/4 C chocolate chips and 1/4 C peanut butter. Microwave 50-60 seconds, stirring every 20 seconds, or until completely melted and smooth. Evenly spread mixture into prepared cake pan. Place in fridge.
  3. In a large saucepan over medium heat melt butter. Add the sugar and evaporated milk. Stir and bring to a gentle boil. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the mixture from burning. Add in the marshmallow creme, 1/4 C peanut butter, and the vanilla extract. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and fold in the chopped peanuts. Evenly spread the nougat over the chocolate layer. Return to fridge.
  4. In a microwave safe bowl, combine caramels and heavy cream. Microwave 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, or until completely melted and smooth. Evenly spread caramel over the nougat layer. Return to fridge.
  5. In a microwave safe bowl, combine 1 1/4 C chocolate chips and 1/4 C peanut butter. Microwave 50-60 seconds, stirring every 20 seconds, or until completely melted and smooth. Evenly spread mixture over the caramel layer.
  6. Return to fridge and chill until completely set. Cut into bars.

*This recipe is adapted from Alyssa at http://therecipecritic.com/2013/11/homemade-snickers-bars/*

Copy Cat Snickers | Sew You Think You Can Cook