Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

WARNING: This recipe is dangerous.

Before you proceed, please know that salted caramel pretzel bark may induce random spells of uncontrollable snacking, intense sensations of euphoria and heightened protective instincts (over your share of the pretzel bark, of course).

I’m kidding, sort of.  But this recipe really is special.  My housemate actually said that she is “going to get pregnant one day and crave this stuff”… it’s THAT good (and she also usually comes up with crazy hyperboles like this).  Another one of my housemates told me that I should probably hide it from the rest of the house (I took this advice).

The best part is, you probably already have all of these ingredients in your kitchen.  It takes about 15 minutes to whip together, and the end result will impress all of your friends.  I just have pictures of the end product here, but the pin (as in Pintrest) I found the recipe on has a very nice picture guide if you prefer a visual step-by-step guide. You can find the link here.

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

1/2 bag mini pretzel twists
2 sticks of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 bag of chocolate chips
Sea salt

Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper (NOT wax paper) and spread pretzels evenly over the bottom (mine didn’t overlap, I arranged them in neat rows).  Now, preheat the oven to 350 F.

Set aside, and melt butter and sugar in a medium sauce pan on medium heat.  Bring to a boil, and stir continuously until mixture sticks to the bottom of the pan and forms a smooth caramel.  Let it bubble and get nice and thick before you pour the caramel evenly over the pretzels.

Place jelly roll sheet in oven for 5 minutes, remove, sprinkle chocolate chips over the top, and place back into the oven for 1 more minute.  Spread the chocolate around with a spatula until it is mostly melted, then sprinkle generously with sea salt. Let the pan sit on counter top for about 5 minutes, and then place in the freezer to harden for at least two hours.

Break bark into piece with your hands, and try not to finish the whole pan in one night! This is best stored in an air-tight bag in the freezer.

Pumpkin Fudge

Hello friends!  It is finally October and although I’m sad to see the warm weather leave for good, I am REALLY excited to begin the transition into fall and winter cooking!  Every year around this time, the cold salads and barbecue fade away from my diet and are replaced by hot soups and hearty stews.  The strawberry shortcakes and frosty drinks turn into pumpkin breads, hot cocoa and apple pies, and all is right in the world.

Today I present to you my first fall-ish recipe of the season, starring my absolute favorite baking ingredient: pumpkin!

I couldn’t wait to try this one– I’ve only ever had chocolate and maple fudge, and I’ve never made it myself.  I heard once that fudge (among other candy recipes) is sort of finicky and easy to mess up, but my mom lent me her candy thermometer, and I’m really happy with how the texture came out!  Unless you are a pro with cooking sugar, I would suggest you invest in a thermometer so you don’t have to risk burnt or non-solidified fudge, and if you just have one on hand, you’ll always be able to make your own!

Pumpkin fudge is just the beginning of a fall pumpkin binge, so brace yourself for pumpkin recipes galore for the entire rest of this month (and maybe November too)!

Pumpkin Fudge
Makes one 9×9 pan

3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
pinch of salt
3 cups of sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
12-oz bag white chocolate chips
1 7-oz container marshmallow cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Line a 9×9 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Pour olive oil into a small frying pan. When oil is nice and hot, add the chopped pecans and sprinkle with salt. Toast for about 5 minutes or until pecans are a darker shade of brown. Set aside.

Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Add evaporated milk, pumpkin, corn syrup, sugar and pumpkin spice. Stir to combine, bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Using a candy thermometer, cook and stir until mixture reaches 234 F or the soft ball stage (once it boils, it should take about 15 minutes to reach this stage). Remove from heat and QUICKLY add the marshmallow cream, white chocolate chips, vanilla and toasted pecans. Stir well and pour into prepared pan. Let the fudge cool for at least 2 hours, cut, and enjoy!

Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

No-Bake Energy Bites

A few days ago I vowed to not make any more desserts until after my trip to Singapore at the end of June.  So, this is not a dessert!   These are called No-Bake Energy Bites and are being pinned on Pintrest boards all across the web.  Yum!  These contain about 5 grams of protein per ball and are a great pre-workout or mid-morning snack.  Go easy though, they pack about 150 calories each… but they are perfect to remedy any dieter’s sweet tooth!

The great thing about these is that as long as you keep the wet/dry ratio similar to the below recipe, you can swap basically any ingredients you want.  Feel free to substitute in some chopped nuts, dried fruit, wheat germ/meal, chopped marshmallows, crushed cereal, Nutella, agave nectar, maple syrup, protein powder… the possibilities are endless! Enjoy!

No-Bake Energy Bites

Makes 18-20 balls

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I used big chocolate chunks because it was all I had, it made it a bit harder to roll these into balls, so I recommend using mini chips if possible!)

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Recipe from Smashed Peas and Carrots

Graham Cracker Toffee Bark with Almonds

I recently remembered this chewy graham cracker toffee my mom used to make when I was little.  She sent me to a school-wide overnight party in middle school, and gave me this to share with my friends.  It looked sort of unappetizing compared to the Chips Ahoy and Nutter Butter cookies that other kids brought, so no one really ate any of it.  My mom was super offended when I  brought home a full plate, she even claimed that we were all “just kids” and that we “don’t know what good food is when they see it”… see where I get it from?  But I was excited, because it meant there was more for me! That stuff was amazing.

I asked my mom for the recipe, but she couldn’t find it.  This isn’t as good as the original recipe, but it it is still pretty great. This recipe also takes ten minutes tops to make, and you probably have all the ingredients right in your pantry! So why not?

Graham Cracker Toffee Bark

12 whole graham crackers
1 and 1/2 sticks of butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Line a jelly roll pan with foil (it’s like a cookie sheet with sides). Preheat oven to 400F. Place graham crackers in the pan, make sure there are no spaces in between each. In a saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in vanilla, then carefully pour over graham crackers. Sprinkle chopped almonds and chocolate chips over the top and bake for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely, then break into pieces and eat.

Recipe by me

Pictures by Emily- check out her portfolio!