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Samoa Brownies

February 21, 2013 in chocolate

Last year when Girl Scout cookies started showing up in grocery store parking lots around here, we were doing last minute preparations for deployment. I cannot tell you how many boxes we went through during that time. We were literally eating them for dinner because everything was so hectic. Plus we had a constant stream of soldiers in our house and they, like everyone else in the world, love some Girl Scout cookies. I probably bought 30 boxes.

This year? I bought 2. And they’re still sitting in the pantry. Apparently we burned ourselves out last year.

I couldn’t resist an excuse to make these Samoas Brownies though. And they’re super simple because they start with a boxed mix (or your favorite homemade recipe!) and then they’re topped with a caramel and coconut topping. After all that sets, you drizzle a teeny bit of chocolate on top.

Nicole made a Samoa Cocktail! No lie.

One year ago: Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Pie
Three years ago: Marbled Rye Bread
Four years ago: Sticky Chinese Chicken Wings

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Samoa Brownies

Ingredients

1 box of brownie mix, prepared and cooled (or your favorite recipe prepared)
3 1/2 cups shredded coconut
(2) 14 ounce package of caramels, unwrapped
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons milk
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F and place coconut on baking pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir coconut and cook for another 2-3 minutes until toasted. Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
  2. In a large, microwaveable bowl, add unwrapped caramel, salt, and milk and cook on high for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally (about every 45-60 seconds). Microwave until all the caramel is melted and smooth.
  3. Add coconut to the caramel and stir together. Spread over cooled brownies. Refrigerate 4-5 hours or overnight. Remove at least 1 hour from the fridge before cutting.
  4. Put chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over cut bars.
http://fakeginger.com/2013/02/21/samoa-brownies/

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Secret Recipe Club – Caramel Popcorn

February 11, 2013 in snack

I’m not much of a popcorn person but for some reason this recipe jumped out at me when I was searching for this month’s Secret Recipe Club recipe. I was assigned Fallon’s Cucina which is filled with tons of recipe, a lot of them being healthy. Fallon’s blog was really fun to go through.

It was this recipe that I chose but I did leave off the chocolate. I had some issues with the recipe but I’m sure that was all my fault. My caramel clumped on the popcorn a lot (resulting in those chicken nugget-looking popcorn pieces you see above) but I think it’s because I didn’t use enough popcorn. So the caramel really had nothing to do but clump on the popcorn. So yeah, a bag of popcorn is not a good substitution for the cup of kernels the recipe calls for.

That said, it was still really tasty! And it was really fun to make since I usually avoid popcorn recipes.

One year ago: Thai Chicken Quesadillas
Three years ago: Light Wheat Bread

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Secret Recipe Club – Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients

1 cup popcorn kernels, unpopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
½ cup light corn syrup
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Pop popcorn using your preferred method. Put in a very large bowl that allows for you to toss the popcorn around well.
  2. Preheat the oven to 250F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
  3. To make the caramel, melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, mix in the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.
  4. Once the mixture reaches a boil, let the mixture continue to boil for 5 more minutes without stirring. Remove the mixture from the heat, stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract. The mixture will bubble up and become frothy. Pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn in the bowl and toss to coat thoroughly.
  5. Spread the popcorn evenly onto the prepared sheets. Bake for 40-50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. After 40 minutes, test a cooled piece of popcorn. If it is not completely crispy (i.e. still slightly mushy when you bite it), bake for 10 minutes more.
  6. Remove the baking sheets to a wire rack and allow popcorn to cool completely before breaking apart for serving or packaging.
http://fakeginger.com/2013/02/11/secret-recipe-club-caramel-popcorn/



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Caramel Crown Coffeecake

February 5, 2013 in spon

If there’s one thing I love in this world, it’s caramel-coated bread sprinkled with coconut and walnuts. I mean, come on. Is there a better breakfast? And yeah, this is totally a breakfast since it’s a coffeecake and all.

I’m working with Red Star Yeast again to bring y’all some of the recipes they have on their site. I always love their recipes because – more often than not – they have instructions for hand making dough, using a mixer, using a food processor, etc.

This Caramel Crown Coffeecake is what they call a bubble coffeecake because the dough is divided into small balls and stacked on top of each other. And in between the layers of dough, there’s caramel, coconut, and walnuts. Think monkey bread but better!

It’s amazing! Even my husband, who isn’t a big sweets person, admitted that he couldn’t stop stealing little bites every time he walked past the kitchen.

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Caramel Crown Coffeecake

Ingredients

4 1/2 - 5 cups bread flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 1/2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
For the filling:
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Instructions

  1. In large mixer bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. In saucepan, heat milk, water and shortening until warm (120°-130°F; shortening does not need to melt). Add to flour mixture. Add eggs. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 3 minutes at medium speed. By hand, gradually stir in remaining flour to make a firm dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and elastic, 5 to 8 minutes. Place dough in lightly oiled bowl and turn to grease top. Cover; let rise until dough tests ripe.
  2. Prepare Filling: In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, evaporated milk, butter and corn syrup. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and butter has melted; set aside.
  3. Punch down dough. Divide into pieces the size of a walnut; shape each piece into a smooth ball. Pour one third of Filling into well greased 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle with half of coconut and walnuts. Place half of the balls in pan. Pour one third of Filling over balls; sprinkle with remaining coconut and walnuts. Add remaining balls; pour remaining Filling on top. Cover; let rise in warm place until indentation remains after lightly touching. Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes in pan; invert onto serving plate. Serve warm or cold.
http://fakeginger.com/2013/02/05/caramel-crown-coffeecake/

This post sponsored by Red Star Yeast.

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Gingerbread Torte with Caramel Sauce

December 19, 2012 in cake

Oh man, y’all. Caramel and gingerbread aren’t things that I’d typically pair together but this torte? This torte is pretty fantastic.

Challenge  Butter and Good Cook recently asked me to feature one of their recipes in honor of their Recipe for Caring contest that is currently happening. Three celebrity chefs created recipes for the contest and the winner will receive $5,000 for the charity of their choice. So definitely check out the contest and vote for your favorite! You’re automatically entered to win $2,500 just for voting! Challenge Butter and Good Cook were also kind enough to offer a giveaway to my readers so keep reading!

This torte is rich and moist and one of my favorite gingerbread treats ever. It’s just a bit spicy thanks to the cinnamon and ginger so it works perfectly with the super sweet caramel. It’s also incredibly simple to make and looks really impressive.

And now for the giveaway! Challenge Butter and Good Cook have offered a holiday bakeware set from Good Cook as well as some Challenge Butter coupons. Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One year ago: Stollen
Two years ago: Rocket Rolls
Three years ago: Popcorn Brittle

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Gingerbread Torte with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) Challenge Butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup light molasses
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoonginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup boiling water
For the Caramel Sauce
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) Challenge Butter
1/2 cupwhipping cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Cream softened butter with sugar. Add egg and molasses; beat well.
  2. Combine: flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to molasses mixture alternately with boiling water. Beat after each addition.
  3. Pour into a buttered 9-inch round spring form pan or cake pan. Bake 30 minutes or until top is browned and springs back when lightly pressed. Serve warm.
    4. To make the caramel sauce:
  4. Melt and stir butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in whipping cream and stir until sugar is dissolved and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly. Drizzle over slices of the torte before serving.
http://fakeginger.com/2012/12/19/gingerbread-torte-with-caramel-sauce/

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Creamy Caramel Apple Dip

October 22, 2012 in snack

 

I wanted ice cream so bad the other night. SO BAD. The problem was that I’d already showered so my hair was a hot mess, my eyebrows weren’t done, and I had yoga pants on. I know what you’re thinking: “Why didn’t you just cruise through the Dairy Queen drive-thru, Amanda?!” and I will tell you why.

I am cursed.

No. Seriously.

We live on Fort Carson which  means whenever I leave the post, I have to go through an ID check to get back on. And they do random searches. And I am randomly chosen every time I leave the house looking like a disaster. Can’t even be chosen when I look cute and actually have my hair brushed. And let me tell you, there is nothing more embarrassing than having to stand out in the cold in your husband’s workout shorts while your 12 Target bags (when you only went for diapers of course) are poked through by military police. Cursed, I tell you.

So I have a new rule that I only leave post when I have my hair at least straightened.

Back to the original problem: I needed ice cream in my life but I couldn’t leave.

I had all the ingredients for this dip and while it wasn’t ice cream, it was cool and creamy and the little crunchy toffee bits mixed in made it almost feel like a B&Js flavor. My kids dug it and even though it’s not healthy at all, both kids ate their weight in apples over the next few days.

One year ago: Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers
Two years ago: Sausage and Bean Casserole
Three years ago: Chicken Mushroom Quesadillas

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Creamy Caramel Apple Dip

adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup Heath Bits 'O Brickle Toffee

Instructions

  1. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese, brown sugar, and powdered sugar until combined. Beat in vanilla. Remove from mixer; use a rubber spatula to fold in the toffee bits.
  2. Serve with apple slices.
http://fakeginger.com/2012/10/22/creamy-caramel-apple-dip/

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