Homemade Twix Bars

Lucky me, I have a couple of children who love to bake even more than I do.  My waistline isn't sure it's such a blessing, but man oh man, my tastebuds sure do appreciate their culinary interest.  These bars are ones my daughter whipped up one day right before guests arrived.  Unfortunately she had not read ahead in the recipe to notice that they needed time to set up beforehand, so we served them to our guests as a not-so-lovely chocolate-caramel soup.  We cleaned up from dinner that night, set them aside, and totally forgot about them until a couple of days later when we rediscovered them as perfectly set-up chocolate-caramel bars of goodness!  After tasting them the second time, there was no forgetting them anymore and it did not take long for the rest of them to disappear.   These were one of the best desserts I've had in a long time!  

Click here for printable recipe (link updated).

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:
SHORTBREAD LAYER:
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Beat together butter and sugar and add vanilla. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Press dough into a 9x13-inch baking dish (or up to a 12x16-inch pan) and poke several times with a fork.  (How big your pan is, will determine how thick your layers are.)

 
Bake at 325-degrees for about 22-25 minutes, or until light golden brown. Set aside and allow to cool completely.  

CARAMEL LAYER:


1-1/2 cups butter
1-1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
6 Tbs. corn syrup
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter then stir in remaining ingredients, except vanilla.

 Stir in remaining ingredients except for vanilla and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to medium-low and stir at a low rolling boil for about 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  

Pour caramel over cooled shortbread and allow to set up for several hours or overnight.  We placed ours in the fridge to hasten the process.   

CHOCOLATE LAYER:

3-4 cups chocolate chips (we liked ours with dark chocolate)
2 Tbs. shortening

In a medium microwaveable bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening together on high heat for two minutes, stirring every thirty seconds.  Return to refrigerator to set, then cut into bars. Makes about 30 bars.
Store bars in a tightly covered container in the fridge with wax paper between layers.  Allow to sit at room temperature for a few minutes before eating.  

Enjoy!  

NOTE:  For an extra special treat, try these in a candy mold.    We coated the outside of the mold with melted chocolate, allowed it to set up, then placed a very small piece of shortbread (or Rice Krispies) and a spoonful of caramel into the mold and covered it with chocolate.  My daughter won a cooking contest with these tasty and pretty treats! 

Recipe Adapted from:  Boy Cheese Sandwich

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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

I pretty much guessed before even making these, that my family would love the salty and sweet combination of these bars.  What I didn't expect was how much other people would love them too.  I went home from the gathering I brought them to with a completely empty plate and several requests for the recipe.   

Recipe adapted from The Family Kitchen

Click here for printable recipe.

Posted by Kristina. 

The ingredients:


3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups mini pretzel twists, broken up
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and 1 cup of the pretzel pieces.
Spread the batter evenly into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

In a small microwaveable bowl melt the peanut butter and chocolate chips stirring every thirty seconds until smooth and melted.  Sprinkle the bars with the remaining crushed pretzel pieces and drizzle with the peanut butter and chocolate mixture.

Let cool until set, then cut into squares or bars. 

Enjoy! 

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Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

This oldie, but goody recipe started off as a recipe for chocolate peanut butter bars and while we liked them that way, we decided that we liked them even better as little bite-size truffles of melt-in-your mouth chocolatey-peanut buttery goodness!   They would make an impressive addition to any holiday goodie plate and no one would ever need to know how simple and easy they were to make!   

Recipe adapted from an old church cookbook. 

 Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:


BARS:
1-1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tsp. vanilla extract

COATING:
1 pkg. (12-oz.) milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate or white chips (for drizzling in a contrasting color)

DIRECTIONS:  Beat 1-1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in a large mixing bowl until creamy.  Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. 

With wooden spoon, work in remaining powdered sugar, and graham cracker crumbs.

Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a wax paper lined baking sheet.  Freeze until firm (about 1/2 hour). 

In a microwave safe bowl, melt milk chocolate chips for about 90-seconds, stirring every 30-seconds until melted and smooth.  Immediately dip cold truffles and place on wax-paper lined baking sheet.

Place in the fridge and allow chocolate to harden (about 10 minutes).  Melt the semi-sweet, dark or white chips in the same manner as the milk chocolate.  Then with a fork drizzle the truffles with contrasting chocolate. 

Allow chocolate to harden and enjoy!  Store in a covered container in the fridge.    Makes 4-5 dozen 1-inch truffles. 

Enjoy! 

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Peppermint Cream Bars

If you're looking for a unique bar recipe to add to the goody plate, then today is your lucky day!   In addition to looking gorgeous with its three distinct layers, these peppermint cream bars had the perfect crisp yet chewy crust on the bottom and a fabulous creamy peppermint  filling.  And with the white chocolate ganache over the top....wow!  These are a new family favorite holiday recipe at our house!

Recipe Source:  Virtual Goody Plate

 Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Lara.

The ingredients:
CRUST: 
1  package (17.5-ounces) sugar cookie mix
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, cut into 6-8 chunks

BARS:
4 egg yolks
1 can  (14-oz) sweetened condensed milk
3/4 tsp. peppermint extract  (I recommend the Watkins brand found at Walmart--it's cheaper and better tasting than other brands)
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies (it took about 6 candy canes)

WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
1/4 cup whipping cream (I used whole milk instead)
6 oz. chopped white baking chocolate (I recommend the Ghirardelli brand)

Directions: 
 Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Lightly grease foil; set pan aside.

For crust, in a large bowl, stir together cookie mix and flour.  Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.  Press mixture evenly onto the bottom of the prepared baking pan.  Bake at 350-degrees  for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.



For filling, in a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and peppermint extract.  Stir in crushed candies.  Carefully pour filling over hot crust.  Bake at 350 degrees  for 15 to 20 minutes more or until filling is set.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour.  Cover; chill for 30 minutes or until cool.



For ganache, in a medium saucepan, bring whipping cream just to boiling over medium-high heat.  Remove from heat.  Add white chocolate (do not stir.)  Let stand 5 minutes.  Stir until smooth.  Cool about 5 minutes before using. 

Pour White Chocolate Ganache over top of baked mixture, spreading evenly.  Cover and chill again about 1 hour or until firm.  Using the edges of the foil, lift cookies out of pan.  Cut into bars.  (note:  they'll be much easier to cut if allowed to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so first.   Makes 36 bars.

TO STORE:  Layer bars between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover.  Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Enjoy!

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Apple Toffee Bars

School is in full swing, the weather is cooling down, and the leaves are starting to fall.  Autumn is here and I couldn't be happier about the changes that its arrival brings to our weekly menu.  Soups start sneaking back into our rotation and the aroma of fall baking fills the  air again.   And with that fall baking comes the reintroduction of one of my favorite seasonal ingredients to the menu.   APPLES!!

For as much as  I love crisp juicy apples all by themselves, I have to admit that I have a big soft spot (right on my belly) for apple goodies too, like these Apple Toffee Bars!  I had never tried apples and toffee togetherr before  but I tell you it's a winning match!!   I brought these to a party last fall and got asked for the recipe several times and took home an empty plate!

Stay tuned to Recipe Shoebox all week for more of our favorite  apple recipes! 

Recipe adapted from a long lost Costco magazine.

Click here for printable recipe. 

Posted by Lara. 

The ingredients:
CRUST:



2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, cut into pieces

FILLING:


1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large egg
1 cup peeled, chopped tart apple (I used a Granny Smith)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup toffee bits (in the baking aisle, next to chocolate chips)

GLAZE:
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 Tbs. strong brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature (I'm not a coffee drinker, so I substituted some prepared hot chocolate)



Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

FOR THE CRUST:  Combine flour and sugar in a medium bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (don't overdo it). 

NOTE:  The mixture will be very floury.  This is not a problem.   Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13-inch baking pan.  Bake for 15 minutes (just before it's browned). 

FOR THE FILLING:  In a large bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and egg and blend well.  Stir in remaining ingredients (chopped apple, pecans, and toffee bits).  Pour over baked crust. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is set and the top is golden brown.  Let cool for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen.  Cool for at least one hour before adding the glaze. 

FOR THE GLAZE:   Combine the glaze ingredients, adding enough coffee/hot chocolate to make a good drizzling consistency.  Drizzle over bars and allow to set for 10 minutes. 

Cut into bars and store in a loosely covered container. I think they're even better the second day.   Makes 24 bars.

Enjoy!


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