Snickers Cupcakes

Who has leftover Halloween candy?  Or did you already eat the loot and any personal remnants this weekend...and maybe even went back to the grocery store to buy the clearance candy?  It's okay to tell me if you did.  I won't judge.  We're all friends here :).

With the rain and spooky howling wind on Halloween night, we ended up with maybe half the number of trick-or-treaters that we normally get.  Some neighboring communities postponed their trick-or-treating.  To that I say "weak sauce!" and we used to go out in the SNOW and it was dark outside because we had daylight savings earlier back then.  But I digress.  For those that braved the weather we gave out extra candy and yet still had quite a bit remaining.

Snickers are my favorite candy.  I love the chewy nougat texture contrasting with the crunchy peanuts and sticky caramel.  What's not to love?

The only way that they could be better is by paying homage to them in the form of a cupcake.  I made these cupcakes for my son's 2 month birthday but they'd be a great way to use any leftover candy...or just because.

It's essentially doctored up cake mix with a homemade caramel frosting.  I love foods that look "fancy" :).  Normally I'm adverse to using shortening but it makes the frosting whip up all silky like a dream.  I bet it'd be even more awesome with butter flavored shortening.  But if the thought of using shortening makes you absolutely gag then by all means feel free to use just all butter instead.  Mmm...butter...

One Year Ago: Best Potluck Mac and Cheese and Buca Di Beppo's Spicy Chicken Rigatoni
Two Years Ago: Mini Triple Treat Cupcakes, Peach Whiskey Barbecue Chicken, and Napa Cabbage Salad
Three Years Ago: Chicken and Cheddar Dog Treats
Four Years Ago: Turkey Bean Pumpkin Chili

Snickers Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cake

• Your favorite chocolate cake recipe or boxed chocolate cake mix (Being a new mom, I went boxed.  No shame in that!)
• 24 frozen Snickers miniatures

For the Frosting

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup shortening 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 1/2 pounds powdered sugar 
• 1/3 cup caramel topping plus more for drizzling 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

For the Decoration

• 12 frozen Snickers miniatures
• Caramel topping
• Chopped peanuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line two 12-well muffin tins with paper liners.
2. To make the cupcakes: In a large mixing bowl, prepare cake according to package directions.  Evenly divide the batter among the prepared pans.  Gently push a whole frozen Snickers Miniature bar into the center of the batter until the candy is flush with the surface of the batter.  Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack. 
3. To make the frosting: Cream together the butter and shortening using an electric mixer. Beat in the vanilla extract, salt, and caramel topping.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing thoroughly between additions until all of it has been added. 
4. To decorate: Cut each remaining Snickers bar square on the diagonal so that you have 24 halves.  Garnish with chopped Snickers bar halves, chopped peanuts and a drizzle of caramel topping. 

Source: Frosting from My Baking Addiction

Chewy Butterfinger Cookies

See the giant chunks of Crispity Crunchity Butterfinger Goodness in the photo below?  They were apparently too much for my body to handle.  These will forever be known as "Labor Cookies" thanks to my friend Scott.  Literally the same night that I made and ate (probably too many of) these cookies, I went into labor after going nearly two weeks post-date.  My camera went from taking glamour food photos like this...

To the next photo of my son wailing while getting his first bath at home.  To say our lives changed in a blink is an understatement...

Yep...he really hated bath time in that infant tub.  It caused my husband and I much distress and we dreaded bath days.  The only upside was that he was so tired afterward that he would often sleep through the night (7 straight hours!).  But as for the bath thing, thankfully some mommies on my local message board suggested using the regular tub and getting in with him.  He seems to like this much better.

I digress.  You're here for the Labor Cookies.  I mean, Chewy Butterfinger Cookies.  For those that are currently pregnant, fear not for these cookies will not induce labor.  That is, unless you want them to.  Then it can't hurt to try.  But no, really.  There's no medical reason that these will do anything to you other than spike your blood glucose and make your mouth and tummy feel really happy.

This is a quick and delicious way to use up those candy bars that you'll get at Halloween.  Or...on clearance after Halloween.  Or heck, for those Butterfingers that you have just because they're delicious.

Maybe my son would like some Lactation Cookies, next...

Chewy Butterfinger Cookies

Yield: About 2.5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter, softened 
• 1 large egg
• 8 fun sized (or 2 King sized) Butterfinger candy bars, chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl and set aside. 
3. With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until creamy. Beat in egg until just combined. Gradually add in flour mixture. Gently stir in Butterfinger pieces. The dough will be very thick  (if it's too dry and crumbly you can add an extra egg). Drop by slightly rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet (or for a perfect shape use my favorite cookie tool...a Medium OXO Cookie Scoop).
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow to cool and enjoy!

Source: Sally's Baking Addiction

SRC: Peanut Butter Cup Bars

This month's Secret Recipe Club assignment comes from Mele Cotte which apparently means "Baked Apple" in Italian.  I learned something new!  And I am so extremely glad to have found Christina's blog.  She has the most amazing looking desserts which made it oh-so-hard to pick a recipe this month.

I ended up letting my husband pick the recipe and no surprise that it involved his favorite combination of flavors...peanut butter and chocolate!  What made me happy was the fact that this recipe came together ridiculously quickly and easily.  All it requires is melting the ingredients on the stove top, pouring it into a pan, and allowing it to set in refrigerator.  Perfect for the novice chef or busiest of people looking to impress.

The concept is a peanut butter cup but in bar form.  It delivered!  My husband originally told me to take the pan of treats to work but after one taste, he changed his mind and hoarded them.  My father-in-law said it was the best "fudge" he has ever eaten and happily went for seconds.  What set these apart for me was the slightly crunchy texture that came from the graham crackers.  Who would've known?

Oddly, I don't have an 8x8 pan in my kitchen so used a 9x9.  This works fine but results in a thinner bar and more squares (yah!).  The thinner bar I actually enjoyed because any thicker it would be too rich for me to enjoy.  However, the increased surface area made my chocolate layer suffer slightly.  In the future, I'd increase the amount of chocolate layer and have noted these changes below.  In the spirit of being lazy and not wanting to buy a bag of peanut butter chips just for decorating, I used straight-up peanut butter that was melted slightly in the microwave.  Delicious and pretty, too!

One Year Ago: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls (my first Secret Recipe Club reveal...wow time flies!)
Two Years Ago: Churro Bites
Four Years Ago: Grandma B's Spaghetti Meatballs

Peanut Butter Cup Bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
• 2 Tablespoons smooth peanut butter

Directions

1. Line a 9x9-inch square pan with foil, leaving enough to hang over the sides.  Butter the foil and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, melt the 3/4 cup of butter over low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and stir in the powdered sugar. Add 1 cup peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs and stir until combined and smooth. Transfer the peanut butter mixture into the prepared pan, even out and smooth the top with a rubber spatula or by tapping it gently on the counter top.
3. In the saucepan, melt the 1/3 cup unsalted butter. Add the chocolate and stir until almost completely melted, remove from heat, and continue stirring until completely smooth. Pour over the peanut butter layer and smooth into an even layer using a rubber spatula.
4. Put the remaining 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter to a zip lock bag.  Microwave for about 30 seconds.  Snip the corner of the bag and drizzle in a decorative pattern on top of the chocolate layer.
5. Refrigerate the Peanut Butter Cup Bars at least 30 minutes to set. Remove from the pan by lifting the foil and place on a cutting board. Cut into 25 bars (5 rows by 5 columns). Store in an airtight container.

Source: Slightly adapted from Mele Cotte

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

Any Nutella fans in the house?  How about fudge fans?  Salted sweets?  Yeah, I got all of that here today and it's wrapped up in a neat little square of love.

Way back when I made my Homemade Nutella I decided I needed to find ways to use all of it.  This fudge was just one of the recipes that I made.  I'll admit I hesitated at first.  I mean the last time I tried to make fudge, it was an epic failure and didn't set!  But I was ready to tackle my fears again and this fudge recipe didn't require me to boil the mixture to a certain temperature in order for it to set properly.

I made it and held my breath.  Visually, mine looked softer than the photo for the original recipe.  I think this was as a result of my Homemade Nutella being a bit thinner than store-bought to begin with.  I had to store the fudge in the freezer first to get a good firm cutting texture.  But I forged on and what resulted were smooth melt in your mouth bites of goodness.  Success in my mind!

Three Years Ago: Carrot Cake

Chocolate Nutella Fudge with Sea Salt

Photo Credit: Emily H.

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing pan 
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 8 oz. high-quality bittersweet (60% cacao) chocolate chips 
• 1 cup Nutella, room temperature (I used Homemade Nutella)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 
• About 1/2 tsp sea salt 

Directions

1. Grease a 8- by 8-inch baking pan with butter. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overlap on the sides. 
2. In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, stir together sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, bittersweet chocolate chips, Nutella, and butter. 
3. Form a double-boiler by setting the bowl on a medium pot of gently simmering water. The water level should be lower than the bottom of the bowl. Stir until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. 
4. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with sea salt.
5. Refrigerate until the fudge is firm, at least 2 hours. 
6. Run a knife under hot water, dry it off, and run it around the edges of the pan to loosen the fudge. Using the overhanging parchment paper, lift the fudge out. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the fudge into 3/4-inch squares. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil. 

Source: Cookin' Canuck

SRC: Cadbury Creme Egg Mini Cupcakes

Because I'm a horrible planner, I took this Secret Recipe Club assignment from Our Eating Habits as a way to get ahead of the game and create an Easter treat.  I mean let's face it.  When I post themed recipes AFTER the holiday has already occurred, it doesn't really help you out much now does it?

At first, I was going to take the healthy(er) way out by making these Carrot Muffins but then I saw the most adorably festive Easter decoration technique in my What's Cooking Blogger's Choice swap on Friday so was swayed to making the Cadbury Creme Egg Cupcakes on Jamie's blog instead.  Because I didn't want tons of cupcakes around and all the candy makes these cupcakes super sweet, I adapted the original recipe to be mini-sized cupcakes instead.

Hope you consider adding these to your festive Easter spread and checkout the rest of the Secret Recipe Club member's reveals in the blog hop below!   As usual, thank you to April of the blog Angel's Homestead SRC leader and Debbi of the blog Debbi Does Dinner, our Group C Hostess!

Cadbury Creme Egg Mini Cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes

• 5 Tablespoons butter 
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 3/8 cup milk 
• 24 Cadbury Creme Mini Eggs

For the Buttercream Frosting

• 1 sticks of butter 
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• Pinch of salt
• Green food coloring

For the Decoration

• 24 Mini egg-shaped candies such as Whoppers or Cadbury Chocolate Eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 24 mini-cupcake wells with paper cupcake liners.
2. To make cupcake batter cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, add both extracts with last egg. Blend in all your dry ingredients, then milk. 
3. Divide batter into prepared mini-muffin tins. Top each cupcake with frozen creme egg, pushing it in so that half of the egg is inside the batter. 
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350F.  Cool.
5. Meanwhile, make the buttercream by creaming together the butter and powdered sugar.  Add vanilla, salt, and food coloring to get desired tint.
6. Fit a piping bag with a multi-opening decorating tip (I use Wilton #233) and then fill with green frosting.  Decorate the top of each cupcake with "grass" by holding the piping bag at 90 degrees about 1/8" above the surface of the cupcake.  Apply gentle pressure while lifting up about 1/4".  Stop pressure and pull tip away.  Repeat until entire surface is covered.  Finish by placing 3 mini egg candies on top of each cupcake.

Source: Modified from Our Eating Habits with frosting and decoration inspiration from Sweet Beginnings

This recipe received the March Group C SRC Editor's Choice Award!

SRC: Cinnabon Caramel Corn

Oh.my.word!  I just might be in trouble now that I discovered this recipe.  I've always loved gourmet popcorn and for awhile, I spent a small fortune on Dale and Thomas Popcorn.  Now that I tried this recipe, someone's going to have to save me from myself!

For this month's Secret Recipe Club, I was introduced to Veronica's blog, Veronica's Cornucopia.  She makes roughly a 2-to-1 ratio of sweets to meals and sides so I figured sweets were the way to go.  I didn't have to search far because right in her highlighted popular recipes listings I found something that immediately caught my eye - Cinnabon caramel corn.

In making this recipe, I actually got to kill two birds with one stone.  I'd seen recipes for homemade microwave popcorn floating around pinterest for quite a while now.  It is said that all that is needed to create healthy, homemade popcorn was corn kernels, a paper lunch sack, and a microwave.  I followed the directions and held my breath while watching the bag spin round and round on the microwave turn table.  Then, like magic, I heard the kernels start to pop!  Pop, pop, pop pop pop!  Once it was done, I cautiously opened the bag and there they were.  Fresh, fluffy, perfectly cooked popcorn that was made in under 3 minutes without oil, without scary microwave popcorn bag liner chemicals, and without a special machine.  It was amazing!

Now, I could have topped my popcorn with a bit of salt, butter, and/or other seasonings and then stopped there for a pretty healthy, fiber-filled snack.  But, I pushed onward knowing this batch of popcorn had a different destiny.  Dutifully I used my microwave again to prepare the caramel and  then coated my precious popcorn with the mixture.  Then it went into the waiting oven and it got all caramelized and crispy.  With each stir I had to "sample" the warm caramel corn to ensure it was progressing.  Finally, it was done.  Again, I could have stopped right here but no, it needed a bit more to complete its gourmet transformation.  A quick drizzle with the almond bark and then another "sample".  Perfection!  I'm pretty sure I could have stood at my kitchen island and ate the entire pan warm and fresh from the oven.  After it cooled, I "sampled" some more.  Cinnamon and caramel and nuts and chocolate oh my!  Needless to say, I was hooked!

Seeing how easy this recipe was, I promised my husband that I'd make him his own special batch drizzled with his favorite sweets combination, peanut butter and chocolate.  This would make an excellent holiday and/or Christmas gift.  Your friends will think you're such a crafty person and may not believe you when you say that you made it from scratch.  They'll probably even beg you for the recipe ;).

Special thank you to April of the blog Angel's Homestead SRC ring leader and Debbi of the blog Debbi Does Dinner, our Group C Hostess!  Please also check the blog hop to see what everyone else in Group C made this month!

By the way, have you shared then commented on each of my Mac and Cheese Monday posts?  Each week there's a new chance to win either Mac & Cheese by Ellen Brown or Mac and Cheese, Please! by Laura Werlin!  See here for full contest details.  Good luck!

• Best Potluck Mac and Cheese
• Smoked Mac and Cheese
• Bonnie's Grammy's Mac and Cheese

Cinnabon Caramel Corn

Ingredients

• 12 cups Easy Microwave Popcorn (recipe follows)
• 1 cup roughly chopped pecans 
• 1 cup brown sugar 
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/4 cup Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution) 
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) real salted butter
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 3 squares almond bark

For the Easy Microwave Popcorn

• 1/2 cup popcorn kernels, divided
• 2 brown paper lunch bags

Directions

1. Place 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels into each bag.  Fold the bag over in half-inch increments, twice.
2. Place one of the bags in the microwave standing upright and set for 3 minutes (popcorn may be done after 2:30 to 2:45) or use the popcorn button if available.  Listen carefully for kernels to stop popping.  As soon as the popping stops, take the bag out of the microwave.  Repeat with the second bag.
3. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
4. Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside.
5. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl.  Mix well.  Chop butter into chunks and place on top of the sugar mixture.  Pour corn syrup over the top of everything.  Microwave the mixture on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine.  Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes.  Remove and stir again.  Then, return to the microwave for 2 minutes more.  
6. Remove from the microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda.  Stir to combine.  The mixture will foam and rise.  Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir until well coated.
7. Spread coated popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan.  Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.
8. Melt almond bark according to package instructions.   Using a fork, drizzle all over the popcorn mixture.  
9. When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks and enjoy!

Source: Slightly modified from Veronica's Cornucopia as originally from Our Best Bites; Easy Microwave Popcorn from Good Thymes and Good Food as seen on Prevention RD

Build Me Up Butterfinger Cup

This cookie was made at the request of my husband.  Apparently he follows the brand page for Butterfinger on facebook and occasionally he will post a photo and tag myself (and Emily, sometimes Jackie, too now!) requesting that we bake it for him.  We joke that we aren't his baking slaves...

Yet, look what I ended up making for him as one of my exchange cookies, anyway.  The name of the cookie is cute...and gets the Build Me Up Buttercup song stuck in my head everytime I read it.  Oh boy.  The cookie is baked in a mini-muffin tin and definitely has the texture of a muffin more-so than a cookie.  That's not to say it's not delicious and the eater is in for a surprise as they get a mouthful of surprise butterfinger!

Make this one for the sweet tooth in your life ;).


Build Me Up Butterfinger Cup
Yields: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 12 mini butterfingers, halved
• Melted chocolate chips and butterscotch chips (I used caramel) for drizzling, optional

Directions

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking frequently, until butter foams and starts to brown. Remove butter from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and extract, and mix using a mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until well incorporated and mixture is grainy. Beat in eggs until well combined - about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in baking soda, baking powder and salt until combined. Beat in flour until just combined.
2. Freeze or refrigerate batter for 30 minutes or until well chilled. 
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a (24 cup) mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
4. Place 1/2 teaspoons of dough into bottom of cups. Press a Butterfinger half into the dough in each cup. Evenly top Butterfingers with remaining dough. Bake 12 minutes or until puffed and light golden brown.
5. Cool 5 minutes before transferring cups to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with melted chocolate and butterscotch (or caramel).

Source: Sugar Plum Blog

Mini Triple-Treat Cupcakes

Trick-or-Mini-triple-treat and Happy Halloween!  A big thank you to Emily for cooking with me and taking beautiful photos so that I could share all those apple recipes with you last week.  If you liked the series please leave a comment and let us know.  We'd also love to hear what ideas you'd have for future marathon themes :).  Now back to your regularly scheduled programming (and not so awesome photos) with me.

When I saw these on Josie's blog and had some leftover candy corn I knew they were simply too cute not to make.  It's very similar to the standard peanut butter cup blossom cookies that you see all the time but with a dough that's more fluffy and cake-like in texture (it is a cupCAKE after all) and topped with candy corn for extra festivity.

Go ahead and make these for your favorite ghouls and goblins tonight.

Two Years Ago: Turkey Bean Pumpkin Chili and Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
One Year Ago: Who Loves Ya Baby Back?

Mini Triple-Treat Cupcakes

Yields: 48 mini cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 6 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 48 miniature Reese's peanut butter cups
• 48 pieces candy corn

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two 24-cup mini muffin pans with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lour, baking powder, and salt. 
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the peanut butter, butter, and brown sugar until pale and fluffy.  Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk, scraping down the bowl as needed.  With the mixer on low, beat in the flour mixture and the buttermilk just until combined. 
4. Place 2 teaspoons of batter into each muffin cup, then press a peanut butter cup into the center until the batter aligns with the top edge of the candy.
5. Bake until puffed and set, about 10 minutes.  Immediately press the candy corn into the top of each cupcake.  Let cool completely in the pans on wire racks before serving.

Source: Originally from Every Day Food, October 2011 as adapted by and seen on Pink Parsley

Apple Cinnamon Truffles

This is it.  The grand finale to Apple Extravaganza week on my blog and coincidentally also all-time post #250! That's some pretty exciting stuff!  Who would have known that in just a few years I would have made so many new recipes (and honestly, what I post isn't even all of it!).  You all inspire me to do what I do!

Now back to this recipe.  My husband absolutely LOVES truffles.  At Valentine's Day one year I made Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles and our friend Jackie made Oreo Truffles.  He pretty much inhaled them both and we were baffled at how few truffles were leftover at the end of the night.  Anytime I make a dessert he practically begs me to make the cookie dough truffles so I thought I'd throw a truffle recipe into the baking mix.  Chris wasn't so keen on the idea of having fruit instead of chocolate in the mix but he went along with it anyway.

Scott was a little sad when he found out the oreos were going to be pulverized to be used in the recipe but once they were put together he changed his tune, too.  These were a hit with both of our guys!  They're very sweet and the small size makes them deadly because you feel justified in eating several at a time.  Not surprisingly Chris guarded his allotted truffles once we got home.  Sharing was not an option but that's okay because I happily ate the other treats that Emily and I produced.

To sum things up, Emily and I made six recipes between the two of us:

• Apple Pie Cookies
• Apple Cider Beignets with Butter-Rum Caramel Sauce
• Apple Cider Butter
• Shrimp with Green Apple Chipotle Salsa
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars
• Apple Cinnamon Truffles

If you liked these posts, leave a comment to let us know because Emily and I (and/or any of my Dinner Club friends) would LOVE to do another marathon cooking/baking session sometime.  Any theme ideas or recipes that you have to share would be lovely!  If you want to be a taste-tester for one of our sessions, we might be able to arrange that, too ;).

Apple Cinnamon Truffles

Photo Credit: My wonderfully talented friend, Emily

Ingredients

• 1 package Golden Oreos
• 6 oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup Apple Pie Filling, pureed
• 1 tsp Ginger, divided
• 2 packages White Chocolate Baking Bars
• 2 tsp Cinnamon 
• Crushed Pecans, for garnish

Directions

1. Add the Oreos to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl) and mix together with the pumpkin (or pureed apple pie filling), cream cheese and 1/2 tsp. ginger. Once combined, use a cookie scoop to form into small balls and place on a plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. 
2. Cover a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, until fully melted. Stir in the cinnamon and remaining 1/2 tsp. ginger. 
3. Remove the balls from the fridge and dip into the chocolate, making sure they are coated evenly. Place on the wax paper and repeat until all balls are covered in chocolate. Sprinkle pecans on top and refrigerate until hardened.

Source: The Jey of Cooking as slightly adapted from Cooking with Christen

Candied Orange and Walnut Salad with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette

Look at all the beautiful colors and textures in this salad!

Do you see how the candied oranges glisten like stained glass?

And the candied walnuts?  Crunchy, tantalizingly spicy and sweet and to die for.  If you're not into spicy, watch out and suggest you reduce the level of peppers used or omit it all together.  Personally I loved the surprise little kick to these crazy nuts :).

You may be asking yourself right now what's up with all of the candied stuff.  Well, for our recent Dinner Club our hosts Sig and Kristen chose the theme of candy.  Sweet, sweet sugary candy.  Wanting to be up for a challenge, I chose to bring something from the salad/vegetable category.

Yes, this certainly stretched our culinary imaginations to the fullest.  Emily and Scott chose to serve GUMMY BEAR kiwi wontons with blackberry dipping sauce as our starter.  Surprisingly this was quite delicious and if I wasn't told there were gummy bears inside I don't think I would have known any better.  We joked that they were filled with Gummiberry Juice as the sugar started coursing through our veins and we got a bit bouncy from the extra energy.  But we were just getting started because then came my salad, Kemani and Toni's delightful homemade raviolis filled with cocoa encrusted pork and topped with a white chocolate alfredo sauce, Kristen and Sig's peanut butter cup chicken and lemonhead chicken along with caramel, oreo cookie, and chocolate filled croissants, and lastly, Jackie and Jeff's peanut butter cup cupcakes and lemon pop rock cupcakes.

Caramel croissant, gummy bear kiwi wontons, homemade ravioli with white chocolate alfredo sauce, and peanut butter cup cupcakes.  Photo credit: Emily H.

The sugar rush that followed?  OH. MY. GOD.  Let's just say it's a good thing our hosts had very fun Minute to Win It games to help us expend all of our energy before we subsequently crashed.

Minute to Win It games to burn off all of dinner's sugar: Candy Land Card Flip, Bolt Stacking, Football Roll, and Licorice jump roping.  Photo credit: Emily H.

This salad not only looked beautiful but it tasted really good too.  Kemani said that it was just like the salad at  Dewey's.  Wow what a complement!  I was very pleased with how it turned out and I know I'll be making the candied nuts again for snacking.  The oranges tasted just like those fruit slices so Chris really enjoyed them (it's his favorite flavor).  Though, you can also candy other citrus like lemons and grapefruits, if you prefer.  And then the dressing?  Delicious.  Will make again, too.

So serve up this sweet salad for your sweetie on Valentine's Day.  You'll thank me later :).

Looking for more Valentine's Day Ideas? It seems that the clear favorite on my site are these Heart-shaped Red Velvet Whoopie Pies but the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles will be the way to a chocolate lover's heart.  But if you want a full meal, try this Linguine with Clam Sauce.  Not only is it delicious but it's simple and I hear that clams are an aphrodisiac.  Ooh la la!

Candied Orange and Walnut Salad with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette
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Photo Credit: Emily H.

Yields: 2 entree-sized or 4 starter-sized salads

Ingredients

• 2 large handfuls of baby salad greens
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/4 to 1/2 candied spiced walnuts (recipe to follow)
• candied oranges (recipe to follow)
• orange balsamic vinaigrette (recipe to follow)

For the candied spiced walnuts 

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon chipotle, ancho, or cayenne chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 heaping cup walnuts (or can use pecans)

For the candied oranges

• 2 organic oranges, washed (can also use lemons or grapefruit)
• Water for boiling
• Ice water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water

For the orange balsamic vinaigrette

• 1/4 small sweet onion such as Vidalia
• Zest of 1 large orange (preferably organic)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 Tablespoon orange marmalade or undiluted frozen orange juice
• 6 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 12 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

1. Allow at least 24 hours to make the candied oranges since they need ample drying time.  To make the candied oranges, cut the oranges into thin slices (not too thin or else they tear apart too easily) removing the ends and any seeds. Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and blanch the orange slices for about a minute. Drain the orange slices and plunge them into a bath of ice water. Drain. Meanwhile, combine the sugar and 1 cup of water in a large saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer and add the orange slices. Let simmer (don’t boil) for an hour (you can simmer as much as 2 hours). Remove slices from hot sugar syrup and set on a cooling rack over a baking sheet to dry. Take up to 24 hours to dry.
2. To make the vinaigrette, in a blender or food processor, puree the onion, orange zest, garlic, and orange marmalade.  Add the vinegar, olive oil, and salt then blend to emulsify.  Taste and balance sweetness (add a pinch of sugar, the syrup from the candied orange slices, or more marmalade), acidity (add a few more drops of vinegar), and salt.  Pour vinaigrette into a squeeze bottle.  Cap and refrigerate.  Can be made a day ahead.
3. To make the candied walnuts, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium-sized bowl, mix together sugar, chili powder, and salt.  Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.  Add nuts and boil for 3 minutes (if using pecans, boil only for 15 seconds).  Drain the nuts well then shake in bag of sugar mixture until thoroughly coated.  The sugar will melt slightly.  Transfer the nuts to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.  Bake until they are a deep golden brown, turning halfway through baking, about 15 minutes. Watch closely because the sugar burns easily.  Cool completely and then store in a air-tight container until ready to use.
4. When ready to serve, in a large mixing bowl, toss salad greens and 1/2 to 3/4 of the dried cranberries, feta cheese, and walnuts with enough of the vinaigrette to coat each leaf.  You will likely have vinaigrette leftover for a couple more salads later.
5. Arrange the dressed salad in the middle of the salad plate.  Finish the salads by garnishing with remaining dried cranberries, feta cheese, walnuts, and candied orange slices.

Source: A Christine's Kitchen Chronicles original with inspiration from many sources.  Candied walnuts, salad dressing, and salad concept adapted from Luna Cafe.  Candied orange slices slightly modified from Use Real Butter as originally adapted from Martha Stewart and Culinary School of the Rockies.

Buckeyes

Hello readers!  Have you missed me?

I'm sorry I've been so bad a blogging lately but a lot has been going on in our lives lately.  Chris and I went to Europe for a couple weeks and had a FABULOUS time in Germany, France, Italy, Croatia, and Greece.  I was blown away by the things we saw...

The Eiffel Tower (and no, I'm not talking about the one at the local theme park King's Island, either!)

Beautifully unique Venentian canals (AND St. Mark's Square flooding...it's so heartbreaking!)

 The Parthenon in Athens...I am bewildered at how old some of these ruins are!

And let's not forget the quintessential white house on blue water look of the Greek Islands such as Mykonos...

My stomach was also delighted by all the delicious things we ate.  I came back refreshed and ready to cook.  In fact, our travels home took us nearly a full 24 hours of being awake but once we got home, the first thing I said was "Oh kitchen, I love you and miss you!".  Imagine that...I MISSED COOKING!  Now, most normal people would probably dread the end of the vacation because that would mean back to cooking.  But me?  I was so inspired by all the foods that we ate that I just couldn't wait to get started.

Now, we got back two weeks ago as you'll see, I haven't posted in well over a month.  I also can't say I've done any real good big meals yet (thank goodness for my frozen stash of homemade meals!) because week 1 was spent re-adjusting to the Eastern time zone and week 2...well, that's the other part of our busy lives.  We are now unexpected first-time dog owners!

My sister's friend had found a little stray beagle at her work and decided to take him in.  They did everything they could to reunite the poor lost doggy with his owners but sadly, none could be found and her mom had had enough of him.  Enter my husband and me.  My sister knows that I love dogs and have wanted one for years now.  She also knows that we LOVE beagles.  Somehow, I convinced my husband to go visit the beagle, who was temporarily named by his foster family as "Richard".  We went and played with him for about an hour or hour and half and honestly, I did my best to stay distanced because I had a feeling my husband would just say no.  We slept on it and after some convincing from his mom and what I felt was a miracle, Chris agreed the next day that we could keep the dog!  So, we made arrangements to pick him up this past Friday and brought him home with us.  Needless to say he's kept us busy trying to acclimate him to us and our house.  Though, we're very fortunate because he is already house broken and quite a mellow little fella.  We have renamed him Toby and he's a happy little 24lb, ~2 year old beagle boy :).

Oh man...who could resist this sweet little guy's cute face with his big brown eyes, floppy ears, and wagging white tipped tail.  *Sigh* I'm a sucker for cute animals!

Anyway.  I do hope to get some recipes on here EVENTUALLY about my European traveling inspirations but given that I'm backlogged on recipes still in March and haven't gotten much cooking in lately it may be awhile.  Add to that our new furbaby Toby and cooking...and even more so, blogging about cooking...may be less frequent than in the past.  Bare with me though, I promise it will be worth it!!

For now, I leave you with a recipe that comes to you from my homestate of Ohio: The Buckeye State.  Buckeyes are nuts that come from the Buckeye tree.  The buckeye is named as such because it looks like the eye of a buck deer, from what I read.  I have no idea what a buckeye nut tastes like but apparently you roast them before you eat them.  The recipe that I am sharing with you is for a Buckeye Candy which mimics the look (though I highly doubt the taste) of a Buckeye nut. 

If you like peanut butter and chocolate, this recipe is for you!

One Year Ago: Garlic Cheddar Chicken

Buckeyes

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Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 5 Min
Ready In: 50 Min

Yields: 30 Buckeyes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 
  
  1 cup butter, softened
• 
  
  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
  4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 
  
  4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. 
   
   In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
2. Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.
4. Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. If desired, use finger to cover the toothpick hole and smooth out the surface of the peanut butter.  Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

Source: Modified from All Recipes

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

Mmmm...well, my Dinner Club friends all know that Chris loved these truffles (as evidenced by Emily's photo on facebook and the fact that he ate like half a dozen on his own in just a few hours) but I'm pretty sure that others loved them too because I only came home with about 10 of them and started with at least 30.  I could eat the cookie dough batter straight up with a spoon, too.  And, the best part about this recipe is that there's no eggs in it so you can eat the cookie dough to your hearts content without worrying about contracting samonella or other nasties! 

This is a really easy recipe to make.  I'd also consider using this cookie dough to use as part of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.  Chris is requesting that I make a peanut butter version sometime...but...I think that's called a Buckeye (which, I do have a separate recipe for that one!) lol.

I added some shortening to the chocolate coating.  This change is reflected in the recipe below and learned from a different recipe that I use.  I find that the shortening allows for a shinier coating and makes for a thinner and softer chocolate coating.  I hate it when the chocolate snaps off when you bite into it...this helps with that!

Combined with the Heart-Shaped Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, they made a very cute Valentine's Day Love at First Bite Dinner Club dessert presentation (Hey, I think I'm getting better at taking pictures! See above and below!).  Beware though, the small size makes it deceiving and you can snack your way through quite a few in a short time!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
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Ingredients:

• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Pinch of salt
• ¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1½ lb. semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate, coarsely chopped or semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or vegetable oil
• Mini chocolate chips (for garnish)

Directions:

1. Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the salt, flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture has firmed up enough to form balls.
2. Shape the chilled cookie dough mixture into 1-1½ inch balls. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Cover loosely, transfer the pan to the freezer and chill for 1-2 hours.
3. When ready to dip the truffles, melt the chopped chocolate and shortening or oil in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Dip each chilled truffle, one at a time, coating in chocolate and shaking gently to remove the excess. (If at any point during dipping, the cookie dough balls become too soft, return to the freezer to chill for 30 minutes.) Transfer to a wax-paper lined surface. If using mini chocolate chips for garnish, sprinkle on top quickly after dipping each truffle before the chocolate sets. Once all the truffles have been dipped, store them in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Source: Modified from as seen on Annie's Eats and originally from Taste of Home

Mmmm...BACON!!!

This isn't one recipe but OVER ONE HUNDRED recipes on how to use bacon in all things savory or sweet.  I saw this shared on my brother's friend's facebook and had to cross-share it with my Dinner Club friends.  We do a different theme every month and we often joke that one day, we should have a bacon themed dinner.  I'm pretty sure this blogpost is driving us one step closer to that...

Here's a little photo teaser...

Check out all the delicious recipes and photos for 100 Ways to Use a Strip of Bacon at the Endless Simmer.  Just try not to drool on your keyboard, okay?

PS: Taking requests on something to make with bacon.  Leave a comment!

Vanilla-Peppermint Cupcakes

Like many people these days, I have a love of cupcakes.  Individually portioned cakey, frostingy goodness...what's not to love?  Every year I decorate our tree with candy canes and usually end up throwing them away at the end of the holidays.  Wasteful, I know.  So this year, I decided to try something different and used the candy canes to MAKE food with...genius, I know.  The first round of candy canes were crushed so that I could coat my Peppermint Truffles in festive peppermint goodness :).

This second recipe that I tried comes from a bakery called Sprinkles.  Yes, I bet you've heard of them before because they basically invented the whole cupcake craze as we know it today.  But, at $3.25 each or $36/dozen it'd be an expensive (and gut busting) habit to have.  So imagine my suprise when I found a recipe to their famous Vanilla-Peppermint Cupcakes on Oprah's website!

After doing some reasearch, I realized the importance of using room temperature baking goods when the recipe specifies.  I always thought it was just to make life more difficult but really it's because room temperature butter creams easier and room temperature eggs fluff up more, resulting in a light and airy cake.  While frosting these puppies, I learned just how delicate they really are!  Definitely following  baking instructions to a T from now on!  By the way, I also might halve the frosting recipe next time as even when I felt like I was frosting each cupcake with a lot, I  still had tons leftover!  For now, I'll leave the recipe as it was originally written...it's for the frosting lovers (like my husband!) out there!

So take a look at my finished product below and for those that were my taste testing guinea pigs, leavea comment.  Think I can sell my cupcakes?  I'll take cash, check, or credit card - thanks!

Vanilla-Peppermint Cupcakes
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Yields: 1 Dozen

Ingredients

For the Cupcake

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour , sifted
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. coarse salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk , room temperature
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. peppermint extract
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter , room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg , room temperature
• 2 large egg whites , room temperature

For the Frosting

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter , firm but not cold
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar , sifted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
• 1/2 tsp. milk

Directions

To make cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a small bowl, mix together milk and extracts; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until well combined and fluffy. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and slowly add egg and egg whites until just blended.
5. With the mixer on low, slowly add half the flour mixture; mix until just blended. Add the milk mixture; mix until just blended. Slowly add remaining flour mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl with a spatula, as necessary, until just blended.
6. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Transfer muffin tin to oven and bake until tops are just dry to the touch, 22 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffin tin to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool completely in tin before icing.

To make frosting:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
2. Reduce the speed to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until incorporated. Add the extracts and milk and beat until smooth and creamy. Do not overmix or the frosting will incorporate too much air; it should be creamy and dense, like ice cream. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if frosting does not have a spreadable consistency.

To frost:

1. Scoop a generous amount of frosting on top of a cooled cupcake (used a heaping tablespoon...apparently this wasn't generous enough!). Hold the cupcake in one hand and with the other hand use a small offset spatula to smooth the frosting over the entire top of the cupcake. To achieve the Sprinkles look, use the length of the spatula to create large swirls around the circumference of the cupcake. Or for a more homespun and rustic quality, use the tip of the spatula to create small ridges and waves in the frosting.
2. Be careful to handle the cupcake with care and not grip it too tightly, which can crush the delicate cake. In general, the less the cupcake is handled, the better. An experienced Sprinkles froster can frost a cupcake with only a few turns of the spatula!
3. Top with crushed candy canes!

Source: Candace Nelson, owner of Sprinkles Cupcakes; as seen on Oprah

Assorted Truffles

Oh.my.god.  These are DELICIOUS!  Rich and melt-in-your-mouth...look and taste like the pros made them...and probably a bazillion calories (so good thing you can only eat a little before the richness is too much!).  But here's the kicker...truffles are actually really EASY to make!  I was pleasantly surprised :).  I'm pretty sure that these and cakeballs will be staple desserts year round.  The beauty of it is that the possibilities are endless and can be changed to match the season.  I considered doing egg nog truffles (substitute the heavy cream with egg nog and spike it with rum) and strawberry (add strawberry preserves) but those got the axe because I don't like egg nog and strawberry felt to Spring for me.  Perhaps Strawberry for Valentine's Day ;).

What follows is a picture of my finished truffles and rough estimates of the flavorings and toppings that I added to create each. 

Family - Be prepared for these delicious morsels to rock your world on Christmas Day.  PS:  Stephen I took special care to make sure that the flavors stayed separated during the making process and there was minimal chance of nut contamination!

Assorted Truffles
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Ingredients

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar

For the Chocolate: cocoa powder for topping

For the Peppermint Crunch: 1/2 tsp peppermint extract for ganache; 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy canes for topping

For the French Vanilla Coffee: 1 1/2 tsp powdered Folgers French Vanilla Cappucino mix OR 3/4 tsp instant coffee + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract for ganache; powdered sugar for topping

For the Peanut Butter Chocolate: 1 Tbsp peanut butter for ganache; 1/2 cup crushed peanuts for topping

Directions

1. Bring the cream and sugar to a boil over low heat, pour over the chocolate and stir until smooth.
2. Separated mine into different bowls; one for each flavor.
3. Add respective flavoring to ganache and then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight)
4. Use melon ball scoop or spoon to scoop out some ganache.  Roll (using fingertips) into walnut size balls.  (You don't want to handle  the ganache too much because it will melt and make your hands a mess.  It's okay at this point to be a bit misshapen because you can reshape it after it's rolled in the topping.)
5. Optional: If desired, freeze balls at this point and then prepare chocolate coating in double broiler.  To coat, dip ball in chocolate using a fork.  Sprinkle desired topping over tuffle and then place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and put in fridge to set.
6. Roll in desired topping and chill until ready to serve.

Source: A Christine's Kitchen Chronicles Original inspired by Sing For Your Supper

Milky Way Cake

I "built" this cake for my brother's birthday.  One of his favorite candy bars is Milky Way and I happened to have an entire bag of fun-size Milky Ways leftover from Halloween so I googled "Milky Way Cake".  I got a lot of hits for this recipe by Paula Deen and I know she's the Queen of Butter but omigod there are 3 sticks of butter in the cake and another stick in the frosting!!!  Add to that tons of candy and shoot this is just beyond unhealthy lol!

Anyway, I didn't make the frosting this time but will include the original recipe.  Once I saw that it had sugar boiling directions (similar to my failed fudge) I decided that I didn't yet have enough courage to give it a try.  So, I bought a can of Duncan Hines Whipped Chocolate Frosting.  I also omitted all of the nuts because my brother is allergic but I bet those and the frosting would have been a delicious addition.  My fun size bag was about 3oz short on the total amount of Milky Ways but I figured it was good enough.  I made a 2-layer cake instead of 3 because I only own 2 round cake pans...just add some additional baking time.  I also broke out the big guns to make this cake...the new red Kitchen Aid Professional Stand Mixer that my parents bought me for our housewarming party.

Here are some pictures of my actual cake and a picture with my brother...

Milky Way Cake
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Photo Credit: Love at First Bite

Yields: 16-20 servings

Ingredients

For Cake:

• Confectioners' sugar or cocoa  powder, for dusting pans
• 8 (1 3/4 ounce) Milky Way bars
• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Icing:

• 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup marshmallow cream
• 1/2 cup butter
• 6 ounces chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Grease three 9-inch cake pans and dust them with confectioner's sugar. To make the cake, melt the Milky Way bars with 1 stick of butter. Remove from heat and let cool.
2. Cream the remaining 2 sticks of butter with the granulated sugar. Add the beaten eggs and the cooled chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and the baking soda together. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk to the batter, blending well. Add the nuts and vanilla.
3. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the cake is firm to the touch. Cool for 5 minutes, remove from the pans and place on cooling racks.
4. While the cake cools prepare the icing. Combine the sugar and milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook to the soft-ball stage (234 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove the pan from the heat and add the marshmallow cream, butter and chocolate chips, stirring until melted. Add the pecans. When the cake has cooled completely, frost each layer, sides and top of the Milky Way Cake.

Source: Paula Deen as seen on Love at First Bite