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Showing posts with label Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge. Show all posts

Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark

Challenge time!

For this month's Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge (hosted by Sheryl at Lady Behind the Curtain) we had to make something with CARAMEL and PRETZELS!




























So many options. I LOVE caramel. Tons of sweet and salty recipes were calling my name. A salted caramel pretzel bark that I've seen floating around pinterest won me over though.

It reminded me a lot of my Saltine Toffee cuz of the saltiness but using pretzels instead of saltine crackers, and also like my Chocolate Almond Pretzel Toffee minus the nuts. 


























So obviously, it was just as delicious as those! 

I used a large rectangle baking sheet, so it took a lot of mini rounded pretzel twists to cover the whole thing. I ended up doubling the caramel mixture because it just wasn't enough to cover all the pretzels, plus let's be honest here, too much caramel? Is that even a thing?
  



















Salted Caramel Pretzel Bark
adapted from Mama Say What?!
  • mini round pretzel twists
  • 4 sticks butter *remember that I doubled the caramel sauce to fully cover my large pan lined with pretzels
  • 2 cups brown sugar  *remember that I doubled the caramel sauce to fully cover my large pan lined with pretzels
  • 1-2 cups chocolate chips
  • sea salt 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay a single layer of pretzels covering the whole pan. 

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and the brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Let it boil gently just until it starts to form a nice smooth caramel, letting it bubble a little to get thick. 

Remove from heat and pour evenly over the layer of pretzels. Put in oven at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with the chocolate chips. The hot caramel sauce will melt the chocolate, then spread evenly with an offset spatula. Sprinkle generously with sea salt.

Let cool on the counter top for a bit and then put in the freezer for at least two to three hours. Break into pieces to serve. 


    Printable Recipe


    Love challenges as much as I do? Well hop on over and sign up for next month's challenge where we'll be using Coconut and Lime!

    Linking up here

    Peace, and bacon grease!



     
    reade more... Résuméabuiyad

    Mini Almond Tarts

    Hey there loves.

     























    I'm taking a break from the St. Patty's Day fun to bring you a little delight (literally, little).

     























    You guys know I'm a little obsessed with blogging challenges. I'm back for Sheryl's Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge, and this month is all about ALMOND PASTE and PASTRY DOUGH. My first reaction? What the? I had no clue what almond paste was, and I've never made homemade pastry dough or anything like that. But with a little guidance from Sheryl, I was able to easily find almond paste in my grocery store, and she assured me that some of my possible recipes qualified as dough since they had flour. Ok cool, I got this then.

     


    And thus came my first experience using almond paste. Mine came in a can, and when I opened it, it smelled like dessert heaven. I knew that something that smelled so good must taste equally as good, so I had no worries. 

























    Don't you just love mini things? I do. It means I can eat more of them and not feel as bad. And these Mini Almond Tarts I decided to make are the perfect size to pop in my mouth. 

     























    I made half the recipe, which yielded 2 dozen mini tarts. I was surprised at how much we liked it too! My neighbor caught me snapping pictures on my front porch, so I offered her one also and she too enjoyed it! 
























    Mini Almond Tarts
    from Taste of Home 

    *Yields: 2 dozen

    Dough
    • 1/2 cup butter, softened
    • 3 oz cream cheese, softened
    • 1 cup all-purpose flour 
    Filling
    • 3 oz almond paste, crumbled (I used Solo brand)
    • 1 egg, lightly beaten
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    Frosting   
    • 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
    • 1.5 tablespoons butter, softened
    • 2-3 teaspoons milk
    • maraschino cherry halves (24 halves)
    In a large bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add flour until well blended. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

    Shape into 1-inch balls. Place in ungreased miniature muffin cups; press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a shell. 

    For filling, in a small bowl, beat the almond paste, egg and sugar until blended. Fill each shell with about 1 and 1/2 teaspoons filling. 

    Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. 

    For frosting, combine the confectioners sugar, butter and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Pipe or spread over tarts. Top each with a cherry half. 


    Printable Recipe




     





















    Adorbs. AND scrumptious. 

    It's a win win.


    Check out what everyone else made in the blog hop below:

    Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge


     

    Peace, and bacon grease!


    reade more... Résuméabuiyad

    Chocolate Cherry Chunk Brownies


    Happy Valentine's Day, my Valentines!
























     

    Yay for new cooking challenges!

    Today I'm participating in Sheryl's Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge. The two ingredients this month were CHOCOLATE and CHERRY.


















    I had bookmarked this recipe ages ago, and knew this was the perfect opportunity to use it.

     

















    I'd recommend putting them in the fridge to harden and set up better. I popped mine in the freezer for like 10 minutes then set it out at room temperature and it wasn't as set as I'd like it to be, as you can see from the pictures. Hopefully we'll make these again soon and I can take a better photo.

    And I used milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet because that's what I had on hand.

     


















    Chocolate Cherry Chunk Brownies
    from Six Sister's Stuff

    Brownie layer:

    • 1 brownie mix (the 9x13 size)
    • Eggs, oil, and water called for on the back of the box

    Prepare brownies and bake as directed on the box. Let cool.

    Cherry-Chocolate layer:
    • 2 sticks of butter, slightly softened
    • 3 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
    • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
    • 6 oz maraschino cherries + juice from jar
    In the bowl of a mixer, combine butter and 5 tablespoons juice from the maraschino cherries. Beat until the butter is smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until combined. Increase mixer speed to medium high and beat for about a minute and a half. Roughly chop cherries. Fold chocolate chips into the filling with the cherries. Spread over the top of cooled brownies.

    Chocolate layer:

    2 and 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

    3/4 cup butter


    Melt chocolate chips and butter together in the microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, and repeat for 30 more seconds. Continue to do this until chocolate is smooth and melted. Spread over cherry-chocolate layer. Let set up until hardened, in fridge. 


    Printable Recipe

























    Check out what everyone else made in the blog hop below:



    Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge



    Peace, and bacon grease!



    reade more... Résuméabuiyad