three words: homemade. twix. bars.

Why do I do this to myself? And why am I now doing it to you? The only answer I can give is this: We're awesome and we deserve it! So, do yourself a solid and make these yummy treats tout suite! There are few bad things in life that a little chocolate, caramel and peanut butter cannot set right. Right? Right.

Twix Bars
by Hoosier Homemade

1 Box of Club Crackers
1 Cup Graham Crackers, crushed
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup White Sugar
1/3 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Margarine
2/3 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Begin by putting a layer of Club Crackers in the bottom of a 13x9 pan. Then, in a saucepan add the graham crackers, sugars, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil and boil, stirring constantly for almost 5 minutes. ...Until it has become caramel-like and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Immediately pour this mixture over the club crackers. Add one more layer of Club Crackers and press down slightly. Place this in the fridge to chill for about 30 minutes. Next place your PB and Chocolate Chips in a small microwaveable bowl and heat for a couple minutes. Stir until melted and then pour over the top of the Crackers and spread it out evenly. Put it back in the fridge to harden and chill... and then cut the goodness into bars.


Simply put, they're redonkulous.

(Thanks for the tip off, The Cottage Cheese!)

what i'm craving right now.

Chocolate Truffles with Sea Salt???
yes. yes. a thousand times yes.

...and that, my friends, is why the Pioneer Woman is my BFF. (Even if she doesn't know it.)

let them eat (more) cake.

I may deserve to be slapped for even posting this. After the "rainbow cake fiasco" as I now refer to it... and having to endure endless needling comments about not inviting certain people (you know who yo are!) to partake in it... I vowed not to go there again. But a recent event has changed all that.
I saw this.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake with
Chocolate Ganache and Reece's
courtesy of
Vanilla Sugar


1 box (18.25 ounces) devil's food cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Good pinch of salt
2 cups mini Reese peanut butter cups, chopped, plus 1 1/2 cups more for garnish
(about 2 - 12oz. bags)

Ganache:
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 TB of confectioners sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line with waxed paper; coat paper.
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil and salt on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high; beat for 2 minutes, scraping down side of the bowl after 1 minute. Fold in 2 cups of the chopped peanut butter cups.
Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 34 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let layers cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto wire racks and cool completely.

To make the PB ganache place chopped dark chocolate in a medium-size bowl. Bring cream just to a boil and pour over chocolate. Whisk until chocolate melts. Add peanut butter and confectioners sugar, whisking all till nice and smooth.
To frost the cake, you can first trim the tops of you cakes (with a serrated knife) first to make them flat, I didn't do this.
Put one cake layer on cooling rack and place on a baking sheet. Pour some ganache on top; spread evenly with a spatula. Then place remaining cake layer, and pour remaining frosting over the top, allowing it to spill over the sides. Smooth top and sides with spatula (see Note below).
Refrigerate 1 hour to set. Transfer cake to serving plate and top with the chopped Reese's PB Cups.

Note: I saved a bit of the ganache to put on the cake just before adding the chopped Reese's PB Cups to act as a glue, making sure everything adhered correctly, then chilled it again to let it set. So basically, frost the cake, then chill, then add a thin layer of ganache again, add the garnish, then chill again.

...

I will make this.

And if you're reeeeaaalll nice (insert evil laugh) I might invite you.

When you need a little something...

In my house, late at night, we get a craving. You know the one. Chocolate. And when it's got to be chocolate,
and it's got to be now, there's only one option in the
Harrison household.

TheFudgyNoBake.

Not being one to pride myself on my baking skills... I usually only ever make the quickest and easiest of dessert recipes. This one has been the go-to in my family for many years to satisfy our basest of chocolate cravings. It doesn't get better for me.

2 Cups Sugar
1 Stick Butter
1/4 Cup Cocoa
1/2 Cup Milk
2 1/2 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
3/4 Cup Peanut Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract




They cool and harden in about 15 minutes... and then you're in heaven.