Tag Archives: sweet and salty

Peanut Butter Chocolate Covered Pretzel Ice Cream

No churn peanut butter ice cream with peanut butter chunks and chocolate covered pretzel pieces.

basically the best ice cream ever.

I’ve been working very hard to bring you the very best no churn peanut butter ice cream you will ever eat. And by working hard, I mean eating my weight in peanut butter ice cream. No regrets over here!

HOLY COW peanut butter chocolate covered pretzel ice cream!

While I basically eat and breathe peanut butter, I wanted to find a balance between incredible peanut butter flavor and whoa this is pure frozen peanut butter (<—- not that there’s anything wrong with that!). I found that in order to do that, dividing the peanut butter into two parts: 1) peanut butter ice cream base and 2) peanut butter ripple was necessary. I know, I really took one for the team figuring that out.

no churn peanut butter ice cream with peanut butter swirls AND chocolate covered pretzels

And while that was ultimately awesome on its own, I wanted to add a mix-in, because ice cream with mix-ins is almost always better than ice cream without! The peanut butter was just calling for something crunchy and chocolaty so chunks of chocolate covered pretzel were a clear choice. I chopped up some Bark Thins because I’m mildly obsessed with them and the chocolate is rich, dark and not too sweet. Peanut butter ice cream with peanut butter ripple and chocolate covered pretzel in almost every bite. Sweet, salty, indulgent.

The BEST homemade ice cream!

In case it’s not already been made clear, this was complete peanut butter ice cream perfection.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Peanut Butter Chocolate Covered Pretzel Ice Cream
 
No churn peanut butter ice cream with peanut butter chunks and chocolate covered pretzel pieces.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~1½ quarts
Ingredients
For the ice cream:
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
  • 130g (1/2 cup) creamy peanut butter (if using salted natural peanut butter, omit sea salt)
  • 3g (½ teaspoon) sea salt
  • 210g (2 cups) chopped chocolate covered pretzels (I used Bark Thins because I’m obsessed with them)
  • 475 milliliters (2 cups) heavy cream
For the peanut butter swirl:
  • 130- 200g (1/2- ¾ cup) creamy peanut butter (see notes*) (if using salted natural peanut butter, omit sea salt)
  • 1g (¼ teaspoon) sea salt
Instructions
Make ice cream base:
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sweetened condensed milk and sea salt until smooth; stir in chocolate covered pretzels
  2. In the separate bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
  3. Once cream is ready, fold it into peanut butter mixture
  4. Pour half of ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan or ice cream storage container
Make peanut butter swirl:
  1. Microwave peanut butter for 15 seconds and stir in salt
  2. Drizzle half of peanut butter swirl over top then run a knife through peanut butter to marbleize; repeat with remaining ice cream and peanut butter
  3. Wrap well with seran warp or tin foil and freeze for 6 hours or overnight
Notes
Base from Martha Stewart
*I prefer to use the full 200g of peanut butter but that can make the ice cream very peanut buttery; use less if you aren’t quite as peanut butter crazy as I am

 

 

The BEST peanut butter ice cream!

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Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it onInstagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream with Salty Candied Peanuts

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Drumstick Ice Cream Cake

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The Fudgiest Fleur de Sel Brownies

The fudgiest brownies you will ever eat topped with fleur de sel are rich, decadent and completely satisfying.

super FUDGY fleur de sel brownies <- unbelievable

These brownies are, what I like to call, a piece of ultimate chocolate bliss. They are thick and ultra fudgy, studded with chocolate chips, layered with a naturally crackly top and sprinkled with fleur de sel. They aren’t too sweet but they are chocolatey and rich. The salt sprinkled on top helps cut the sweetness, though, with just the right amount of contrast. Eaten alone, with a cup of dark coffee or warm topped with vanilla ice cream, they are pure brownie perfection.

super fudgy AND crackly tops! these are amazing

In fact, I’m having major regrets that I brought them to my brother-in-law’s house for a family event and had to leave before dessert was served. Of course I got to taste them beforehand, but ever since that day I’ve had the biggest brownie craving ever. Luckily, brownies are generally very easy to make and, if I dare, I might just have to whip up a batch soon.

No one can stop raving about these brownies, best brownies ever!

Make them for your next party, new mom friend or to keep in the freezer as a secret stash. I won’t tell!

BEST brownies ever!

5.0 from 2 reviews
The Fudgiest Fleur de Sel Brownies
 
The fudgiest brownies you will ever eat topped with fleur de sel are rich, decadent and completely satisfying.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 30
Ingredients
  • Brownies:
  • 256g unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 340g (1½ cups / 3 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 415g (~2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 400g (~1¾ cups, packed) light brown sugar
  • 275g (~5 large) whole eggs, at room temperature
  • 20 milliliters (4 teaspoons) vanilla extract
  • 290g (~2 cups + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • 2g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 135g (3/4 cup) semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 135g (3/4 cup) milk chocolate chips
  • 1g (3/4 teaspoon) fleur de sel
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees;
  2. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper; set aside
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside
  4. Melt butter and chocolate in large pot over low to medium heat; remove when melted
  5. Stir in sugar until combined; stir in eggs and vanilla until smooth
  6. Whisk in flour mixture just until combined; do not overmix; fold in chocolate chips
  7. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with fleur de sel
  8. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center
  9. Set brownies aside to cool completely before removing from pan and cutting
Notes
Brownies can be baked ahead of time (store well-wrapped in freezer up to two months or at room temperature up to three days); frost day of serving for best results

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Peanut Butter Snickers Brown Butter Cookies

Brown butter, peanut butter AND snickers all in one seriously good cookie!

Brown butter, peanut butter AND snickers all in one seriously good cookie!

As it turns out I have lots of peanut butter recipes coming this month. So, if your resolution was to eat more peanut butter (perfectly reasonable), I’ve got you covered! Alternatively, if you are watching your sweets consumption, I promise that all of the desserts I’m posting this month are absolutely worth every.single.calorie.

Worth-it desserts. My motto, always!

Brown butter, peanut butter AND snickers - these cookies are amazing!

And to make sure these cookies are absolutely worthy of your indulging, I had to test a few batches to make sure that you can really taste all of the important components. What’s the point of having brown butter and peanut butter if you can’t taste both? Lucky for you, I did the hard part.

(And actually, I’m still making my way through some of the earlier versions because while they weren’t perfect, they still taste quite good. No cookie waste around here!)

 Peanut Butter Snickers Brown Butter Cookies OMG

As you can see from these photos, the Peanut Butter Snickers Brown Butter Cookies are completely loaded with good stuff. The caramel from the snickers oozes in almost every bite. The dough itself is a little dense, chewy and also crisps around the edges. And the flavor? I can’t emphasize enough how well the peanut butter and brown butter really come through. There is just enough of each and they somehow share the spotlight very well. My friends who sampled these cookies couldn’t say enough about how good they were.

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies yesssss

5.0 from 1 reviews
Peanut Butter Snickers Brown Butter Cookies
 
Brown butter, peanut butter AND snickers all in one seriously good cookie!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 30 large cookies
Ingredients
  • 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 170g (2/3 cup) creamy peanut butter (do not use all natural)
  • 255g (~1 cups packed) light brown sugar
  • 165g (~3/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 110g (2 large) whole eggs at room temperature
  • 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) pure vanilla extract
  • 400g (~3 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) salt
  • 300g (~2½ cups) chopped Snickers
  • Optional, but recommended: flaky sea salt
Instructions
  1. Brown the butter: Heat butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, when butter turns to an amber/light brown color, remove from heat immediately (You should be able to smell the deeper more caramel flavor of the butter) pour browned butter immediately into a small bowl and place in fridge to cool for fifteen minutes
  2. Once butter has cooled, place in the large bowl of an electric mixer with peanut butter and sugars; beat on medium-high speed until well combined (will be the texture of wet sand)
  3. Add egg and vanilla, mix on medium-high speed until well combined
  4. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; slowly add to wet ingredients with mixer on low speed; do not over mix
  5. Slowly stir in snickers
  6. Chill dough for 24 hours for best results (minimum of 2 hours) before baking
  7. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 325 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  8. Scoop cookie dough with large cookie dough scoop (~3 tablespoons) on to prepared baking sheets (note it is normal for cookie dough to be very hard, you can let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes prior to scooping); if dough is crumbly, make sure to tightly pack the scoops before baking
  9. Top scoops of cookie dough with flaky sea salt
  10. Bake cookies ~15 minutes or until firm and edges are golden brown
  11. Allow to cool before serving; best enjoyed within four days or frozen up to two months
Notes
Cookie dough requires at least two hours of chilling for best results

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links.

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Ginger Pecan Candy Crack

Crazy addicting Christmas candy in a very good way. This  sweet and salty “crack” is made with toasted pecans, ginger spiced caramel and dark chocolate.

The best candy to make for Christmas! Easy, delicious and super addicting

Last week my sister and fiancé had us over for a fun weeknight Chanukah dinner. Jess and Quoc made a delicious dinner that included perfectly crispy latkes, salmon with dill yogurt sauce and salad with roasted squash. Just ask L, he hijacked most of my salmon and ate his weight in latkes. Chanukah success! I brought a green vegetable along with some cookies (my sister thought these tasted like a chai latte).

There were also “cookies” there, though, that tasted like some sort of ginger toffee caramel hybrid.  I had one bite and then couldn’t stop going back for more. The sweet and salty flavor combination with the added ginger spice was addicting. And to torture treat myself, I made my own interpretation to share with you.

This crunchy, sweet and salty candy treat is currently calling to me from a tupperware inside my fridge. I made a big batch and take a couple of bites worth almost every time I open the door. I just can’t help myself! What I love about this treat is that it differs from the other “crack” recipes out there by having an added spice and a hefty dose of toasted pecans. Oh, and don’t let the term “candy” fool you. There are no candy thermometers used in this recipe and it’s actually pretty straightforward. The ease of making it is either really great or really dangerous, You decide.

Newest obsession: Ginger Pecan Candy Crack

Ginger Pecan Candy Crack
 
Crazy addicting Christmas candy in a very good way. This sweet and salty “crack” is made with toasted pecans, ginger spiced caramel and dark chocolate.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~5 cups
Ingredients
  • 340g (3 cups) pecans
  • 227 grams (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 230 grams (1 cup packed) light brown sugar
  • 2½g (1/2 teaspoon) table salt
  • 1g (1 teaspoon) ground ginger
  • ½g (1/4 teaspoon) ground nutmeg
  • 2 milliliters (1/2 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
  • 255 grams (1½ cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • flaky sea salt to taste (I used about ¾ teaspoon)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper
  3. Top parchment paper with pecans and toast in oven for 8 minutes or until fragrant; set aside
  4. In a large heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together, stirring over medium heat until it begins to boil; once it has begun boiling, let it bubble for three more minutes; it will thicken a bit as it cooks
  5. Remove from the heat and add the table salt, ginger, nutmeg and vanilla, and then quickly pour it over the pecans
  6. Bake the for 12-15 minutes or until all of the caramel topping is lightly bubbling (watch carefully at end of cooking to make sure it doesn’t burn burn; if it appears to be browning too much, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees)
  7. Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips; let stand five minutes, and then carefully spread them evenly across the caramel and sprinkle with flaky sea salt
  8. Chill in refrigerator for about two hours or until firm; break into pieces by hand
  9. Store it in an air-tight container in refrigerator or cool space for best results
  10. Enjoy within one week

 

Ginger Pecan Candy Crack is going on ALL my holiday cookie trays!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Brown Butter Chocolate Pecan Blondies

Brown Butter Chocolate Pecan Blondies

Milk Chocolate Tart with Peanut Butter Pretzel Crust

An easy no-bake dessert that only uses four ingredients! This tart is simple but impressive.

No-bake AND only 4 ingredients!!!

I’m currently joining in on the chorus of everyone asking how Thanksgiving is now less than two weeks away. My theory is that the warm fall weather we have had was actually a huge mind trick. How could Thanksgiving be coming if I barely need a jacket?

This tart is incredible and only takes 4 ingredients!

The good news is that I’ve got a dessert recipe for you that is perfect for dealing with limited holiday prep time. This milk chocolate tart looks impressive and complicated, but it actually is super easy. In fact, this tart is no-bake. Yes, three cheers for a dessert that won’t put pressure on your oven itinerary for Thanksgiving!

Pretty much the best no-bake EASY dessert ever

And beyond all that, the tart tastes pretty extraordinary. The peanut butter pretzel crust is kind of amazing. It’s crunchy and salty and, well, it’s made with peanut butter. The filling? The filling is creamy, rich and decadent. I’ve noticed that milk chocolate doesn’t get enough praise in the elevated dessert world and this tart is telling me it really should get some more love.

So while I’m still mildly panicked about all the things I want to do before Thanksgiving, I’m just going to go ahead and enjoy a big slice of this chocolate tart and not worry about it too much.

A super easy tart that would be perfect for Thanksgiving!

5.0 from 1 reviews
Milk Chocolate Tart with Peanut Butter Pretzel Crust
 
An easy no-bake dessert that only uses four ingredients! This tart is simple but impressive.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 servings
Ingredients
Filling:
  • 340g (12 ounces) good quality milk chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 355 milliliters (1 ½ cups) heavy cream
Crust:
  • 130g (1/2 cup) creamy peanut butter
  • 200g (2 cups) crushed salted pretzels plus additional for topping tart (optional)
Instructions
Make the filling:
  1. Place chocolate in a large heat-safe bowl and set aside
  2. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a rolling boil over medium high heat (do not stir) and then immediately pour over chocolate; let sit for five minutes and then whisk until completely smooth
  3. Let cool at room temperature for one hour and make crust
Prepare crust:
  1. In a medium bowl, melt peanut butter in microwave by heating for 15 seconds, stirring and repeating until easy to stir; stir in pretzel crumbs
  2. Press mixture into a 11-inch tart pan so that it is evenly spread out and up the edges; place in refrigerator until ready to use
  3. Once ready, pour chocolate mixture into chilled crust; then chill tart in refrigerator 4 hours (or up to 24 hours)
  4. Use additional pretzels to decorate tart before serving if desired
Notes
Significantly adapted from Food and Wine
The filling requires one hour of cool time and then the tart requires four hours of chill time before serving.
The crust may be a little crumbly when you remove it from tart pan.

My new favorite dessert!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz Sandwiches

A no-bake treat that every kid and adult will love, these chocolate covered peanut butter Ritz sandwiches are almost too good to be true!

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz Sandwiches!!! only 4 ingredients!

These hardly need any explanation or recipe.

Except, they kind of do.

This past spring in Florida, when I took a brief break from eating Kilwins’ ice cream, I picked up an array of chocolates to bring back to the house and hide in my room share with everyone. When I saw that they had chocolate covered peanut butter and Ritz sandwiches, I couldn’t resist getting a few. But to be honest, I was a little disappointed in the finished product. They weren’t bad, per say, but you really couldn’t taste the peanut butter.

These Chocolate Covered PB Ritz Sandwiches are so much fun!

Well, it took me about four months to finally pick up a box of Ritz crackers (those would not typically be safe in my pantry), but I’m glad I did. I recreated the treat (and put it all on snapchat because I couldn’t resist), this time with the right amount of peanut butter, and then proceeded to eat too many to count. I wish I was kidding.

Anyway, this is definitely one of the easiest no-bake desserts (or really I’d prefer to call them snacks) you could possibly make. Buttery crackers topped with peanut butter and then dipped in chocolate should happen in your kitchen immediately.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz Sandwiches
 
A no-bake treat that every kid and adult will love, these chocolate covered peanut butter Ritz sandwiches are almost too good to be true!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 2 dozen sandwiches
Ingredients
  • 4 dozen Ritz crackers
  • 120g (~1/2 cup) creamy peanut butter
  • 500 grams good quality dark chocolate chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped (can substitute good quality milk chocolate if preferred)
  • 14g (1 tablespoon) unsalted butter
Instructions
  1. Lay half of your crackers (24) out on a baking sheet; spread about 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of peanut butter into each cracker (don't use much less or you won't be able to taste it!)
  2. Top each with a second Ritz cracker
  3. Place tray in freezer for a half hour to chill
  4. When ready, place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl; melt by microwaving in 30-second increments and stirring in-between; continue until melted and smooth
  5. Use two forks to dip sandwiches into melted chocolate
  6. Place dipped sandwiches onto parchment or wax paper and chill in refrigerator one hour
  7. Keep stored in an airtight container in a cool room or refrigerator until ready to enjoy
  8. Enjoy within one week for best results

 

Chocolate PB Ritz Sandwiches = winning!!!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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PBRippleIceCream3_thumb.jpg

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Chocolate PB Ritz Sandwiches... in LOVE

Fudgy Mocha Chip Brownies with Espresso Sea Salt

The fudgiest brownies with a hint of mocha and touch of salt to kick any chocolate craving in the butt.

Incredible Fudgy Mocha Brownies! Look at the bits of espresso sea salt on top!!

Kind of like my beloved blondies, it’s been too long since I’ve made brownies. I know it’s summer and time for light fruit desserts or frozen ice cream treats, but all I wanted last week was a rich fudgy chocolaty brownie.

These brownies turned out to be perfect. They are thick and crazy fudgy. If anyone was looking for an end piece, I’m sorry but I pretty much ate all of the edges while cutting them for photos. I just couldn’t help myself and I don’t regret it one bit. And even though I don’t usually choose to put chips in my brownies, for some reason they seemed appropriate here. The dark chocolate mocha brownies are full of semi-sweet chips (you could use milk chocolate if you want to go sweeter) and they help the brownie to have layers of flavor. The mocha flavor is more an essence than overpowering and the espresso salt helps enhance it. If you don’t have espresso salt don’t expect too much coffee to come through.

Super Fudgy Mocha Brownies <---- need

Fudgy Mocha Chip Brownies with Espresso Sea Salt
 
The fudgiest brownies with a hint of mocha and touch of salt to kick any chocolate craving in the butt.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24-30 servings
Ingredients
  • 256g unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 340g (1½ cups / 3 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 415g (~2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 400g (~1¾ cups, packed) light brown sugar
  • 275g (~5 large) whole eggs, at room temperature
  • 89 milliliters (6 tablespoon) strong brewed espresso (4 grams (1½ tablespoons) espresso + 89 milliliters (6 tablespoons) water))
  • 10 milliliters (2 teaspoons) vanilla extract
  • 290g (~2 cups + 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • 2g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 270g (1½ cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips*
  • ½g (1 teaspoon) espresso salt (can substitute flaky sea salt**)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees;
  2. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper; set aside
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside
  4. Melt butter and chocolate in large pot over low to medium heat; remove when melted
  5. Stir in sugar until combined; stir in eggs, espresso and vanilla until smooth
  6. Whisk in flour mixture just until combined; do not overmix; fold in chocolate chips
  7. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and sprinkle with espresso salt
  8. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean
  9. Set brownies aside to cool completely before slicing and serving
  10. Notes:
  11. *You can use milk chocolate chips instead if you want to enhance the sweetness of the brownies instead of the rich chocolate flavor
  12. **If you don’t have espresso salt don’t expect too much coffee to come through
  13. These brownies are great for making in advance. Just wrap them tightly in foil and store them in the freezer for up to one month. They might also taste good right out of the freezer. Not like I would know.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

This post contains affiliate links

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Peanut Butter Ripple Chocolate Ice Cream

You don’t need an ice cream maker to make this ice cream! Rich chocolate ice cream with a ribbon of salty peanut butter.

Rich Chocolate Ice Cream with a Salted Peanut Butter Ribbon (no ice cream maker for this one!)

If you love chocolate and peanut butter as much as I do, you’ve no doubt had a variation of this ice cream flavor before. I know, not as creative as this recipe or this one, but trust me, necessary. Because, one: you can always use another no churn ice cream recipe and two: I have a follow-up dessert that revolves around this one and trust me, you don’t want to miss it.

Peanut Butter Ripple Chocolate Ice Cream
 
You don’t need an ice cream maker to make this ice cream! Rich chocolate ice cream with a ribbon of salty peanut butter.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~1½ quarts
Ingredients
  • 16 fluid ounces (2 cups) heavy cream
  • 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free, but any type would work)
  • 50g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa powder (any kind will work, I used a lighter cocoa powder for a more milk-chocolatey flavor)
  • 15 milliliters 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 200g (~¾ cup) creamy peanut butter
  • 1g (¼ teaspoon) salt
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, cocoa and vanilla; mixture will be very thick; set aside
  2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat cream on high speed for several minutes, just until stiff peaks form
  3. Once cream is ready, gently fold ⅓ of it into sweetened condensed milk mixture; gently fold in remaining cream until fully combined
  4. Pour half of ice cream into a regular-sized loaf pan or ice cream storage container; microwave peanut butter for 15 seconds and stir in salt; drizzle half of salted peanut butter over top then run a knife through peanut butter to marbleize; repeat with remaining ice cream and peanut butter
  5. Wrap well with seran warp or tin foil and freeze for 6 hours or overnight
Notes
Base from Martha Stewart

Chocolate Ice Cream with Salted Peanut Butter Ripple. and you don't even need an ice cream maker!

 

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups

Rich homemade candy  cups filled with peanut butter caramel sauce and topped with the perfect amount of flaky sea salt.

Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups - dying over these

I told you I had something up my sleeve for the caramel sauce. I don’t even think I need to talk too much about these little candy cups, the pictures say it all. Last minute Valentine’s Day treat perhaps?

 

4.0 from 1 reviews
Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups
 
Rich homemade candy cups filled with peanut butter caramel sauce and topped with the perfect amount of flaky sea salt.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12 candy cups
Ingredients
  • 10 ounces good quality dark chocolate (I used 72%), roughly chopped
  • ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce
  • Flaky sea salt (optional)
Instructions
  1. Line a mini muffin pan with 12 tin foil cupcake wrappers and set aside
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a medium microwave safe bowl; melt by microwaving the chocolate and butter in 30-second increments and stirring in-between
  3. Use a teaspoon to coat the bottom of each cup with melted chocolate; place muffin pan in fridge for fifteen minutes or until chocolate is set
  4. Remove pan from fridge and spoon caramel sauce into center of each cup (about 1 tablespoon); if caramel sauce has been chilled and is firm, microwave for 10-20 seconds and stir for a more workable consistency
  5. Spoon melted chocolate over caramel and around edges so that coated on all sides; sprinkle tops with flaky sea salt if desired (and it should be desired)
  6. Chill for one hour in refrigerator before serving; store in refrigerator up to one week

Peanut Butter Caramel Candy Cups... the picture says it all

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Smoked Sea Salt Chocolate Fudge Caramel Cookies

Rich and fudgy chocolate cookies filled with caramel and dark chocolate chips and seasoned with smoked sea salt.

Smoked Sea Salt Chocolate Fudge Caramel Cookies- super rich and decadent!

Are you still adding to your cookie baking list for the holidays? I hope so, because these babies are very deserving of a spot.  The cookie itself is ultra rich and like a fudgy brownie in the center.  Outside there is a slice crisp around the edges.  To top that off, the flavor of the chocolate is dark and almost sinful but balanced with sweet caramels and flaky smoked sea salt.  And by the way, they are pretty easy too.  They bake up consistently EVERY time I make them.  And bonus, you don’t have to chill the dough at all. These cookies will be ready for your enjoyment within an hour from start to finish.  If you are making big batches for holiday gifts, just double the recipe below!

Smoked Sea Salt Chocolate Fudge Caramel Cookies-these need to happen

Smoked Sea Salt Chocolate Fudge Caramel Cookies
 
Rich and fudgy chocolate cookies filled with caramel and dark chocolate chips and seasoned with smoked sea salt.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~2 ½ dozen cookies
Ingredients
  • 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 170g semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 200g unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 160g (~1 cup + 3 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
  • 2g (3/4 teaspoon) baking powder
  • 2g (1/2 teaspoon salt)
  • 150g (~3 large whole) eggs at room temperature
  • 215g (~1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 235g (~1 cup, packed) light brown sugar
  • 10 milliliters / 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 227g (1 cup) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 160g (1 cup) caramel bits
  • Smoked sea salt
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  2. Place semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate with butter in a microwave-safe bowl
  3. Microwave the ingredients for a minute and stir; microwave again for 30-second increments until everything is almost melted; stir the remaining lumps until smooth (alternatively, you can melt the butter and chocolate in a heavy duty pop over medium heat stirring constantly); set aside
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) and set aside
  5. In the large bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, sugars and vanilla; beat on high speed for about 5 minutes or until mixture is light and pale in color
  6. Reduce the speed of your mixer and add in melted chocolate
  7. When that is well-combined, stir in flour mixture but do not over-mix; stir in chocolate chips and caramel bits
  8. Use a large cookie dough scoop and place dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, 1-2 inches apart; lightly sprinkle top of cookie dough with smoked sea salt
  9. Bake cookies for 12 minutes and set aside on a wire rack to cool
Notes
Recipe can be doubled
Store cookies at room temperature up to 5 days in a ziplock bag or freeze for up to two months


Smoked Sea Salt Chocolate Fudge Caramel Cookies-they taste as good as they look!

Yes, they are as good as they look.

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Salted Caramel & Peanut Oatmeal Cookies

Big, chewy oatmeal cookies full of crunchy peanuts and chewy caramel.

Salted Caramel & Peanut Oatmeal Cookies

So I actually had to make this cookie recipe twice. The first time, I was working off of a different recipe of mine that I cut in half. Easy enough. Well, except I think my pregnancy brain got the best of me and I forgot to cut the oatmeal in half. While I was adding it to the dough I kept thinking, this just doesn’t seem right. But I forged on, not wanting to waste all of the ingredients, and baked the dough anyway. To be honest, the cookies actually weren’t too bad. They were definitely heartier and not as moist as they should have been, but the flavors were great.

Salted Caramel & Peanut Oatmeal Cookies
 
Big, chewy oatmeal cookies full of crunchy peanuts and chewy caramel.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 15 large cookies
Ingredients
  • 113g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 117g (~1/2 cup tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 55g (~1/4 cup) granulated sugar
  • 55g (1 large whole) eggs
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
  • 65g (~1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 4g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 2g (1/4 teaspoon) salt
  • 160g (~1 ¾ cup) oatmeal (I prefer old-fashioned oats)
  • 110g (~3/4 cup) unsalted chopped peanuts
  • 110g (~2/3 cup) caramel bits caramel bitsor chopped caramel squares
  • Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
  1. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside
  2. Beat butter and sugars in an electric mixer on high until light and fluffy
  3. Mix in eggs and vanilla on medium speed; scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula
  4. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture
  5. Once combined, stir in the oatmeal; then stir in peanuts and caramel bits; do not overmix dough
  6. Chill dough in refrigerator for 2 hours (or up to 24 hours), the longer the better
  7. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  8. When ready to bake, use a large cookie dough scoop to place cookie dough balls (about ¼ cup each) on top of parchment paper, 2-3 inches apart; sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt
  9. Bake cookies 15-17 minutes or until cookies are golden brown; they should look slightly underbaked in the center
  10. Set aside to cool on wire racks before eating

Salted Caramel & Peanut Oatmeal Cookies
This time around, though, I double checked what I was doing and the result was wonderful. The oatmeal cookies are nice and chewy and the sweet and salty flavors are spot on. It kind of feels like a Payday jumped into an oatmeal cookie and a star was born. These cookies are addicting.

 

Salted Caramel & Peanut Oatmeal Cookies

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Pretzel Cookie Sandwiches

Chewy pretzel infused cookies sandwiched together with buttercream.

Chewy pretzel infused cookies sandwiched together with buttercream.

I got the crazy idea that I needed to make a cookie that was flavored like a pretzel.  It happened sometime after these Oreo cookies disappeared.  However the crazy idea popped into my head, I’m so glad it did.  These chewy cookies were pretty addicting.  Frankly they didn’t need any buttercream at all but I thought it would be fun to play on the salty pretzel theme with some salted caramel buttercream (and why not?).  Next time I’ll leave them be……. or sandwich them with chocoalate or peanut butter buttercream.  Uhoh!

Pretzel Cookie Sandwiches
 
Chewy pretzel infused cookies sandwiched together with buttercream.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 13 cookie sandwiches
Ingredients
  • 165g (~1¼ cup) all-purpose flour
  • 105g (~1 cup) finely ground salted pretzels (I started with ~5 cups of large pretzel thins)
  • 2g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 2g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 105g (~1/2) cup granulated sugar
  • 120g (~1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 50g (1 whole large) egg at room temperature
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
  • Salted Caramel Buttercream (or other filling of choice)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350; line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside
  2. Whisk flour, pretzel crumbs, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy
  4. Beat in egg and vanilla on medium speed just until combined
  5. Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients but do not overmix; use a spatula to make sure all cookie batter is combined
  6. Use a medium cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to make cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (about 1½ tablespoons each)
  7. Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes or until edges have slightly darkened and centers appear set
  8. Allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack; once cool, match each cookie with a second cookie of same size
  9. Spread or pipe frosting onto bottom of half of the cookie sandwiches, about 1½ tablespoons each; lightly press remaining cookies down onto frosting to create sandwiches
Notes
Cookie adapted from these Oreo Overload Cookies and these Graham Cracker Cookies
Store cookies in an airtight container up to four days (eat within two for best texture).  Can be frozen up to one month.

Chewy pretzel-flavored cookies... with buttercream!

Serious Pretzel Cookie Sandwiches
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Espresso Salted Dark Chocolate Biscotti

These rich dark chocolate biscotti are extra crunchy, perfect for coffee dunking!

Espresso Salted Dark Chocolate Biscotti -extra crunchy, perfect for coffee dunking!

I’m not usually one to choose biscotti as a dessert of choice.  Often times, they are dry, super hard and not all that flavorful.  These biscotti here, they are a different story.  The rich dark chocolate and espresso salt ensure that every bite is full of flavor.  And yes they are very crunchy, but that just makes them perfect for dunking into coffee, milk or even hot chocolate.  This is a biscotti I can get behind!

Espresso Salted Dark Chocolate Biscotti
 
These rich dark chocolate biscotti are extra crunchy, perfect for coffee dunking!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~18 biscotti
Ingredients
  • 265g (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 80g (3/4 cup) dark unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2½g (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
  • 1g (¼ teaspoon) salt
  • 165g (~¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 115g (~1/2 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
  • 150g (~3 large) whole eggs
  • 59 milliliters (¼ cup) canola oil
  • 30 milliliters (2 tablespoons) pure vanilla extract
  • 220g (~1½ cups) dark chocolate, chopped (I used 72%)
  • 6g (1 tablespoon) espresso salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together sugars, eggs, oil and vanilla; scrape sides of bowl with a spatula
  4. Reduce speed to low and stir in dry ingredients just until combined; stir in chopped chocolate and but not overmix
  5. Put half of dough on each prepared baking sheet and use lightly flowered hands to form into loaves (~9x5 inches and ¾ inch thick); the dough will be wet and sticky
  6. Sprinkle each loaf heavily with espresso salt
  7. Bake for 30 minutes
  8. Remove from oven and slice each loaf (1-inch slices); turn each slice over onto its side and bake for an additional 10 minutes
  9. Flip slices over once more and bake for an additional 10
  10. Store biscotti in an airtight container or ziplock bag up to one week or freeze up to one month
Notes
Adapted from Food and Wine

Espresso Salted Dark Chocolate Biscotti -These rich dark chocolate biscotti are extra crunchy, perfect for coffee dunking!

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Sweet and Salty Toll House Pie

This warm sweet and salty cookie pie is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Sweet and Salty Toll House Pie -This warm sweet and salty cookie pie is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

This is just one of those posts where I’m going to cringe looking at the pictures, but the recipe is too good not to share and frankly, sometimes the most UN-photogenic desserts are the tastiest.

Way back on our first Valentine’s Day together (2004!), Matt took me to dinner at Murphy’s in Atlanta.  Pretty much everyone who went to Emory has gone there at least once (likely during a parental visit where there was a rental car and someone else’s credit card involved).  This was actually my second date at the restaurant but I don’t think I told that fact to Matt that night…  Anyway, our meal involved some delicious food (to this day Matt still talks about the grouper he had) and ended on a sweet note with Toll House Pie.  I had no idea that this was a thing at the time, but apparently it was and anyone who went to Murphy’s had to have it (a sign that my first date there was definitely not meant to be).  When the server brought out the warm slice of pie oozing with melted chocolate and topped with creamy vanilla ice cream melting away, we were in dessert heaven.  Way back then I was a bit on the stricter side (ahem, very strict) when it came to indulging, but you better believe I ate my fair share of that pie.

Since then I’ve made the traditional version once (sans nuts), but this time around I wanted to make it sweet and salty.  Swapping out the chopped nuts for pretzel pieces and loading it with big milk chocolate chunks was a good move.  As was the sprinkling of smoked sea salt on top!

Sweet and Salty Toll House Pie -oozing and warm... perfect with ice cream!

Sweet and Salty Toll House Pie
 
This warm sweet and salty cookie pie is perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie crust dough, cold* (I used
  • Audra’s pie crust recipe– so flaky!)
  • 100g (~2 large) whole eggs
  • 10 milliliters / 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 235g (~1 cup packed) light brown sugar
  • 170g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 64g (~1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½g (½ teaspoon) salt
  • 150g (~1 cup) milk chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 40g (~1 cup) broken salted pretzel pieces
  • 2g (1 teaspoon) flaky sea salt, preferably smoked
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
  2. Roll out pie crust and press into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie-plate; set aside
  3. In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt; set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs and vanilla on medium-high speed for several minutes until light and foamy
  5. Beat in sugar and butter on medium-high speed until well-combined; use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl
  6. Put mixer on low and slowly add in flour mix
  7. Stir in chocolate and pretzels but do not overmix
  8. Carefully spread filling into pie shell; top with flaky sea salt
  9. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from side of pie, center should still be moist
  10. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving warm with ice cream
Notes
Adapted from the original Nestle Toll House Pie

Sweet and Salty Toll House Pie -such an awesome dessert

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The Best Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Thick and chewy peanut butter cookies for peanut butter lovers only.

The BEST Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Wow, thank you so much for the kind notes, tweets, Facebook messages, etc. regarding our big news!  We really didn’t tell anyone (other than our parents and siblings) until a week or so ago.  Let me tell you, that is one hard secret to keep!  When you are exhausted constantly, hungry ALL the time and just generally overwhelmed by the big life change coming, it is difficult to look anyone in the eye when they say “what’s going on” and you have to say “nothing.” Phew!  So glad to be past that.  I have a pregnancy-related post coming later this week and am happy to share even more as long as people want to read about it.

The BEST Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

While many women suffer through morning sickness and get crazy food aversions, I was lucky to avoid that for the most part.  There were a few foods here and there (mainly random vegetables and fish) that stopped appealing to me, but dessert was never one of them.  In fact, anything that was carb-based sounded extra delicious.  Cookies excel in that category!

So, a few weeks ago I took a look at my massive baking inventory and decided to make something that revolved around peanut butter.  For peanut butter lovers, it’s hard to beat a perfectly chewy peanut-y  cookie.  This one is full of peanut butter, peanut butter chips, peanuts AND peanut butter cups.  (Sorry Matt, this cookie is kind of your worst nightmare.)  They were a big hit and I definitely enjoyed a couple myself.  The amount of food I consume on a regular basis astounds me.  While I’m trying to eat as healthy as possible (I figure that is the least I can do in taking care of the baby), there is definitely room for my sweet tooth cravings.  Don’t expect me to start turning my nose up at dessert any time soon.

The BEST Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

The Best Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies
 
Thick and chewy peanut butter cookies for peanut butter lovers only.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 15 cookies
Ingredients
  • 130g (~1 cup) all-purpose flour
  • 12g (1 ½ teaspoons) baking soda
  • 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 258 g (1 cup) creamy peanut butter
  • 160g (~¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 117g (~1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 100g (2 large) whole eggs, at room temperature
  • 5 milliliters (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
  • 105g (~2/3 cup) chopped peanut butter cups
  • 90g (~1/2 cup) peanut butter chips
  • 75g (~1/2 cup) chopped peanuts
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda, set aside
  2. Using a mixer, in a large bowl beat peanut butter, butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy
  3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined
  4. Reduce speed to low and stir in flour mixture just until combined
  5. Stir in peanut butter cups, peanut butter chips and chopped peanuts
  6. Chill dough for 2 hours
  7. After, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper
  8. Use a large cookie dough scoop to place cookie dough balls (about ¼ cup each) on top of parchment paper, 1-2 inches apart
  9. Bake ~14 minutes until cookies are brown around the edges
Notes
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to two months

 

The BEST Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

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Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

These giant cookies are fudgy and chewy in the center but perfectly crisp around the edges.  The salted caramel enhances the flavor to create a well-balanced treat.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

When I originally came up with the recipe for these cookies, I thought I might end up with a chocolate cookie that came out of the oven with oozing caramel.  Rather, the cookie dough absorbed the salted caramel in the process of baking and the result was quite different.  A rich and fudgy chocolate cookie with the salted caramel undertone and perfect crispy edges happened instead.  I can’t say I was disappointed.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

The dough is easy to make, it just requires some chilling for ease of use.  After that, giant cookie dough mounds are formed with a well for the caramel to sit.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

A littler caramel oozed out the edges while baking in some of them, and it wasn’t such a bad thing.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies
 
These giant cookies are fudgy and chewy in the center but perfectly crisp around the edges. The salted caramel enhances the flavor to create a well-balanced treat.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 22 cookies
Ingredients
  • 9 ¼ ounces (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2⅛ ounces (~¾ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 10 ounces (1 ¼ cup / 2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 15 ounces (~2 cups) granulated Sugar
  • 2 large eggs (1 x-large + 1 yolk)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup Salted Caramel
Instructions
  1. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; and set aside
  2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy
  3. Add eggs and vanilla; mix on medium speed until combined
  4. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula and then slowly add dry ingredients with mixer on low just until combined
  5. Stir in chocolate chips
  6. Chill dough for at least two hours or up to twenty four hours for best results (dough will also be easier to work with)
  7. When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 375 and line baking sheets with parchment paper
  8. Using a medium cookie dough scoop or tablespoon, drop 11 scoops of dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper 2-3 inches apart (cookies will spread a lot)
  9. Use your thumb to make a well in center of cookie dough
  10. Carefully spoon about a teaspoon of caramel into well of cookie dough being careful not to overflow
  11. Scoop remaining dough over caramel-filled cookie dough to cover
  12. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are set on top
  13. Allow to cool on cooling rack before serving
Notes
Cookies adapted from Hershey’s

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cookies

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Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Smoked Sea Salt Chocolate Fudge Cookies

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Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

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Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

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Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

These sweet and salty dessert bars are packed with an Oreo crust, chocolate, pretzels and salted caramel.  You won’t believe how easy these are to make.

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

Of all the salted caramel recipes I’ve made, these are by far the most dangerous.

The first time I made them, Matt joked about how ugly they were and then we proceeded to devour the pan…. warm with ice cream.

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

But a few days later, after they had disappeared, I decided that I simply must make them again because it just wouldn’t be fair to you if I didn’t share the recipe.  Let’s not talk about how much of both batches I inhaled.  Sweet and salty recipes just do it for me.

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

When I decided that January was going to be Salted Caramel Month, I wanted to make some spin on the ever famous Seven Layer Bars / Magic bars / Hello Dolly Bars.  These are quite different from that but conceptually the building blocks are the same.  Oreos instead of graham crackers, salted caramel instead of sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips and pretzel pieces to replace the other toppings you may be used to (you know how I feel about coconut… just no).  Once you have your caramel, they are super easy to put together… and just as easy to eat!

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars
 
These sweet and salty dessert bars are packed with an Oreo crust, chocolate, pretzels and salted caramel. You won’t believe how easy these are to make.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 9-12 servings
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces (~2 cups / 20 cookies) finely crushed Oreos
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 8½ ounces (~1¼) cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 ounces (~1½ cups) salted pretzel pieces
  • 1 cup salted caramel
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; spray a 9x9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, combine Oreo crumbs and melted butter; press mixture down evenly into prepared baking dish
  3. Pour about half of chocolate chips over crust
  4. Combine pretzel pieces and salted caramel, pour mixture over chocolate chip layer
  5. Pour remaining chocolate chips over top of bars
  6. Bake for about 25 minutes or until caramel is bubbling around edges and bars appear set
  7. Allow to cool before slicing
  8. Store leftover bars covered at room temperature up to four days

 

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars

Salted Caramel Oreo Bars that are SUPER easy to make!!

 

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Salted Caramel Sheet Cake

This salted caramel cake is light and fluffy with a rich salted caramel buttercream and salted caramel sauce infused into the cake.

Salted Caramel Sheet Cake

I made this cake on Christmas Eve.  Matt and I had no plans so it was definitely a dangerous move, one large cake, two people.  We probably did more damage than I care to admit but the cake was so good, I don’t even regret it.  The white cake layer is nice and light which balances well with the rich creamy salted caramel buttercream.  Oh yes, and that salted caramel layer in between, that might have been my favorite part.

The Best Salted Caramel Cake

This would be a nice special occasion dessert as a layer cake as well, but baking a sheet cake is a little less overwhelming and definitely easier to put together.  In fact, now that I think about it, this cake is so easy I might have to make another one…. soon!

The Best Salted Caramel Cake

Salted Caramel Sheet Cake
 
This salted caramel cake is light and fluffy with a rich salted caramel buttercream and salted caramel sauce infused into the cake.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 15 servings
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup Salted Caramel, cooled (note that you will need additional for buttercream)
  • 1 White Sheet Cake (recipe below), baked and cooled
  • 1 batch Salted Caramel Buttercream (recipe below)
Instructions
  1. Use a fork to poke holes in cake that go about an inch below the surface; go all the way across the cake (both ways) leaving about an inch between each set of holes
  2. Pour salted caramel evenly over cake
  3. Spread buttercream carefully over caramel layer
  4. Slice and serve! Leftover cake should be covered with seran wrap and eaten within four days; make sure to cover well or edges will get stale
Notes
Inspired by The Baker Chick

White Sheet Cake
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 8 fluid ounces (1 cup) milk (any type), at room temperature
  • 6 egg whites, at room temperature
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 8⅝ ounces (~2¼) cups cake flour
  • 13⅛ ounces (~1¾ cups) granulated sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup / 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan; set aside
  3. Whisk together milk, egg whites and vanilla; set aside
  4. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, mix cake flour sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed just until combined
  5. Add butter and beat on low speed just until the mixture looks like wet sand with small clumps; scrape the sides of the bowl with spatula
  6. Add half of milk mixture and beat on medium speed for 1½ minutes only; scrape sides of bowl with spatula and add remaining milk; mix on medium speed for just thirty seconds
  7. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake for 32-36 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from center
  8. Set cake aside to cool and prepare buttercream
Notes
Recipe from Baking Bites

Salted Caramel Buttercream
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces (1 cup / 2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup Salted Caramel
Instructions
  1. In the large bowl of an electric mixer with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and creamy; add powdered sugar and beat on medium-high speed for several minutes or until mixture is light and fluffy; add caramel sauce and beat on medium speed for one minute
  2. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to one week; bring to room temperature before using

 

The Best Salted Caramel Cake

 

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies: A How-To Video!

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies: A How-To Video!

Remember when I promised you eHow videos?  Well, I’m going to try to get past my embarrassment and share them, yikes!  You already have the recipe, but I figured you might like the video for how to make these Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies.  I’d love to hear what you think!

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

These peanut butter cookies are thick and chewy (like most cookies should be), sweet and salty, and absolutely delicious. 

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

Last week was…. well, it sure was a week.  Emotionally my head was somewhere else.  As soon as I heard about the marathon bombing my heart just ached for everyone there.  Then there was the explosion in West, Texas.  It was too much for one country in just a few short days.

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

But then something amazing happened.  Early Friday morning, my beautiful niece was born!  Hannah is the most amazing baby girl and just like that, I was reminded of the wonderful miracles happening every day!  I’ve been excited to be an aunt for months, but this brand new addition to the family is even beyond what I could have expected.

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

And in the middle of all that, for every minute that I wasn’t glued to the news or hanging around the hospital maternity ward, I was prepping to film videos for eHow.  10 videos.  In one day.  AKA craziness.  When I originally agreed to do this, I didn’t grasp quite how much work it would entail prepping to film, baking on camera, and rushing to clean up during the taping.  In case you are wondering, it is a lot of work.  Initially I was also really nervous.  I’ve never done something like this before.  Well, in all of the excitement of everything else.  Okay, mostly because of the fact that I could NOT wait to finish taping so that I could get to the hospital and meet Hannah, I actually wasn’t nervous at all.  There is another miracle for you!  I think I’m actually more nervous to see how cheesy and awkward I ended up looking.  If I’m not completely embarrassed by the final products, I promise to share them with you once they are done! [UPDATE: You can see the eHow video for the Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies here!]

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

So the good news for you?  I made a few things that I really want to share the recipes for.  These cookies for instance, make them.  You know how much I love chocolate and peanut butter and this cookie is no exception.  Thick and chewy (like most cookies should be), with a little crunch from those salty pretzels.  Seriously, just make them.

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies
 
These peanut butter cookies are thick and chewy (like most cookies should be), sweet and salty, and absolutely delicious.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 24 large cookies
Ingredients
  • 1 cup (4⅝ ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 5⅝ ounces (¾ cup) granulated sugar
  • 4⅛ ounces (1/2 cup) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 x-large eggs, room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup pretzel pieces (1 ½ ounces)
  • Sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda, set aside
  2. Using a mixer, in a large bowl beat peanut butter, butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy
  3. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined
  4. Reduce speed to low and stir in flour mixture just until combined
  5. Stir in chocolate chips and pretzels
  6. Chill dough for 2 hours
  7. After, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper
  8. Use a large cookie dough scoop to place cookie dough balls (about ¼ cup each) on top of parchment paper, 1-2 inches apart
  9. Lightly sprinkle cookie dough with sea salt
  10. Bake ~14 minutes until cookies are brown around the edges

 
And a few behind-the-scenes pictures for good measure

eHow filming for Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter CookieseHow filming for Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter CookieseHow filming for Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter CookieseHow filming for Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies
This post contains affiliate links.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Ritz Sandwiches

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Pretzel Cookie Sandwiches

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies for a Virtual Bridal Shower

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies. aka Salted Milk Chocolate Almond Caramel Corn Cookies.  Nothing less for my lovely friend, Christina!

Christina Bridal Shower (4)

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

For those of you who don’t know her, Christina is the incredibly sweet blogger behind Dessert for Two.  She is getting married soon and since she is such an amazing example of what a blogger should be, I knew we needed to celebrate.  Krissy put together the pretty invitation and from there it wasn’t hard to get a group of bloggers to agree.

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

I’ve been emailing with Christina forever, but got to meet her in person when she came as my plus-one to a Foodbuzz Festival event last fall. She was just as awesome in person as she is on her blog. We even talked about her relationship with the Mr. and I could tell that an engagement was right around the corner:-)

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

I’m so incredibly happy for her and can not wait to hear all about their fabulous wedding.  I just know there will be incredible food, lots of drinking and a whole lot of people there to celebrate a wonderful couple.  Oh, and I’m pretty sure she is going to be one beautiful bride.

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

Want to know what else everyone else brought to the party?  Check out the delicious dishes that the other bloggers contributed for Christina’s Virtual Bridal Shower!

Strawberry Macarons from Krissy
White Wedding Cake Cupcakes from Julie
Mini  “I Do”-nuts from Tara
Moon Pie Cupcakes from Madison
Whiskey Walnut Blondies from Jenna
Brown Butter Snickerdoodles from Joanne
Lemon Cupcakes with Sweet Tea Frosting from Kristan
Chocolate Covered Cheerios from Shelly
Mini Coconut Cream Pies from Megan

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies
 
Salted Milk Chocolate Almond Caramel Corn Cookies
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: ~40 cookies
Ingredients
  • 9.25 ounces (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons table salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup / 1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • 8.25 ounces (~1 cup packed) light brown sugar
  • 3.75 ounces granulated sugar (~1/2 cup)
  • 1 x-large egg + 1 x-large egg yolk at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup) milk chocolate almond Hershey kisses (about 35), roughly chopped (can be substituted with chopped milk chocolate and unsalted almonds)
  • 2.5 ounces (1½ cups) caramel corn (I used Popcorn Indiana) + ¼ cup additional
  • Sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line baking sheets with parchment paper or a slipat and set aside
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, table salt and baking soda; set aside
  3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy
  4. Scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula; add egg, egg yolk and vanilla; beat at medium speed until well-combined
  5. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture just until combined; stop mixer and scrape sides of the bowl with spatula
  6. On low speed, add in kisses and all but ¼ cup of additional caramel corn
  7. Use a medium cookie dough scoop and place scoops of cookie dough on prepared baking sheets 1-2 inches apart; press the additional caramel corn into top of dough and sprinkle each with sea salt
  8. Bake cookies 11-12 minutes or until edges are a light golden brown
  9. Set aside to cool; best results if eaten same day (caramel corn begins to get a little stale) and store in an airtight container

 

Sweet & Salty Party Cookies
This post contains affiliate links.

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Salted Caramel and Peanut Oatmeal Cookies

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Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

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Sweet and Salty Toll House Pie

Sweet and Salty Toll House Pie

The best sweet and salty cookies!

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

The fudgiest blondies loaded with everyone’s favorite sweet and salty candies.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

When I asked my Father-in-Law what he wanted for his birthday dessert, his only request was chocolate covered pretzels.  Sweet and salty, who doesn’t love those?

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

But come on, it is a birthday dessert!  And since chocolate covered pretzels are what I make as an afterthought when I have extra melted chocolate, I just had to make something else.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

So I threw together something else sweet and salty that required just a little more time and effort than the pretzels (of course I made those too) and was thrilled with the result.  What I love about blondies is how flexible they can be.  You can load them up with whatever you are in the mood for.  Since Halloween is just a couple of weeks away, these would be the perfect way to use up any extra candy or the inevitable post-holiday candy sale purchases.

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies
 
The fudgiest gooey blondies loaded with everyone's favorite sweet and salty candies.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 12-16 servings
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 12⅜ ounces (1½ cups packed) light brown sugar
  • 7 ounces (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 x-large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup honey roasted peanuts
  • ½ cup M&Ms
  • ⅓ cup chopped Heath Bars (~8 minis)
  • ¼ cup Reese's Pieces (I used mini but regular sized would work, too)
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees; line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside
  2. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar, stirring constantly; remove from heat and set aside when butter is completely melted
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder; set aside
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla; whisk in butter and sugar mixture
  5. Whisk in flour mixture until almost combined and then fold in any remaining crumbs with a spatula
  6. Fold in peanuts and candy until evenly distributed throughout batter
  7. Pour into prepared baking pan
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean
  9. Set aside to cool before cutting
Notes
Blondies will stay fresh for several days if wrapped or packaged in an air-tight container.  They also freeze incredibly well, just wrap them tightly in tin foil.

 

Sweet and Salty Candy Bar Blondies

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

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Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

Big, Chewy, Sweet and Salty Peanut Butter Cookies

Sweet and Salty Party Cookies (with caramel corn!)

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Sweet and Salty Toll House Pie

Sweet and Salty Toll House Pie

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

In my undying adoration of peanut butter over the years, I’ve looked past some other nuts that are just as delicious.  Sure, I’ve shown almonds some love (even cashews, too).  But in all this time, I’ve ignored pistachios.

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

Well, one giant bag of pistachios from Costco later and I won’t ever make that mistake again.  Salted pistachios are just so completely underrated as a snack, to top salads and especially to add a salty crunchy kick to baked goods.

Last week I added them to a salad of field greens topped with blue cheese, sliced strawberries and mango vinaigrette and this week I stuffed them into a chewy oatmeal cookie full of chocolate chunks. This nut can do no wrong.

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

So this cookie recipe originated from the Old World Inn, the bed and breakfast we stayed at in Napa.  The first time we went there, three years ago, we were one over by their afternoon plates of cookies and late night chocolate dessert bar.  Those cookies, though, stood out the most.  The inn’s chewy chocolate chip cookie was flat and innocent looking but just so delicious.  I made the original recipe shortly after that first Napa trip and hadn’t made them since.  As soon as I came home with a giant bag of pistachios, I knew a play on that cookie dough recipe would be the perfect suit.

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies
 
Chewy oatmeal cookies with big chunks of chocolate and crunchy salty pistachios.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Makes: 2 dozen cookies
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
  • ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ cup roughly chopped dark chocolate
  • ½ cup salted shelled pistachios, lightly chopped
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl. whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside
  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy
  3. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined; scrape sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed
  4. Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture; add the rolled oats and mix on low just until combined
  5. Stir in chocolate and pistachios just until combined
  6. Refrigerate dough for one hour before baking
  7. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper
  8. When oven is hot, scoop cookie dough using a medium cookie dough scoop or tablespoon (about 2 tablespoons each) onto baking sheets leaving at least 1½ inches between each scoop
  9. Bake cookies in oven for 9-11 minutes or until they appear firm around the edges and on the tops; do not overbake
Notes
Adapted from the Napa Old World Inn

 

Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies

You might also like:

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Chocolate Chunk Pistachio Oatmeal Cookies are always a crowd pleaser!

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

Yes, I’m still alive.  I’ve just been buried in butter, sugar and chocolate… especially in the form of blondies over the last few weeks.  Keep It Sweet Desserts was lucky enough to get a very flattering mention in Star Magazine and readers have been calling, emailing and placing orders like crazy.  It is amazing.

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

Some highlights include: “What makes your black and white blondies black and white?” (that would be the dark and white chocolate chips) as well as “Can I order over the phone? I don’t have an email address… or a computer.”  Can’t make this stuff up.

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

And if I told you how much someone was willing to pay for overnight shipping for a rush delivery you might choke so I won’t mention that (ahem, over $100).  Hey, when you need brownies, you really need brownies.

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

But last week in-between a college friend’s wedding hangover, a late night rush to the eye doctor for a scratched cornea, celebrating our 2nd anniversary and a list minute trip to Philadelphia to see my 94-year old grandfather (highlight: his reaction to the cost of college today, low: having to remind him that my grandmother died five years ago), I managed to get back into the kitchen for some actual recipe creation.

Let me pause to tell you that I absolutely love what I am doing.  But on weeks when I am busy processing orders for my regular cookies, brownies and bars, I miss my moments of creativity.  That is part of why I love the Cookie of the Month Club and a huge reason why I won’t stop blogging.  There is always something new and fun to do in the kitchen and I don’t want to lose those opportunities.  So when I finally had a few minutes of “play” time, I did something that I’ve wanted to do for a while.  I dipped pretzels in cookie butter and then in chocolate and sprinkled some sea salt in top.  Addicting snack? Father’s Day gift?  Party dessert?

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels
Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:
2 dozen short salted pretzel rods
2/3 cup cookie butter (or any version of creamy speculoos)
6 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Sea salt, to taste

Directions:
Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside
Dip pretzels into cookie butter and place on lined baking sheet; freeze for thirty minutes or until cookie butter is firm
Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in-between
Dip pretzels in chocolate and immediately sprinkle wish sea salt
Allow pretzels to cool before serving (I put them in the refrigerator to speed up the process)

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Pretzels

Margarita Frosting Shots

Margarita Frosting Shots

Happy Hour never tasted so good.

Margarita Frosting Shots

What’s that? You don’t usually take shots of frosting to unwind after a hard day?  Pretty sure that needs to change now.  Cheers to to butter, sugar, cream cheese and… tequila!

Margarita Frosting Shots

You might remember these margarita cookie bars I made for Cinco de Mayo?  The dessert that turned me lime-dessert-hating self around?  Well, ever since, I’ve been thinking about my love of tequila frosting.  And let’s face it.  Sometimes the cookie/cupcake/brownie we bake is really just an excuse to eat copious amounts of frosting.  So I decided it was time to do something about that.

Margarita Frosting Shots

These frosting shots are perfectly portioned so that you get enough for your frosting fix, but not so much that you’ve devoured an entire bowl of cream cheese icing… because face it, it can happen.

Margarita Frosting ShotsMargarita Frosting Shots

I hope my friends don’t mind if I never make cupcakes again.

Margarita Frosting Shots

Margarita Frosting Shots
Serves 12

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 tablespoon fresh lime zest (1 lime)
2 tablespoons good quality tequila
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups powdered sugar*
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup salted pretzel crumbs

Directions:
Use the whisk attachment of an electric mixer to beat butter and cream cheese on high speed until light and creamy
Mix in tequila, lime zest and salt; add in sugar ½ a cup at a time or until at desired consistency (*2 cups was the perfect amount for me but i;f you want a thicker texture you may want to add up to another ½ cup)
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs and pretzel crumbs on the bottom of 12 tall shot glasses
Pipe frosting so that each shot glass is half full
Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs and pretzel crumbs over each frosting layer
Pipe remaining frosting to fill each glass
Serve with small spoons

Margarita Frosting Shots

The winner of the Nestle Drumstick giveaway is Kayle.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

29

Timestamp: 2012-05-29 00:22:50 UTC

Ooey Gooey Peep Stuffed Cookies

Ooey Gooey Peep Stuffed Cookies

These days, it is very rare that I make a dessert recipe a second time.  Other than what I am selling, I like to constantly try new things and am always on a mission to share something new and creative with you.

Ooey Gooey Peep Stuffed Cookies

But sometimes, your friends and family cling onto that cookie you made and ask you about it every time you see them for an ENTIRE YEAR.  Never mind that the recipe takes all of 20 minutes to put together.  Never mind that there is pre-made cookie dough involved.  Never mind that I’ve baked you cakes that take HOURS until they are in their final form.  Seriously, why are the easiest desserts sometimes the biggest hits?  This is a frustrating but wonderful thing all at the same time.

Ooey Gooey Peep Stuffed Cookies

So when Peep season started again I finally caved and made these cookies for a second time.  I have to admit, there is something irresistible about a giant cookie oozing with a gooey melted peep right out of the oven.  Stick some salty pretzel in there and you really do have a winner.

Ooey Gooey Peep Stuffed Cookies

Want to make these cookies for  your Easter celebration or just because you can’t stock up on Peeps fast enough while they are everywhere you turn?  Go get the recipe here!

Ooey Gooey Peep Stuffed Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Peeps so freaking genius!

Make something from the blog? Be sure to share it on Instagram with the tag #KeepItSweetDesserts.

Pretzel and Chocolate Chip Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Pretzel and Chocolate Chip Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies 6

So we are basically a week into the holiday season and all I want to do is bake all day and eat cookies. Even more so than usual.  The good news is that in one week I’ll be on a much needed vacation from work that will allow me to focus most of my energy on just that.

The bad news? Well, there isn’t much.  I just have to find a home for all these cookies because at my current rate of consumption I’ll need an entirely new wardrobe a couple sizes bigger come January 1’st. Not in the budget and not quite so desirable.

Pretzel and Chocolate Chip Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies 11

So other than eating cookies 24/7 and exercising as much as I can to support that habit, I’ll be finding homes for these baked goods. Some will go towards the multitude of cookie swaps* I’m signed up for. Others will go to friends. These cookies, one of my favorites that I’ve had in a while, will show up on the doorstep of a few of my favorite people in the very near future.  I hope each of them has their sweet and salty tooth ready!

These peanut butter cookies are chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside but the best part about them is that each bite also comes with the perfect amount of pretzel and chocolate. You can make this huge batch to share with friends or easily cut it in half for your own stash, because who doesn’t need 3 dozen delicious cookies on hand?

*I’m pretty sure that eating cookies I receive in a cookie swap doesn’t count

Pretzel and Chocolate Chip Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies 3

[print_this]

Chocolate Chip and Pretzel Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: Makes 6 dozen cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking soda
  • 3 cups salted creamy natural peanut butter
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 2 cups salted pretzel pieces

Cooking Directions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda, set aside
  3. Using a mixer, in a large bowl beat peanut butter and sugars on high until light and fluffy
  4. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined
  5. Reduce speed to low and stir in flour mixture just until combined
  6. Stir in chocolate chips and pretzel pieces
  7. Use a cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to place cookie dough balls (about 2 tablespoons each) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (Note: the dough will be a little greasy, that is OK)
  8. Bake for 11-13 minutes until or cookies are brown around the edges

Adapted from my Chocolate Chip Blueberry Peanut Butter Cookies [/print_this]

Pretzel and Chocolate Chip Loaded Peanut Butter Cookies 9

Are you taking any time off around the holidays? If so, what will you be doing?

[pinit]

Salted Caramel and Brownie Cheesecake Bars

Salted Caramel and Brownie Cheesecake Bars 14

This dessert has been haunting me since it came out of the oven.  I took photos yesterday morning and it was all I could do not to devour the entire pan, sliver by sliver.  These cheesecake bars are not for me so unfortunately (or fortunately) I was forced to keep my mouth shut after a quality control taste.

Salted Caramel and Brownie Cheesecake Bars 8

A thin layer of brownie crust topped with creamy salted caramel and a silky cheesecake layer makes these bars impossible to resist.  The salted caramel layer also adds a depth of flavor that forces you to try another bite.  Need another dessert for Thanksgiving or really something delicious just because? Make these.

Salted Caramel and Brownie Cheesecake Bars 9

[print_this]

Salted Caramel & Brownie Cheesecake Bars

Brownie Layer:
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Cheesecake Layer:
2 8-ounce blocks reduced fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel Layer:
1 11-ounce bag of caramel bits
1/3 cup milk (any type)
1 teaspoon sea salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Line a 13×9 pan with parchment paper; set aside

Melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over low to heat, stirring constantly

Remove from heat

Stir in sugar

Stir in eggs and vanilla

Whisk in flour until smooth

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for ~8 minutes or until center is glossy and edges start to look cooked

While brownie layer is cooling, prepare cheesecake filling

Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees

Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer using the whisk attachment; beat on high until cream cheese is smooth and creamy

Beat in sugar

Mix in eggs

Stir in flour

Stir in vanilla and set aside

Place caramel bits and milk in a microwaveable bowl

Heat in microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring between each, until completely melted and smooth

Pour caramel over brownie layer; sprinkle salt over that

Pour cheesecake batter over brownie and caramel

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until edges begin to come apart from sides of pan and cheesecake is set

 Brownie recipe adapted from Bakers

[/print_this]

Salted Caramel and Brownie Cheesecake Bars 7

A reminder that the cheesecake blog party is less than two weeks away.  Send me your favorite links!

Grown Up S’mores Cookies

Grown Up Smores Cookies 9

I blame these cookies on Matt.

Grown Up Smores Cookies 19

And really, you should too.  So if when you make them, and if when you eat a couple12, it’s his fault, not mine.

Grown Up Smores Cookies 27

Sorry, Matt, I still love you.

Grown Up Smores Cookies 17

You see, I got this wonderful assortment of chocolate in the mail from GHIRARDELLI and didn’t know what to do with it.  But then Matt suggested s’mores and I remembered this recipe from Tracey’s blog.  She said they were the best s’mores cookies of every recipe she had tried.  And if you read her blog, you know to trust her.  Just look at this post, the girl knows what she’s doing!

Grown Up Smores Cookies 23

So I decided to kick the cookies up a notch with the Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree chocolate in place of your typical milk chocolate.  The hint of bitterness from the higher cocoa percentage and salty bite makes the cookies a little more mature in flavor.  The crunch from the almonds then adds a nice texture balance to the chewy cookie.

Go try it for yourself, and when you lose count of how many cookies you’ve inhaled, just remember that it’s not my fault.

[print_this]

Grown-up S’mores Cookies

Makes ~3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup honey graham cracker crumbs (about 8 sheets)

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
7 ounces separated GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree chocolate, chopped
1 cup mini marshmallows
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350
Whisk graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy
Beat in egg and vanilla
Stir in half of chocolate (about 3 1/2 ounces)
Use a cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to make cookie dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (about 1 1/2 tablespoons each)
Bake cookies for 9 minutes and remove from oven
Quickly press a couple of pieces of chocolate and 3-4 marshmallows into each cookie
Return cookies to oven immediately and bake for 2-3 minutes or until cookies are browned around the edges; allow cookies to cool on a cooling rack before serving

Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures, adapted from Cookie Madness[/print_this]

Grown Up Smores Cookies 3

Disclaimer: I received free samples of GHIRARDELLI chocolate in the mail through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program.  All of the opinions expressed in this post are my own.

What are you blaming on someone else right now?

Sweet and Salty Party

disappearing cookie 4

Do you need to eat something sweet after each meal?  Do you ever finish dessert and realize you crave a bite of something salty?  I think it is that need for the balance of sweet and salty on our palates that makes the combination so addicting.  I’ve always been a fan of chocolate covered pretzels, but ever since I became obsessed my discovery of salted caramel I’ve expanded my sweet and salty love to a huge array of desserts.

For today’s blog party, we are celebrating the combination of sweet and salty! Click on the links to get recipes for each of these amazing treats.

Brownie Buckeye Bites from Baking with Basil

Peanut butter and chocolate suck me in, but the salty crunchy pretzel puts these over the top.  I don’t think I’d be able to share.

brownie-buckeye-bites-group

Deep Chocolate Brownies with Dried Cherries and Sea Salt from from The District Chocoholic

These brownies look unbelievably fudgy, there is no way I could resist them.

Deep Chocolate Brownies with Dried Cherries and Sea Salt

Pretzel Crusted Brownies with Fluffy Buttercream Frosting from the Avid Appetite

Look at all the amazing layers.  I think my husband and I would fight over these babies! 

pretzel brownie close with buttercream

Fudge with Espresso Salt from Confessions of a Chocoholic

I need to get my hands on this espresso salt!  This looks rich and delicious.

chocolate-nutella-fudge- with espresso salt

Dark Chocolate Chunkies from Veronica’s Cornucopia

A replication of the famous candy bar in cookie form, it’s no wonder Veronica won third place for these cookies at the fair a few years ago!

Dark Chocolate Chunkies

Double White Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Cookies from Stylish, Stealthy & Healthy

Jess said these cookies were not safe in her kitchen, I can see why!

white chocolate peanut butter-pretzel-cookies

Lime-Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies from The District Chocoholic

Victoria comes up with some incredible flavor combinations, this is one I absolutely need to try!

Lime-Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes from Yums and Loves

Given my love of salted caramel I know I’d love these cupcakes.  Too bad no one else would get the chance to have oneWinking smile

Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Salted Caramel and Chocolate Cake from Chocolate & Carrots

Anyone have a birthday coming up? I need an excuse to make this cake!

Salted-Caramel-Chocolate-Cake-5944

Rolo Pretzel Turtles from Veronica’s Cornucopia

I love simple recipes that turn out incredibly delicious!

rolo-turtles-2-4-9-10

Cashew Brittle from the Keenan Cookbook

I’ve never made homemade brittle but I think it might be time to try! 

Cashew Brittle

Pomegranate Stuffed Chocolate Covered Pretzels from The Spiffy Cookie

Pomegranate is such a surprising addition but it sounds wonderful!

Pom-Stuffed-Choc-Covered-Pretzels-1024x777

Microwave Brown Sugar Kettle Corn from The Yummy Life

Monica always has great recipes for entertaining.  I bet this popcorn would be a perfect snack for football season.

Microwave Brown Sugar Kettle Corn

Pretty-in-Pink Popcorn Party Mix from The Yummy Life

This is the prettiest party mix I’ve ever seen, but more importantly it looks delicious!

Pretty in Pink Popcorn Party Mix
Salted Chocolate Pot with Red Wine Cream from London Bakes

Such a gorgeous presentation and a decadent treat!

Salted Chocolate Pot with Red Wine

Pistachio Ice Cream from I Was Born to Cook

My dad loves pistachio ice cream, I think this would be a huge hit!

pistachio ice cream

Peanut Butter Pretzel Pie from The Spiffy Cookie

Such a nice tribute and delicious looking pie!

Peanut-Butter-Pretzel-Pie-1024x767

And a couple favorites from Keep It Sweet:

Margarita Cheesecake Bars

margarita cheesecake bars 14a

Blueberry Pretzel Clusters

clusters 2

Which one is your favorite?

Next month’s blog party will be on Tuesday, September 27th and we will celebrate pumpkin!  Email me by the 26th (keepitsweetlcl at gmail dot com) with a link to your posts (limit of 2) to be included.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Pretzel Pops

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Pretzel Pops 19

I told you I’d come back with these cookie dough balls.  Actually, the only thing that kept me from eating the entire batch at once was all of the ideas brewing in my head.  Some of the ideas that you all suggested were kabobs, frozen yogurt/ice cream topping and mix-in, cheesecake, and cupcakes.  I can’t wait to try them!  This week, I wanted to keep it simple.  Between apartment hunting, preparing for a week away from the office, and just the normal summer craziness I didn’t have a ton of time in the kitchen.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Pretzel Pops 24

Hence, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Pretzel Pops were formed!  So easy, but so delicious.  The hard chocolate shell on the outside and chewy cookie dough on the inside compliment a salty crunchy pretzel stick.  How fun would these be at a party?

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Pretzel Pops 29

Speaking of party, I’m going to start a monthly blog party!  The next one will be on  Tuesday, August 30th with sweet and salty desserts.  Send your favorite links to me by Sunday, August 28th (keepitsweetlcl at gmail dot com).

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Pretzel Pops 23

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Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Pretzel Pops

Ingredients (Makes 16 pops)

  • 1 batch Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Dough Balls
  • 2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
  • 16 salted pretzel sticks
  • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Dough Balls:
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup salted natural creamy peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Prepare cookie dough balls as directed without freezing
  • Push each pretzel halfway into a cookie dough ball
  • Freeze pops for about thirty minutes or until cookie dough is firm
  • Once pops are frozen, melt chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments
  • Dip cookie dough pops into chocolate and place on a jelly roll pan covered with wax paper
  • Chill pops in freezer until ready to serve
  • Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Dough Balls:
  • Line a jelly roll pan with wax paper and set aside
  • Whisk together flour and oats in a medium bowl and set aside
  • Use an electric mixer to beat together all of the wet ingredients until well-combined
  • Stir in flour mixture until just combined
  • Stir in chocolate chips
  • Use a cookie dough scoop or spoon to scoop about two tablespoons of dough; roll dough into a ball with hands; repeat
  • Freeze or refrigerate until balls are firm

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Dough Balls can be found here.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Pretzel Pops 10

Any exciting weekend plans?

Chewy Chocolate Covered Pretzel Bars

chewy chocolate covered pretzel bars 16

This has been one of those weeks so far:

  • Our bedroom A/C has been broken since last Monday but won’t be fixed until next Monday, never mind the 100 degree weather
  • I thought I figured out the source of my daily stomach pains but was proved wrong, the mystery continues
  • As a result of the two items listed above, I’ve barely been sleeping and my stress-relieving gym trips are suffering/barely happening

Okay, is my whining enough already?

chewy chocolate covered pretzel bars 5

On the other hand, I found a delicious and easy no-bake (ie no hot oven) treat to make!  These Chewy Chocolate Covered Pretzel Bars are kind of perfect for drowning my summer sorrows.  They are chewy and crunchy at the same time with more of that salty and sweet combo that we all seem to know and love.  The bars are actually quite addicting if you ask me!

chewy chocolate covered pretzel bars 10

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Chewy Chocolate Covered Pretzel Bars

Yield: Serves 24

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 10.5-ounce bag mini marshmallows
  • 1 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
  • 6 cups salted pretzel pieces

Cooking Directions

  1. Melting butter over low-medium heat in a large pot
  2. Add the marshmallows and stir until they are completely melted
  3. Remove pot from heat, and stir in chocolate
  4. Add pretzels to the mixture and stir
  5. Once everything is combined, press the ingredients into a 13X9 pan lined with foil and allow to cool
  6. Once cool, remove bars from the pan; the easiest way to do this is to flip the pan upside down and peel off the foil
  7. Cut the bars in to large pieces (I made slices in a 6X4 matrix) and serve or store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days

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chewy chocolate covered pretzel bars 19

What are you whining about this week? Vent in the comments!

Cajun Brownies with Potato Chips

I’m so excited to share a guest post from Lynn at The Actor’s Diet.  I like to think of her as a celebrity blog friend:-)  Lynn documents her daily eats and her life in LA so well that readers feel like they know her.  Although she enjoys dessert, she doesn’t normally do a ton of baking.  However, these brownies looked so interesting and delicious that I wanted her to share them with you.

Hello “Keep it Sweet” Readers!  My name is Lynn Chen, and I’m an actress.  My blog, “The Actor’s Diet,” follows my life in Hollywood, meal by meal.  For years, I struggled with binge eating and anorexia, and took time off to come to terms with my body image and eating disorders.  The blog has really helped me forge a new relationship with food that I never imagined was possible.

These days, I often get asked how I stay looking camera ready, and the truth is – I don’t diet.  I don’t exercise.  I don’t count calories.  And I eat dessert, every single day.  So of course, I love Lauren’s blog and her sweet creations.

Unfortunately, I’m not much of a baker.  I don’t like measuring, mixing, waiting, or cleaning up.  But recently I did come up with a recipe for Cajun Brownies with Potato Chips that I’m pretty proud of.  It combines a lot of my favorite flavors – sweet, salty, and spicy – with a unique texture.  You can read more about my thought process behind the creation on my blog, but here’s the recipe!

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Cajun Brownies with Potato Chips

Ingredients

  • 10 tablespoons butter
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup egg whites
  • 1/2 cup white flour
  • 1 cup Cajun-flavored Potato Chips, crushed

Cooking Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  2. In a bowl, combine the cocoa powder, salt, and flour
  3. Melt the butter, and add it to the dry ingredients, along with the vanilla and egg whites; stir until combined (40-ish strokes, I’m only guessing, Alice!) then fold in the potato chips
  4. Pour into a greased 8×8 Pyrex and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges slightly moist (20 was all I needed)

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(adapted from Alice Medrich’s Best Cocoa Brownies)

It’s Margarita Time

Margarita Cheesecake Bars with a Pretzel and Cookie Crust

This is one of those recipes that I came up with accidentally.  Sometimes I have bakers block and can’t think of anything new or interesting to make.  I was inspired by Victoria’s cookies and wanted to do something with lime and salt.  Then I remembered the cream cheese in my refrigerator and eventually these Margarita Cheesecake Bars were born.Margarita Cheesecake Bars with a Pretzel and Cookie Crust

Thanks to a combination of Vienna fingers and pretzels, they have a wonderfully balanced sweet and salty crust.  Topped with a layer of light but creamy lime cheesecake they become a perfect summer treat.  The lime and the salt reminiscent of a margarita and who doesn’t like that?

Margarita Cheesecake Bars with a Pretzel and Cookie Crust

Ok, I’ll be honest- I’m not the biggest margarita fan.  I prefer to save my sugar calories for more important things like dessert.  Cheesecake and a Vodka Soda with lime juice for me, please.

Margarita Cheesecake Bars with a Pretzel and Cookie Crust

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Margarita Cheesecake Bars

Yield: Serves 16

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup Vienna Finger (or vanilla sandwich cookie of choice) crumbs (about 6 cookies)
  • 3/4 cup salted pretzel crumbs (about 1 1/2 cups of small pretzels)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 8-ounce blocks light cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (I used fat free)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (~2 limes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Cooking Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Grease a 9×9 baking pan and set aside
  3. In a medium bowl, combine cookies, pretzel crumbs, butter, sugar and salt
  4. Press crust mixture into prepared baking pan and bake for ~7 minutes or until lightly browned; set aside
  5. Using an electric mixer and the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese on high for a few minutes until creamy
  6. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat into cream cheese
  7. Beat in eggs, lime juice and vanilla
  8. Stir in flour
  9. Pour cheesecake mixture over crust and bake for 25 minutes or until firm and edges are separating from pan

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Adapted from Eagle Brand

Margarita Cheesecake Bars with a Pretzel and Cookie Crust

Do you drink margaritas? If not, do you have a go-to drink?

Brownie Cheesecake Insanity

Let’s talk about this dessert.

Let’s talk about how many emails my mom and I exchanged regarding the details of this dessert.

Ok, let’s not, because it is a little embarrassing.  Let’s just say I started craving cheesecake around 7am every day over the course of a week or so.  No big deal.

We can’t help ourselves.  What is more fun to talk about than how you are about to gain 10 pounds your next dessert creation?

Cheesecake. Caramel. Brownie. Ganache.  Cashews. This is my life.  Sorry I’m not sorry.

After salivating over seeing this masterpiece on Sprinkle Bakes, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.  So many delicious components in one place, her recipe is genius!

But I do want my pants to fit, and trust me that isn’t easy these days.  So we brainstormed and we emailed and we emailed some more until we found our perfect balance of insane decadence and self-control.  I’m talking self-control with ingredients, not eating.  One step at a time.

What my mom ended up creating was almost perfection.  I may have to recreate it soon because I don’t have step-by-step photos or even a full photo for you.  Ok, or I just want to eat it again.

[print_this]Brownie Cheesecake Insanity

Inspired by Sprinkle Bakes

Ingredients:

1 batch of brownies baked in an 9-inch cake pan (we used No Pudge)

½ batch of Low Fat Banana Cheesecake without the crust prepared in an 9-inch cake pan

1/3 cup caramel sauce of choice

½ cup chopped cashews or cashew clusters

1 batch Chocolate Ganache & Gananche Frosting

Directions:

Remove cooled cheesecake from pan and freeze for 1-2 hours

When cheesecake is ready, remove cooled prepared brownie from pan and place on a serving plate

Drizzle caramel sauce over brownie and top with chopped cashews

Top that layer with cheesecake and put dessert in freezer

While dessert is freezing, prepare Ganache as directed.

Remove dessert from freezer and top the cheesecake with ganache; ice entire dessert with the Ganache Frosting

Store dessert in refrigerator before serving

Notes:

The Cheesecake Brownie may be easier to slice if frozen

I recommend lining your cake tins with wax paper for easy removal of brownie and cheesecake[/print_this]

Is there a dessert that you can’t stop thinking about?

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

You know I have a weakness for holiday candy.

peeps

These weren’t even on sale but I had to buy them.  My sister pointed out how pretty the color was and I agreed.  Plus, when was the last time I had a Peep? Trust me, it’s been too long.  Never mind the fact that I don’t celebrate Easter.  Details.  Candy is candy and when it comes in pretty colors it doesn’t matter what religion you are.

making cookie 8

So after picking up a few packages of Peeps, I realized I didn’t actually want to eat them.  I wanted to take advantage of the innocent marshmallow candies and use them in something so gooey and delicious you would forget that you were deprived of baskets full of chocolates, jelly beans and stuffed animals every spring as a child.

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

But I digress.  After buying these lovely little Peeps, I decided I wanted to put them inside of a cookie.  Jenny has already showed us that there are no limits when it comes to stuffing cookies, so why not?  And what would go well with warm chocolate chip cookies filled with gooey melty marshmallows?  A crunchy salty pretzel of course.  That is how I came up with these Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch.

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

I was so excited about this cookie idea that I didn’t even bother to make my own cookie dough.  There is a time and a place for Nestle pre-made cookie dough and this is one of those times.  Using the pre-made dough makes these so easy that within 25 minutes you will find yourself licking melted chocolate and sticky melted Peeps off of your fingers.  When was the last time you ate a chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven?  If you can’t remember, do it now.  And stuff it with a Peep and a pretzel.

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

To make these cookies, start with a layer of cookie dough (about an ice cream scoop’s worth)

making cookie 1

Top that dough with a mini salted pretzel and push it into the dough

making cookie 2

Top the pretzel with a Peep

making cookie 3

Take a heaping scoop of cookie dough and top the Peep

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

Use your hands to mold the dough around the Peep and pretzel, making sure the filling is completely covered with dough; It will look like a large egg-shaped cookie

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a CrunchOoey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

Place cookies at about 3 inches apart (further than as seen here!) on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 13-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a CrunchOoey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

Allow to cool for a couple minutes and dig in

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

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Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch

Ingredients (Makes 1 dozen X-large cookies)

  • 2 packages chocolate chip cookie dough (16.5 ounces each)
  • 1 package Peeps (should have 12 peeps)
  • 1 dozen mini salted pretzels

Instructions

  • Start with a layer of cookie dough (about an ice cream scoop’s worth)
  • Top that dough with a mini salted pretzel and push it into the dough
  • Top the pretzel with a Peep
  • Take a heaping scoop of cookie dough and top the Peep
  • Use your hands to mold the dough around the peep and pretzel, making sure the filling is completely covered with dough; It will look like a large egg-shaped cookie
  • Place cookies at about 3 inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 13-15 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges
  • Allow to cool for a couple minutes and dig in

Notes:

Make sure the dough is very cold; it will be easier to handle this way

These would be amazing topped with ice cream when they are straight out of the oven

Don’t be afraid to make a mess; it is SO worth it

I ate 2 cookies when they were still melting and barely ready to come off of the pan. They may be the size of my head, but hey, 2 cookies is still 2 cookies;-)[/print_this]

Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch Ooey Gooey Filled Chocolate Chip Cookies with a Crunch disappearing cookie 8

What is your favorite Easter candy? I love the big milk chocolate Hershey’s eggs with the candy shell.

*The Hot Blondies Giveaway is open through Wednesday (4/6)  at midnight (est)*

Peanut Butter Cheesecakes with Pretzel Crust

You already know that my pants don’t fit.  I don’t know about you, but I find it nearly impossible to diet around this time of year.  It is so cold out that the last thing I want to eat is salad.  What really appeals to me are dishes like chili, lasagna, fresh baked cookies… comfort food.  Add on holiday celebrations, office treats, and Christmas candy sales; I am hopeless.  Well, it is fair to say that I won’t lose any weight in the last week or so of December, but I will do anything I can not to gain more weight.  As a result, I am making an effort to lighten up some of the desserts I am making over the next few hours weeks.

cheesecake 2

Honestly, I don’t do well “giving up” anything. I don’t do well with portion control either.  The first step in trying to combat that is pre-portioning desserts.  The other thing I like to do is take out some of the fat and calories where it won’t be missed.  Previously I’ve made ice cream desserts that taste delicious but are made with lots of low-guilt ingredients.  Well, I decided to make Individual Peanut Butter Cheesecakes using lower fat cream cheese with a few more decadent ingredients to balance them out.

cheesecake 5

These cheesecakes are made with a crunchy pretzel crust, a creamy peanut butter filling and chocolate chips snuck in as a layer above the crust and throughout batter.  By the way, you’d be so proud of me.  I only ate two of them!  That may or may not be because I gave some to friends and left the rest in my parents fridge.  Sorry, Mom:-)

cheesecake 4

This recipe is actually very easy and revolves mostly around a food processor.  I figured if I needed to take out the appliance for making a crust, I might as well use it for the cheesecake batter too!

To begin, fill up your food processor with salted pretzels

pretzels2

Run them through until they are mostly fine crumbs

pretzels3

In a small bowl, pour melted butter over the pretzel crumbs

adding butter

Add sugar

adding sugar

Stir until all of the crumbs are moist

Mixing crust

Press a couple tablespoons of crust ingredients into two muffin tins sprayed with non-stick cooking spray; bake for about 6 minutes

crust pre-baking

When crust comes out of oven, layer with several milk chocolate and caramel chips

chips on crust 1

Regular chocolate chips would also work, but I really like the combination of caramel, chocolate and peanut butter; set pan aside

chocolate caramel chips

Meanwhile, prepare cheesecake batter; you can shake out the crumbs from the food processor, no need to wash it

cream cheese 1

Cream 2 blocks of cream cheese in the food processor

cream cheese 2

Add sugar, flour, vanilla and salt

adding sugar flour and vanilla

Combine well

sugar flour vanilla mixed

Add your eggs

add eggs

Measure 1 cup of peanut butter chips

peanut butter chips

Microwave about 45 seconds and stir; microwave in additional 20 second increments until chips are melted; note this will be very thick

melted pb chips

Add peanut butter to cheesecake batter

add peanut butter

Process until smooth and creamy

pb mixed in

Pour cheesecake batter into a separate bowl and fold in chocolate chips

fold in chips

Use a small ladle or large spoon to put about 1/3 of a cup of batter in muffin tins

badder in pan 1

Bake cheesecakes for about 15 minutes or until mostly firm

baked 2

Serve drizzled with chocolate and caramel or sprinkled with pretzel crumbs

cheesecake 12

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Individual Peanut Butter Cheesecakes, lightened up

Makes 24 mini-cheesecakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups finely ground pretzel crumbs

4 tablespoons melted butter

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, separated

1 8-ounce block fat free cream cheese, softened

1 8-ounce block reduced fat cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup peanut butter chips*, melted

1/2 cup milk chocolate and caramel chips

1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

To begin, fill up your food processor with salted pretzels and run them through until finely ground

In a small bowl, pour melted butter over the pretzel crumbs

Add 2 tablespoons sugar and stir until all of the crumbs are moist

Press mixture into two sets of muffin tins sprayed with non-stick cooking spray; bake for 6 minutes

When crust comes out of oven, sprinkle a few milk chocolate and caramel chips into each cup; set aside

Shake crumbs out of food processor and use it to prepare cheesecake batter

Cream 2 blocks of cream cheese in the food processor

Add sugar, flour, vanilla and salt; cream until well combined

Add eggs and mix well

Add melted peanut butter chips to cheesecake batter and process until smooth and creamy

Pour cheesecake batter into a separate bowl; fold in chocolate chips

Use a small ladle or large spoon to put about 1/3 of a cup of batter into each cup

Bake cheesecakes for about 15 minutes or until tops are mostly firm

Notes:

*You can replace these with regular peanut butter (not natural)

The peanut butter flavor isn’t really strong; some people may prefer this but I may try increasing the amount of peanut butter chips next time (using regular peanut butter could also help)

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cheesecake 7

cheesecake 11

Are you worried about weight gain during the holidays?