Salted Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Oh hi!  Remember me?  My name is Siri and I'm the gal who (occasionally) chronicles my journey with food on this here blog.  I've been absent, but I can explain (or I can spew excuse after excuse at you... like we were in LA for 12 days, or I lost my camera battery charger, or I'm trying to prepare for the 8 houseguests staying with us for 2 weeks, or I'm feeling overwhelmed with gift shopping, or I've been abducted by aliens... I sorta wish).  What it really boils down to is that when we travel, I lose my desire to cook and I come home feeling like I'm in a rut.  But this weekend, I spent an hour online looking at my favorite blogs and they lit a fire under my tushy!  (I'm a mom, I say things like that and potty.)  This week and next week be prepared for seasonal treats and dishes as well as gift ideas!  Yay!  And by the way, even when I'm absent on here, I'm pretty active on my blog instagram and my new mommy instagram accounts.  

So let's talk about these bars.  I'm not really a pie person, but ever since I ate Pecan Pie this Thanksgiving from this glorious bakery in California I've been craving it.  So when I saw this recipe I put it on my to-do list right away.  Holy crap, these are insane.  SUPER rich but beyond delicious.  If you like buttery shortbread and rich, salted chocolate and caramely pecan pie... you will love this.  I topped mine with Vanilla Salt which I'll write about later on today.

They also refrigerate and/or freeze very well, and a little goes a long way, so these would be perfect edible holiday gifts this season.  The best kind of gift if you ask me.    

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Dark Chocolate Ritz Bars

It has come to this.  I am writing this blog post in the parking lot of a Target.  I am about to enter the store, and wander around aimlessly for an hour, alone (every mom's Heaven on Earth).  In fact, I'm not even writing this.  I am dictating it to that idiot Siri, and she's doing it for me (sorry, Siri).

So anyways, I wanted to leave you this weekend with something indulgent, because that's what weekends are for, right?  And when a reader sent me a recipe that combined buttery, salty Ritz crackers with dark chocolate and sweetened condensed milk, I knew it was it.  She also made the genius decision to add peanut butter and I of course followed suit.  These are rich, sweet and salty bites of magic and you can make them in under 15 minutes. Happy Weekend!  And Happy Shopping Without Your Kids At Target to meeeeee. 

Recipe HERE.

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Holiday Baking Ideas

What are your plans this weekend?  Frantic holiday shopping?  Cocktail parties?  Baking up a storm? Well I can help you there, with a collection of ideas from my blog.  As far as the shopping... deep breaths, and as far as the cocktail party... a karaoke version of "Santa Baby" only seems like a good idea.  So, from top left moving clockwise... Merry Weekends!

Snowball Cookies

Peppermint Meringues

Homemade Almond Roca

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Peppermint Marshmallows

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Pretzels

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Nutella Truffles

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Buckeyes

Andes Mint Brownies

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Brown Butter Banana Nutella Bars

Sometimes, when I get the urge to bake, I start pulling ingredients out of my pantry and hope for the best.  And I mean, when those ingredients start with butter, bananas and Nutella, how can things go wrong?  Well apparently they can go wrong, but we'll get to that later.  It was cold and rainy yesterday (Happy Spring?) and when I run out of ways to entertain my kids inside, I always turn to baking.  Come on, kids!  Let's learn about math via measuring things and science via, uh, how baking works and, and... just kidding, here, lick dough off of a spatula.  

Everything was going just great with the measuring and the licking of yummy (OMG yummy) spatulas until the bars came out of the oven and sat for a bit and then turned into, well, bowls.  They completely sank.  If we ARE going to talk about the science of how baking works, I think I over-mixed the batter.  My son has so much fun with the KitchenAid Mixer, and I think I let him have TOO much fun.  Next time I won't use it at all - I will simply whisk and stir the ingredients together.

Problems aside, these, were, DELICIOUS.  Again, you really can't go wrong with brown butter, banana and Nutella.  Oh, and sea salt sprinkled on top because why not.  And, if yours DO end up like bowls, just simply pour in some milk (or ice cream) and turn them into these.    

Brown Butter Banana Nutella Bars

Makes 12 bars

Printable Recipe

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup brown sugar

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

About 1/2 cup Nutella

Flaky sea salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat until browned and foamy (butter will smell nutty when done, be careful not to burn).  Remove from heat and let cool.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, stir together cooled butter and brown sugar until just combined.  Add mashed banana, egg and vanilla and again, stir just until combined.  Add dry ingredients and, you guessed it, stir just until combined.

I used a bar pan but if you don't have one, use an 8x8 baking dish.  Spray or grease.  Pour batter into pan or drop by large spoonful into bar pan.  If using baking dish, add Nutella in dollops and swirl with a knife.  If using bar pan, add approx. 1 tsp to each bar and then swirl with knife.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake for 10-12 minutes if using bar pan or 20-25 if using baking dish.   

      

Bowls...

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Vanilla Bean Blondies

Greetings!!  Remember when I used to blog, every single weekday?  Remember when I didn't have two children, and I showered more than twice a week, and I worked out more than twice a year?  I remember.  Sort of.  Not really.  Or even at all.  The truth is, I could blame my kids all day long for my lack of posts and showers (no but really, the shower thing IS their fault), but that wouldn't be fair.  The truth is, we're going through a major life change as a family (which I'll share more at a later date) and my mind has been elsewhere.  That, combined with lots of travel, have meant I've barely been in the kitchen!  And now that I am back, it's like I've forgotten how to cook.  What do I like to make?  What ingredients do I buy at the market?  Are there breakfast foods besides NY bagels?  

But don't fret.  I'll figure it out.  I'll cook my way out of the hole.  I'll shower.  I made these Vanilla Bean Blondies after all!  Half with chocolate, because, chocolate.  The vanilla flavor is pretty ridiculous, they taste like vanilla ice cream in bar form.  Simple, easy ingredients that come together in no time.  I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla paste instead of a bean, because that's what I had.  

I'm going to shower now, I promise.          

See what I mean?  Mind, elsewhere.

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Holiday treats from long ago...

Some ideas for last minute holiday baking (6 more days people)...

Nutella Truffles

Peppermint Marshmallows

Chewy Ginger Cookies

Bittersweet Chocolate Fudge with Sea Salt

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cranberry Pistachio Pudding Cookies

Peppermint Meringues

Homemade Almond Roca

Homemade Hot Chocolate

On another note, I don't have nearly enough photos from you guys for the contest.  Should I extend the deadline by a week, so you can get all toasted and goofy with your friends and family over Christmas?  Otherwise I'm just keeping this $120 basket for myself : )

UPDATE:  I have extended the deadline to submit photos to NEXT Friday, 12/27, so by all means, drink some spiked egg nog with your loved ones and eat some pasta.  

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Andes Mint Brownies

Let's keep talking about chocolate and mint, shall we?  I always love the combination, but especially this time of year.  I've even been ordering Peppermint Mochas at Starbucks.  Who am I?  I would never do that any other time of year.  I'm not even sure I like them!  I just want a couple of sips, to savor that chocolaty, minty combo.  Which is why I bought Andes Mints at the market the other day and instantly researched recipes.  I knew this one was the winner, because brownies should be more of a consistent thing in my life.  Don't you think?  They are wonderful... fudgy, gooey, very rich.  The only thing I did differently was add regular semi-sweet chocolate chips to the top, instead of more mints.  I ran my knife through the brownies before the chocolate on top cooled, to make it easier later on.  

Reminder, only a few more days to submit photos for the contest!        

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Carmelitas

When I asked you what I should bake in my new oven, you had good ideas.  You are smart, brilliant people.  Especially you, Person Who Recommended These Carmelitas.  You are a damn genius!  You should quit your job, and become a Treat Email Recommender.  That's a real thing.  I'll pay you in Monopoly money and baked goods.  Speaking of paying people, my son got a dollar for unwrapping 32 caramel squares.  A dollar, and one caramel.  I bribe my kids.  

Anyway, let me be very clear about this: MAKE THESE.  They are crack bars.  I even made a corner without chocolate for my friend who's allergic, and they were still wonderful.  Also, I bet you could make your own homemade salted caramel sauce instead of paying someone to unwrap 32 squares.  We're all geniuses!!        

first layer...

second layer...

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Salted Caramel Brownies

I'm not sure there's anything to say here.  These are Ina Garten's Outrageous Brownies, drizzled with caramel sauce and sprinkled with sea salt.  Do you want me to tell you that they're good?  See, I think that would be insulting your intelligence.  Similar to talking really  s l o w l y  AND LOUDLY to a foreigner or an old person.  They're not dumb.  You're not dumb.  You know these are amazing.  You know I'm eating them for breakfast, I don't need to tell you that.  Oh you didn't know that?  

I'M EATING THEM FOR  B R E A K F A S T,  OK??? 

Recipe here.  

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