Hot Fudge, Peanut Butter and Caramel Bars

How to turn twenty: 1. Lie around all day, doing nothing, in various locations around your home like your bed, deck, kitchen floor, etc. 2. Bake something from one of your many cookbooks because that's why you bought them and it is getting pretty ridiculous that half your room is covered with them. But this is just a theory. 3. Try White Russians on for size, Big Lebowski style. Get a little too loopy, Big Lebowski style. Wear your Big Lebowski shirt that your awesome big brother got you, Big Lebowski style. 

Finally step 4. Pay the consequences for taking step three too seriously but reap the benefits of accomplishing step two. How I will miss these four steps as university starts today and drinking White Russians in class is frowned upon. Maybe if they are disguised as iced lattés, it could work. Only joking! ..unless you agree in which case I'm totally serious. Kidding (?)

These would be amazing if they were dipped in a White Russian. Last drink reference, promise. These bars are pretty glorious themselves. They have all of the key ingredients of a Peanut Buster Parfaits from DQ minus the ice cream. If you throw a scoop of ice-cream on top, you got yourself a deal. One key thing here, which isn't necessary but actually is, is the caramel. This caramel. It truly makes everything and anything better. It would even be good in a White Russian (don't fight it.)

Hot Fudge, Peanut Butter and Caramel Bars
Adapted from beloved Buns In My Oven and Martha Stewart's fudge sauce

base
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt 
hot fudge sauce*  
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tbsp corn syrup
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
rest of the top
1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky it up)
1/2 cup caramel sauce*
1 cup dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 (I did two 8 x 8 inch pans) baking dish with parchment. In the bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 whole egg and the yolks of 2 eggs. Set aside the egg whites for the topping. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and beat until fully incorporated. Spread the batter in the prepared baking dish. It will be thick, so just use your fingers to smoosh it all around the pan. 

Combine heavy cream and corn syrup in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until bubbles barely break the surface. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted. Measure out 1/2 cup of the hot fudge sauce (there will be extra) and place it in a separate bowl. Add the peanut butter and mix until fully combined and is a pourable consistency.

Pour over the batter in the baking dish and spread to cover. Pour the caramel over as well. Beat the 2 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold in the brown sugar gently. Spread this over the hot fudge and peanut butter. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom crust is cooked through, but not crunchy. Cool and then cut into bars and serve. Makes about 32 squares.

* You can totes use store bought fudge sauce but why do that? And homemade caramel sauce is the bomb too. Do it up.

Pecan Pie

This is from a while ago and it is a shitty photo. It was just before Thanksgiving dinner and I needed to take a photo really quick without letting the cat outside and various other factors. But here is my first pecan pie:

Yeah it got a little burned. With everything going on it sort of got lost. But it was mine! It was another one from Dorie and it worked out as opposed to the other one. However, it still wasn't as good as my Mum's. I will one day be able to make one as good as hers, hopefully.

Pecan Pie
From Baking From My Home to Yours

3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (about 7 ounces) pecan halves or pieces
pie crust for a 9" pie

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. In a large bowl, whisk the corn syrup and brown sugar together until smooth.. Whisk in the melted butter, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until you have a smooth, foamy mixture. Add the espresso powder, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and give the batter a good mix. Rap the bowl against the counter a couple of times to pop any bubbles that might have formed, then stir in the pecans and chocolate. Turn the filling into the crust. Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make a foil shield for the crust by cutting a 9-inch circle out of the center of an 11-or 12-inch square of aluminum foil. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Place the foil shield on top of the pie—the filling will be exposed, the crust covered by the foil. Bake the pie for another 15 to 20 minutes (total baking time is 30 to 35 minutes), or until it has puffed (the middle and the edges should be fairly evenly puffed), is beautifully browned and no longer jiggles when tapped. Transfer the pie plate to a rack, remove the shield and cool to room temperature.  

Suggestion's from the book:

Serving: Pecan pie is good at any temperature, and different at each one. It’s softest and most puddingish eaten warm (about 45 minutes out of the oven), most flavorful eaten at room temperature and most candy-like when it is chilled. At any temperature, it’s good with ice cream—vanilla, chocolate or coffee would be my choices.  

Storing: Once cooled to room temperature, the pie can be covered and refrigerated for 1 day. 

Sweet and Salty Cake

This is too good not to write about. Granted the photo isn't the greatest but bare with me. This is a very labour intensive cake. And yet this is the second time I have made it. When my grandparents asked me to make a chocolate dessert, I searched through all my cookbooks and kept going back to the sweet and salty cake, or anything similar. In the end, I clearly chose to make it again. The first time didn't go so well. I tried to make it all in one day causing burnt cake, melted frosting and a lopsided cake. But despite all of that, it tasted amazing. This was the opportunity to make it actually look as good as it tasted. 

Isn't he cute? Quite the button I thought. If you are searching for a great cake it is here but it is highly recommended that you bake the cake the day beforehand and possibly the caramel and frosting as well. Just in case one were to screw up on the caramel, like myself.

Sweet and Salty Cake

From Baked

cake
3/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (Hersheys)
1 & 1/4 cups hot water
2/3 cup sour cream (light)
2 & 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
salted caramel
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup sour cream (light)
whipped caramel ganache frosting
1 pound dark chocolate (60-70% cacao), chopped
1 & 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 cups unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
garnish + assemble
2 teaspoons fleur de sel, plus more for garnish

cake Preheat oven to 325º. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and knock out the excess. Combine cocoa powder, hot water, and sour cream. Set aside to cool. Sift flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and shortening on medium speed until ribbon-like, about 5 minutes. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix again for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture, alternating with cocoa mixture, in three portions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake 35-40 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 20 minutes on wire racks. Remove from pans and let cool completely. Remove parchment paper. Can be wrapped in plastic wrap until ready to be used.
caramel In a small saucepan, combine cream and fleur de sel. Bring to a simmer over very low heat until salt has dissolved. Be careful not to let the cream burn. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup, stirring carefully so as not to splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat about 6-8 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 350°/until it is starting to turn golden but NOT dark brown. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute. Add cream mixture to sugar mixture. Whisk in sour cream. Let caramel cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until time to assemble the cake.
caramel ganache Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set aside. Bring the cream to a simmer over very low heat. Make sure cream does not burn, but make sure it is simmering. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup, stirring carefully so as not to splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat for 6-8 minutes until an instant-read thermometer reads 350°. Remove from heat and let caramel cool for 1 minute. Add cream to the caramel. Stir slowly for 2 minutes. Then, pour caramel over chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute. Then, starting in the center of the bowl, and working out to the edges, slowly stir in a circle until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool, then transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Increase speed to medium-high and gradually add butter, beating until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape down sides and beat on high speed until mixture is fluffy.
assemble Place one cake layer on serving platter. With a toothpick, poke all over the cake. Spread 1/4 cup caramel over the top, letting it soak into the cake. Spread 3/4 cup of ganache frosting over the caramel. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon fleur de sel over the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Spread with frosting and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fleur de sel. Top with the third cake layer. Spread with caramel. Crumb coat the cake and put cake in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting. Garnish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel. Cake will keep at room temperature (cool and humidity-free) for up to 3 days. May be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Allow cake to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.