Nutella Caramel Oatmeal Crumb Bars

Nutella is quite possibly the most amazing thing ever invented. My love for this delicious hazelnut spread started when I went to Australia in 2009. Ever since then I have been hooked!

These classic bars take soft, slightly crumbly oatmeal cookie dough that's studded with toasted pecans and sandwich it together over smooth, creamy Nutella and sweet caramel. 

I mean you seriously can’t go wrong here.

The recipe is super easy. And as far as I'm concerned, the less dishes to wash, the better. Melt some caramel, spoon out some Nutella...and there you have it! Done in 20 minutes or less!

Nutella Caramel Oatmeal Crumb Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 (1 stick) cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup Nutella
20 caramels, unwrapped
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch baking pan with foil, leaving about 1 inch over the edges of the pan. 
• In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. 
• Add egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt; beat until combined. 
• Add flour slowly and mix until combined. Stir in the oats and pecans. 
• Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the caramels, vanilla, and milk over low heat until melted and smooth. Drizzle caramel mixture over the dough. 
• Spread on a layer of the Nutella using an off-set spatula. You may need to warm the Nutella in the microwave for a bit to soften it up enough to spread easily. 
• Take remaining dough and sprinkle evenly on top of the Nutella layer. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until top is just barely light brown. 
• Cool in pan on a wire rack until room temperature. Use foil to lift bars out of pan.  Cut into bars.

Salted Caramel Pretzel Crunch Brownies

So I was craving something sweet and salty...again. 

These brownies are a twist on the classic "poor man's" turtles. We make them every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas...you take a pretzel, place a Rolo on top, pop it in the oven until it's slightly melted, and then top it with a pecan. AH-MAZING! It's seriously the easiest dessert ever and soooo freakin' good! 

So I decided to make those delicious turtles in brownie form. The saltiness from the pretzels just adds something amazing to sweet and rich desserts! 

You start with a rich and fudgy brownie layer, topped with ooey gooey salted caramel, and then sprinkle on some crunchy pretzels and pecans. The whole thing is then drizzled with melted chocolate. YES. PLEASE. 

This recipe is a quick and easy way to jazz up a standard brownie that takes a normal dessert to the next level!

Salted Caramel Pretzel Crunch Brownies 

Ingredients:

1 box fudge brownie mix

1 egg

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 bag (14oz) caramels

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup pretzels, coarsely crushed

1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 inch baking pan with parchment paper. 
• In a large mixing bowl, combine brownie mix, water, oil, and egg. Spread into pan. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out almost clean. Cool for about 5 minutes.
• While the brownies are baking, in medium bowl, microwave caramels and milk uncovered for 20 second intervals, stirring until completely melted. Stir in salt. Pour over warm brownies. 
• Sprinkle pretzels and pecans over the caramel and lightly press down so they all stick to the caramel.
• Microwave the chocolate chips for 30-35 seconds and stir until smooth. Drizzle over brownies. 
• Refrigerate brownies for at least 10 minutes before cutting. 

Turtle Brownies

There's really nothing better than chocolate and caramel. They go hand in hand. These turtle brownies are oh so chocolatey, super ooey and gooey, and sooo good! 

Sweet caramel and salty pecans are sandwiched between a dense and rich chocolate brownie. 

I cut these into pretty small squares because they are pretty rich.  Just a few bites satisfies my chocolate fix...for now at least!

Turtle Brownies
Ingredients:
1 box (18.5 Ounce) Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 cup Finely Chopped Pecans
1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup Butter, Melted

1 egg
45 whole Caramels, Unwrapped
1/3 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, egg, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Mixture will be very thick.

Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.

In a heatproof bowl melt caramels with 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped pecans as evenly as you can over the caramel.

Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips. Slowly drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk over the entire brownie layer.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. Cut into bars and carefully remove from the pan.

Salted Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Bars

Cheesecake seems to be the main ingredient in quite a few posts on this blog. It's because I'm a HUGE fan of cheesecake. Especially cheesecake bars. 

So easy to make and so versatile. I topped this creamy cheesecake with toasted pecans and salty caramel.

After moving into our new house back in September, we couldn't wait to host Christmas this year. We have had a full house since last Friday and I've loved every minute of it! My family came over for Christmas Eve dinner and this was the dessert of choice. 

I wanted to make something with a sweet and salty contrast. My mother loves pecans, and pretty much anything covered in caramel or any sort of sauce, so this was perfect. She actually ended up eating dessert before dinner! (Now you know where I get it from!)

Salted Caramel Pecan Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:

3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup caramel sauce

Topping:

1/4 cup chopped pecans

12-15 Kraft caramel candies

1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, pecans, and butter; press into the bottom of a foil lined and lightly greased 8x8-inch baking pan.
3. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack.
4. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Combine sugar and flour; gradually add to cream cheese, beating just until blended. Add sour cream and caramel sauce.
5. Add egg, beating until blended. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over prepared crust, spreading evenly to edges of pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until set. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle pecans over cheesecake. Chill for at least 2 hours.
7. Place caramel candies, salt, and milk in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Drizzle over cheesecake. 

Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls

Here's my round 2 puff pastry recipe. I bought some earlier this week for my tomato and goat cheese tart...and now I'm making cinnamon rolls! The original recipe is based on one by Ina Garten but I cut the butter way down. The woman knows how to cook, but healthy is not her style. I also opted for no raisins and just added the pecans to the filling.

Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold your sheet of puff pastry. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1/2 inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle the sheet with the brown sugar/pecan mixture. 

Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down.

Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces (I made mine smaller and was able to get 9 pieces). Place each piece, spiral side up, in a muffin cup. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden on top and firm to the touch. 

The best part about these cinnamon rolls is the smooth mixture of butter and brown sugar that is on the bottom of the muffin pan before the cinnamon rolls are put in. After baking, you invert the rolls onto a tray to reveal that this yummy mixture has created a caramel glaze that pours all over the rolls. OH MY YUM! Way better than regular old icing! 

It's pretty much amazing. And wait until you taste the puff pastry...it creates a buttery, flakey roll that is soooo good. I also love that they are smaller than normal - they are perfect with a cup of coffee. These are so easy to make and perfect for any old Saturday morning!

Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa 

Ingredients:
3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted 
For the filling:
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans, slightly toasted

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the 3 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Divide this mixture between the bottom of the muffin cups.
• In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans
• Lightly flour a wooden board or stone surface. Unfold your sheet of puff pastry. Brush the whole sheet with the melted butter. Leaving a 1/2 inch border on the puff pastry, sprinkle the sheet with the brown sugar/pecan mixture.
• Starting with the end nearest you, roll the pastry up snugly like a jelly roll around the filling, finishing the roll with the seam side down.
• Slice the roll in 6 equal pieces (I made mine smaller and was able to get 9 pieces). Place each piece, spiral side up, in a muffin cup.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the sticky buns are golden on top and firm to the touch. 
• After baking, invert muffin tin onto a baking sheet. The cinnamon rolls should come out easily with the caramel sauce over each.

If you're a fan of cinnamon, be sure to also check out my Cinnamon Roll Pancakes! :)

Bourban Pecan Pie Brownies

This recipe had me at bourbon. 

I made these for our New Year's Eve shin-dig in Asheville last weekend, along with some red velvet cookies and cake pops, and they were aaaamaaazing.  Granted, mine turned out extremely fudgy and did not hold their shape at all...but they were still quite tasty. I prefer food to be appealing to the eye, because face it, we eat with our eyes first. These, however, did not look so appealing...but my mouth was still watering for more! 

Here is where I went wrong: The recipe calls for the brownies to bake for 30-35 minutes. I would recommend baking them for close to 45 minutes. Make sure they are set in the center before taking them out. Also, make sure you line your pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper - it will make your life much easier when you cut them. 

Now back to the brownies...

These brownies have a very fudgy, rich base, and a sweet, gooey, crunchy top. Oh, and don’t forget about the bourbon. I'm pretty sure that is what makes these brownies out of this world! And if you’re like me, and don’t have a bottle of bourbon lying around, use whiskey instead! I used Jack Daniels since that's what Evan usually drinks and it was perfect!

Bourbon Pecan Pie Brownies

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:

For the brownies:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, beat together eggs and vanilla, then set aside. In a double boiler set over boiling water, combine butter, cocoa, sugar and salt. Mix as the butter melts until everything is combined. Remove from heat and whisk in egg and vanilla mixture.

Add flour and stir until combined. Pour into baking dish. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the pecan pie layer:

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tbsp bourbon (I only had Jack Daniels so I used that instead)
  
• 2 cups chopped pecans

Beat together corn syrup and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla and cinnamon, and beat. Add butter and bourbon and beat again until thoroughly combined. Stir in pecans and pour the mixture over the brownie layer. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cool completely, then refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Chocolate Pecan Toffee Cookies

I made these a few days ago after I had some left over cookie dough from my cheesecake bars. I wanted to try something different from the same old chocolate chip cookie. Now, don't get me wrong, I do love a soft and chewy chocolate chip cookie, but this time I was just in the mood for  change. I had some pecans and toffee on hand, so this turned out to be the perfect recipe!

Chocolate Pecan Toffee Cookies

Recipe adapted from Cooking Channel

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 sticks of soft unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup toffee candy bits (I used Heath Toffee Bits)

1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate chips, but I'm sure dark chocolate chips would taste great too)

Directions:

• Set the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients until you see your cookie dough form.
• Drop heaping tablespoon scoops of dough about 3 inches apart on the baking sheets and bake until the edges are golden and centers are still soft, about 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets about 2 minutes and then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool.

Saltine Toffee

I've been on this sweet and salty kick lately, and let me tell you this is some seriously good stuff. 

I think the salt on the crisp crackers combined with the rich, semi-sweet chocolate and crunchy, buttery toffee makes for the perfect candy, no matter what time of year it is. 

It's probably best to make this during the holidays, but I won't tell if you make an entire batch just for yourself!

Saltine Toffee
Recipe adapted from the Food Network Magazine

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped pecans

16 saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Lay 16 saltine crackers in a foil lined 8 inch square pan. Boil 1 stick butter and both sugars, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until sugar has dissolved. Pour over the crackers

Bake for 5 minutes until the toffee becomes bubbly.

Top with chocolate chips;bake 1 more minute, then spread the chocolate evenly.

Sprinkle with pecans. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, then cut into squares.

Toffee Blondies

I've been trying to figure out what I should make next. I have some ideas for my next dessert creations, but haven't made them yet. I want them to combine sweet and savory flavors, with an autumn theme. Every magazine I have read lately is about apples, pumpkins, and cinnamon. I haven't baked in a while and I wanted to make something with ingredients I already had on hand. 

I had some left over toffee and chocolate chips so I figured this would be a great excuse to get rid of them. I love these blondies because they are so gooey on the inside! And honestly, anything with toffee, chocolate, and pecans has to be delicious! :)

What I loved even more about this recipe is the cute idea of giving the ingredients as gifts! I've seen a lot of different sites using this idea, but this one is my favorite! You can print the recipe cards at Baked Bree.

Toffee Blondies 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup melted butter

2 lightly beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup Heath Chips

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the melted butter, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl. Slowly add in the flour, brown sugar, chocolate chips, baking powder, salt, pecans, and Heath chips. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Spread mixture into a greased 8x8 baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edges start to pull away from the pan. Cool and cut into 16 bars.