Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Bars

Ah Rice Krispy Treats...a pastime childhood favorite for pretty much everybody I'd venture to say.  I remember making Rice Krispy Treats with my Mom when I was younger.  I used to lick the marshmallow off the spoon, all coated in sticky sugar and butter...yum. Well my favorite 'Baked' boys came up with a delectable adult version of the Rice Krispy Treat.  They start with a layer of Rice Krispy, stuck together with a type of simple syrup rather than marshmallow, however; I imagine you could use marshmallow in place of the syrup and it would still taste amazing.  The Krispy layer is topped with a layer of peanut butter chocolate mixture and then topped off with a layer of dark chocolate...UM, can you say heaven? I can.  This treat is amazing but very very rich...a little goes a long way so make sure not to cut the slices too big.

rice krispy layer.
1 3/4 cups Rice Krispys
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

chocolate peanut butter layer.
5 oz good-quality milk chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips)
1 cup creamy peanut butter

chocolate topping.
3 oz dark chocolate (60-72% cacao), coarsely chopped (I used Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips)
1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1. Lightly spray a the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Measure cereal into a large bowl and set aside.
3. Pour 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan.  Add the sugar and corn syrup and use and mix until combined. 
4. Cook over medium-high heat and bring to a boil; cook until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage (235 degrees F).
5. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and pour the mixture over the cereal. 
6. Stir until the cereal is thoroughly coated, then pour into prepared pan
7. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan using your hands. *My hands didn't seem to do so well at this, the mixture kept sticking to my fingers. So I coated the back of a large stirring spoon with some cooking spray and pressed the mixture using that. It worked so much better.  Do not press up the sides.     
8. Let the crust cool to room temperature while you make the next layer. 
9. For the chocolate peanut butter mixture: Stir together the chocolate and the peanut butter in a large nonreactive metal bowl.
10. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula until the mixture is smooth.
11. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for about 30 seconds to cool slightly.  Pour the mixture over the cooled Krispy mixture. Let chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until the top layer hardens (I don' t think it took that long, but I can't remember exactly how long it took; a lot of help I am huh?).
12.  Make the chocolate topping: In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter (yum).
13. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth.  Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.
14. Pour the mixture over the chilled milk chocolate peanut butter layer and spread into an even layer.
15. Put the pan in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until the topping hardens.
16. Cut into 9 squares.  The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 4 days. 

Cinnamon Scones with Pecan and Walnut Streusal

I was looking everywhere for a cinnamon scone recipe the past few weeks and was having a really hard time finding a decent recipe.  Its so weird, you'd think cinnamon scones would be a popular item, but apparently they are not.  I'm not really a fan of scones, I think they are too dry and I'd much rather eat a donut but my mom wanted them for the trip down to Alabama last weekend and cinnamon was the only ingredient that I could think of that would make me enjoy the scone.  I ended up creating my own recipe since I couldn't find one that I was happy with and man did it turn out good.  It honestly tasted like a cake donut and it wasn't dry at all.  Minus the frying part though, it probably wasn't much healther. 

cinnamon scone.
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 stick (1/4 lb) chilled butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (toasted)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted)
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs

walnut pecan streusal topping.
3/4 all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into chunks
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (toasted)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (toasted)
                           
                                     ready for the oven.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper
3.  Sift dry ingredients (up to and including sugar) in the bowl of your food processor or in a medium sized bowl if you don't have a food processor. 
4. Drop in chunks of butter and pulse until fully combined or you can use a pastry blender or a fork and mix by hand if you don't have a food processor. 
5. Add the chopped nuts to the mixture and combine. 
6. In a large bowl, whisk cream, eggs and vanilla.
7. Add the flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms (I started this with a spoon and then finished with my hands).
8. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 1 minute.  If the dough seems to sticky, add more flour as needed. 
9. Pat the dough into 2 equally sized round disks (should be about 3/4" thick) and cut like a pie into wedges (I cut mine into 5 wedges for rather large scones).   
10. Make the Streusal:
1. Combine first 4 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor 
2. Add butter chunks and vanilla; pulse until small clumps form
3. Mix in toasted nuts
11. Press a small handful of streusal onto the top of each unbaked scone
12. Place scones on baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for 13-15 minutes.  The scones should almost look like they are not done.  They should be just slightly golden on the bottom edges.  Insert a knife or toothpick into the scone, if it comes out clean, they are finished.

Honey Pecan Bars

My mom and I drove down to Alabama for a long weekend to visit my Grandmother for memorial day weekend.  I wanted to bake my Grandmother something but I had no idea what.  The only thing I had to go on is that she loves pecans and butter.  Initially I was going to make a pecan pie but I only had a deep dish plus I haven't mastered crust too well yet.  I searched and searched and finally found this recipe for Honey Pecan Triangles at Cookie Madness.  Honey, pecans, caramel on shortbread (of course made with LOTS of butter) were the main ingredients...perfect. 

My mom warned me that my grandmother doesn't like sweets so she told me not to get offended if she doesn't eat them...she could not have been more wrong.  Her and my Uncle were hoarding them on their plates! It was hilarious.  My mom ate 2 of them and then sneaked one for the car ride home!  Needless to say, these will be made time and time again.  My mom already decided they are going to be the new family tradition Christmas dessert. 

crust.
6 tablespoons softened butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (I cut down on the flour a little bit, I only used 1 cup) 

filling.
14 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 ¾ cups toasted pecans and chopped (To toast pecans, just lay them out on a cookie sheet and bake for about 6 or 7 minutes at 375 degrees F)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line an 8 inch square metal pan with non-stick foil or line with regular foil and spray with cooking spray.*
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl.
3. Beat in the egg, then add the flour and stir until mixed.
4. Press into bottom of baking pan and prick crust several times with a fork. Bake crust on center rack for 15 minutes, then let it cool for 20 minutes.
5. To make the filling. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the brown sugar and honey and gently boil for 2 minutes to dissolve the sugar, stirring once or twice.
6. Add the cream and boil for about 30 seconds.
7. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans. Pour over crust and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.
8. Let bars sit at room temperature for at least an hour before cutting.
9. Lift from pan, set on a cutting board, cut into 9 squares, then cut the squares diagonally into triangles. Makes 18

*I had a really hard time with the foil.  After it was done cooling I had to peel it off and it only came off in scrappings and took forever! I buttered the pan with butter instead of cooking spray so that may have been the problem although I don't see why.  I also cooled them in the fridge which maybe I shouldn't have done.  I feel like maybe parchment paper would work better, however; I'm not really sure that would lay in the pan nicely. The sides definitely need to be covered.