Peanut Butter Chocolate Christmas Bark

I love Christmas. I love just being with my family and enjoying their presence...all while stuffing our faces with tons of cookies. Now, I know that's not what the holiday is really about, but it is an aspect of it that I enjoy.

Every year, people drop by with holiday treats and it seems that every year we get some sort of bark, typically of the peppermint variety. Now, when I came across this Peanut Butter Chocolate Christmas Bark I knew I needed it (is it apparent I have a hard time distinguishing wants and needs...?)

Lordy, is this bark decadent. You've got your saltine layer on the bottom (see these crackers are good even when you aren't sick!), and then you top those with a layer of toffee. On top of the toffee goes your peanut butter and chocolate. Then, because none of that is enough, you top with crushed Christmas M&M's. This stuff is dangerous...in the best way possible.

While these treat is over the top and absolutely incredible, it actually doesn't require much effort to make. The hardest part will be making your toffee. Just remember, when you are waiting for the butter and brown sugar to boil, don't stir it! While you will want to, RESIST. Once it turns a dark amber color, take it off the heat so it doesn't burn, then coat your saltines. Yumz.

While you should restrain from stirring that toffee, don't restrain from making this bark. Trust me when I say your lack of willpower will be rewarded generously. This bark does not disappoint, and it's a crowd pleaser! Enjoy!

Line up your saltines...

Don't you dare stir this toffee :)

Dollops of peanut butter - yummy.

Chocolate. Everywhere.

Getinmybelly.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Christmas Bark

Recipe from Grin and Bake It

• 1 sleeve salted saltines
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 1/2 cups semi-sweet (or milk) chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup peanut butter 
• 1/2 bag of chopped M&M's

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper (the pan needs to have a lip to prevent the bark from leaking all over your oven!)
2. Place the saltines in the jelly roll pan, salted side up. Leave just a bit of space between the crackers so the toffee will cover the entire cracker when done.
3. Bring sugar and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Boil for 3 minutes (time the boiling after the whole thing starts boiling, not just the edges). And, resist the urge to stir it (resist, I tell you!). Pour the boiling mixture over the crackers and place in the oven for 5 minutes.
4. Once out of the oven, put dollops of peanut butter on top of the toffee and crackers and return to the oven for 1 minute.
5. Once out of the oven, spread the melted peanut butter mixture over the toffee and crackers with a spatula. Then, top the crackers, toffee and peanut butter with your chocolate chips and put back in the oven for 1 minute.
6. Once out of the oven, use a spatula to spread the chocolate chips (which have melted) over the rest of your candy. Top with your crushed M&M pieces. 
7. Once done, place in the freezer for at least 1 hour to allow the bark to set. When they have set, crack them into individual pieces.

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies with Sea Salt

Note: Serving these on a Carolina Blue napkin will actually make them taste better.

If it isn't extremely obvious by the fact that I created a baking blog...I love baking. I love when ingredients come together to make something delicious AND it doesn't hurt that I have quite the sweet tooth. And as much as I love baking for myself, I find it even more enjoyable to bake for other people.

This weekend at church, I was able to catch up with some good family friends who kindly offered to be the recipients of some of my baked goods. I know the most generous people. I was excited to whip up something yummy for them because they are so darn sweet (cheesy, but true).

I chose to make these Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies and they were a wonderful choice. They are a notch above your average chocolate chip cookies; the toffee adds an extra sweetness, while the salt provides adds a little variety. Like I said, who doesn't love the sweet and salty combo?! These will surely satisfy a variety of taste buds. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies with Sea Salt
Recipe from The Baker Chick

• 2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2-3/4 cup Heath Bar toffee bits
• Sea Salt for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside.
3. With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed until just combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and toffee.
6. Roll cookie dough into balls and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with as much or as little sea salt as desired.
7. Bake for approx. 11-14 minutes, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy.

Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookie Bars

(Photo from Two Peas and Their Pod)

I can't believe I have returned home after completing my sophomore year at UNC Chapel Hill. It's surreal to think that I am halfway done with college - high school feels like it was just yesterday! I am enjoying all the comforts of home, especially the kitchen! I have been so busy since I have been back, but have finally had a chance to do some baking.

My boyfriend, Lee, who is also from Charlotte will be living in Chapel Hill for the summer and working in the "real world" in Raleigh. I am so proud of him for getting such a great internship! As a parting gift for the summer I thought it was only appropriate to send him off with some baked goods. It's become a habit of mine to fill him up on sweets, so I'm trying not to let the distance between us affect that!

After combing through the nearly 300 recipes I have saved on my Pinterest boards, I came across these delicious looking cookie bars. Honestly, does it get any better than the sweet and salty combo of chocolate and caramel?? Well, maybe chocolate and peanut butter, but we'll save that for another day.

These bars were truly delicious. While I did make them for Lee, I kept quite a few for my family and we devoured them immediately. My dad claimed these bars were the best dessert he'd had in years, and he even ranked them higher than our family favorite "Oatmeal Caramelitas." They are the perfect spring treat alongside a cool glass of milk.


Chocolate Chip Salted Caramel Cookie Bars
Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature 
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 10 ounces soft caramel candy squares, unwrapped
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• Sea salt, for sprinkling over caramel and bars

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking pan (which is an 11x7 pan - I ended up using 13x9 for thinner bars) with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the melted butter and sugars together until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. In a large microwave safe bowl, combine the caramels and heavy cream. Microwave caramels on High until caramels are melted, stirring every 20 seconds. This will take about 2 minutes, depending on your microwave.
5. Divide the cookie dough in half. Press half of the cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula. Pour hot caramel over the cookie dough. Sprinkle caramel with sea salt. Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough over the caramel and spread dough with a spatula until the caramel is covered. Sprinkle the bars with additional sea salt.
6. Bake cookie bars for 30 minutes or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Cool bars on a wire rack to room temperature. Cut bars into squares and serve.