Simple Caramel Corn

We made this for Superbowl 49! Go Seattle Seahawks!

Watch the temperature!

Mix it well.

Add chocolate!

Ingredients

12-14 cups popcorn (popped)

1/2 c + 2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup corn syrup
1-1/4 cup golden brown sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp kosher or maldon flake salt

1 cup chocolate or candy coating

Instructions

• Put your popped popcorn in a very large bowl.
• Preheated oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a medium sauce pan, melt butter on low heat.
• Add salt, sugar and syrup. Stir well until sugar melts into mixture.
• Attach candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
• Turn heat to medium high and bring to boil. DO NOT STIR.
• Carefully, watch the thermometer. as soon as it reaches 248 degrees remove pot from heat.
• Quickly stir in baking soda and vanilla. Stir well. The caramel will lighten in color a smidge.
• Immediately, pour caramel on top of popcorn. Stir so popcorn is well coated. Be careful! It's hot and can burn!
• Transfer popcorn onto large cookie sheet (2 if needed).
• Place in oven for 45 minutes. Stir a couple of times.
• Take out of oven and immediately sprinkle 1 tsp of salt.
• Place on cooling rack and cool completely.
• If desired melt candy according to directions and drizzle over cooled caramel corn.
• If using dark chocolate, melt in double broiler and drizzle.

Caramel corn should last a week, if stored in an airtight container. Trust me - it won't last that long!

Millionaire Bars

If your family is anything like ours, your family calendar is bursting at the seams - between all the kids' activities like  play-dates, soccer, swimming, homework, homework and more homework, violin practice, track and field,  not to mention the occasional workout for yourself, work, appointments etc etc - there is not always time for family dinners! And family dinners that are relaxed, homemade and without pressure to get somewhere else are even more rare.

To combat all this craziness, we try to have a bit more of an old school family dinner on Saturday or Sunday. Each week dessert duty goes to a different family member. The rules are it has to be homemade - no store bought cake/cookies etc. This idea has been a true hit with the kids! My 7 and 9 year olds love planning what they are going to create, shopping for the ingredients and the actual baking of their masterpiece dessert. It's also a good opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with the kids since adult supervision is still needed at their age.

Last week, my daughter made these absolutely fabulous millionaire bars or homemade Twix bars. This dessert looks more complicated than it really is so it's perfect for little hands. And let's face it - chocolate, caramel and shortbread? It's a trifecta of goodness!

Adapted from a King Arthur Flour recipe. The bars can be cut in any size desired so you can easily get anywhere from 12 huge bars to 50 small bars.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, unsalted, at room temperature

1 cup icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

pinch of salt

2 cups caramels

4 tbsp whipping cream

3 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Prepare pan by cutting a 9 x 15 inch piece of parchment.

Place it so the extra over hangs.

Spray with baking spray and set aside.

Crust

1. Using a stand mixer, beat butter, salt and icing sugar at medium speed until well combined. 
2. Add vanilla and combine. 
3. Add flour on low speed until it starts to come together.
4. Increase speed to medium and continue to mix until dough comes together and is smooth.
5. Gently spread dough into the pan and pat with fingers to get it into the corners.
6. Prick the batter base multiple times with a fork.
7. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until edges are golden.
8. Place on cooling rack.
9. Set side to cool completely.

Caramel Layer

1. On low heat, melt the caramels and cream.
2. Pour over cooled base.
3. Place in fridge for 15 minutes to set slightly.

Chocolate Layer

1. Over very low heat, stir constantly and melt the chocolate chips in a medium sauce pan.
2. Pour over caramel layer.
3. Return to fridge to cool and set for 4 hours or overnight.

To serve

1. Run a knife around the edges of the pan.
2. Carefully pull the dessert out by lifting it out by the parchment over hang.
3. Cut into desired sizes. 

Chocolate Caramel Obsession Cookies

These are decadent cookies. I used white Callebaut chocolate and chopped it into big chunks but any white chips will do. The disappeared in less than a day so they defintiely got the family seal of approval!

Ingredients

2 c flour

1/2 c cocoa

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 c white chocolate chips, or chopped white chocolate

1 c toffee bits (like Skor (tm) bits)

1 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 c white sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

2 eggs, large (at room temperature)

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy - about 5 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time. Mix well.
• Add vanilla and mix well.
• Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and lightly stir until barely combined. Add the chocolate and toffee bits. Again mix until just combined. A light touch when mixing the dry ingredients into the wet will result in beautiful, light tasting cookies.
• Using a teaspoon or 1 inch cookie scoop, place cookies on ungreased cookie pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes and remove to cooling rack. Great cooled and amazing warm!