Damaris Orange Chocolate Bars Recipes

KENTUCKY PECAN BARS

Steps:

• For the crust: Adjust the oven rack to the bottom position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, salt and butter until the butter is pea-sized. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough begins to pull from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, gather together and pat into a rectangle. Roll the dough into an 1/8-inch-thick rectangle that measures about 13 by 15 inches. Trim the rough edges and ease the dough into the prepared pan, pressing it onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides (trim the dough more on the sides as needed). Prick the dough a couple times with a fork. Cover with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the dough starts to set up, about 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and continue to bake until the crust is just golden, about 5 minutes more. Let it cool completely.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and spread the pecans out on a baking sheet. Bake until toasted and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool and then coarsely chop.
• Bring a couple of inches of water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the white chocolate in a heat-safe bowl that sits comfortably in the saucepan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread it evenly on the crust and let it set up.
• Beat the honey and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the eggs. Pour in the melted butter and continue to beat. Add the flour, bourbon, orange zest and vanilla. Sprinkle the pecans over the white chocolate and pour in the honey mixture.
• Bake until the top of the filling is golden brown and the center sets up, 30 to 40 minutes. Cover and put in the refrigerator until cool. When ready to serve, cut into 36 even bars.

DARK CHOCOLATE OATMEAL

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oats, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt and cook, stirring regularly, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the honey. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes.
• Top each serving with 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, half of a sliced banana and 2 tablespoons cherries. Serve immediately.

GRAMMY'S CARROT CAKE BARS

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C). Spray a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-centimeter) baking dish with cooking spray.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the oil and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and continue to beat until thick and creamy. Add the carrots and mix to combine. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the flour mixture by hand, making sure not to overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until the edges pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the baking dish.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: (If you are extra fancy and have two stand mixers, then you are all set to get started, but if you are like me and just have the one, then you have to wash the bowl and paddle attachment now.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese and butter until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar 1/2 cup (65 g) at a time and whip on medium-low until homogenous, thick, light, and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla. Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting evenly onto the top of the cooled cake. Sprinkle the top with the walnuts. Cut the cake into thirds lengthwise and then quarters vertically to make 12 bars. Remove the cake with an offset spatula to a platter.

HOMEMADE CANDY BARS WITH CHUNKS OF COOKIES AND CARAMELS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees F. Line the back of a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
• Put the chocolate chips in a stainless steel bowl and place in the oven. Heat the chips until they hold their shape but melt when you touch them, 8 to 12 minutes. You want the chocolate to melt without getting hot or it will be ruined. Stir until smooth and shiny.
• Pour the melted chocolate out onto the prepared cookie sheet. Spread evenly into an 1/8-inch-thick rectangle. Sprinkle with the cookies and drizzle the Sorghum Caramel over the top. Sprinkle with salt. Gently pick up the pan and drop it on the counter a couple of times. This will help the ingredients settle into themselves. Leave the bar to cool at room temperature, about 1 hour. Break into irregular 3-inch pieces.
• Fill a glass with ice water and set aside.
• Combine the sugar, sorghum and butter in a saucepan and heat over medium until the butter melts, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, bring to a simmer and cook about 1 minute. Lower the heat and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until a soft ball forms when the caramel is dropped in the glass of ice water or the temperature reads 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using.

SARAH'S PB AND J CHOCOLATE BARS

Steps:

• Make the base: Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil, extending it over the sides. Put the butter in a medium heatproof bowl; position the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water). Once the butter melts, stir in the sugar and cocoa. Whisk in the egg; cook, whisking, until the mixture is warm and the consistency of hot fudge, 6 minutes. Remove from the heat; mix in the saltine crumbs and peanuts. Press the crust into the pan. Set aside the saucepan of water.
• Make the filling: Spread the jelly over the crust in the pan; place in the freezer for a few minutes. Beat 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter, the peanut butter and confectioners' sugar with a mixer until light. Spread over the jelly layer; return to the freezer while you make the glaze.
• Place the chocolate and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a heatproof bowl; set over the pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the heat; stir until smooth. When cool but still runny, spread the glaze over the chilled peanut butter layer. Freeze for another 30 minutes.
• Use the foil flaps to remove the bars from the pan; cut into squares while still cold. Serve cold and keep leftovers refrigerated.

CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES WITH BURNT ORANGE MARSHMALLOWS

Steps:

• For the marshmallow topping: Combine the cornstarch and powdered sugar in a bowl and evenly distribute over a sheet pan. This is what you will place the marshmallows on as they finish so they don't stick.
• Sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup very cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• In a small saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, mix the granulated sugar and corn syrup with 1/3 cup water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. When the syrup reaches 245 degrees F, remove from the heat. Turn the mixer to medium (the bloomed gelatin will be thick and clumpy--don't worry, it's supposed to look like that) and slowly pour the hot syrup into the gelatin, being careful not to hit the whisk or let it run down the sides of the bowl. Once all of the syrup is incorporated, turn the mixer to high and beat until the mixture begins to cool; it will gain volume, turn white and start to pull from the sides of the bowl, and the exterior of the bowl will be close to room temperature, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the orange extract and mix to combine.
• Lightly spray a large serving spoon with cooking spray. Drop about 1/2-cup-size scoops of the marshmallow on the powdered sugar mixture and let cool, spraying the spoon in between scoops--you want 18 scoops total. Set aside.
• For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line cupcake pans with 18 cupcake liners.
• Combine the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine the buttermilk, coffee, coconut oil, vanilla and eggs in another bowl with a whisk. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet mixture, whisking until just combined.
• Fill each cupcake liner two-thirds full with the batter. Bake until puffed and an inserted cake tester comes out clean, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing the cupcakes from the pan.
• Place the marshmallow scoops on top of the warm cupcakes. Using a culinary torch, torch each marshmallow to caramelize. Serve.

CHOCOLATE PECAN BARS

Steps:

• For the crust: Adjust the oven rack to the bottom position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
• Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33 centimeter) baking pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, letting the paper overhang the edges of the pan by a few inches on two sides (this will help you lift the bars out of the pan).
• In a food processor, pulse together the butter, flour, salt and sugar until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough begins to pull from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a floured surface, gather together, and pat into a rectangle. Roll the dough into a rectangle 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick that measures about 13 by 15 inches (33 by 38 centimeters). Trim the rough edges and ease the dough into the prepared pan, pressing it onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides (trim the dough more on the sides as needed). Prick the dough a couple times with a fork. Cover with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the dough starts to set up, about 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and continue to bake until the crust is just golden, about 5 minutes more. Let cool completely.
• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Spread the pecans in an even layer on a baking sheet. Toast until fragrant and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop.
• Beat the honey and brown sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in the eggs. Add in the melted butter and continue to beat. Add the flour, Bourbon, orange zest and vanilla. Sprinkle the pecans and chocolate chips over the crust and pour the honey mixture over the top. Bake until the top of the filling is golden brown and the center sets up, 30 to 40 minutes. Cover and put in the refrigerator until cool. When ready to serve, cut into 12 to 24 bars.