Graham Cracker Pretzel Salted Toffee

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I don't have a lot to say other than "MAKE THIS!!  And make A LOT!" because it will be gone before it even sets up all the way, I guarantee it.  I am a die-hard toffee fan, second only to my love of chocolate truffles, and this stuff has blown my idea of toffee out of the water.  It is the perfect blend of sweet, caramel goodness, and salty blissful savoriness.  Really, match made in heaven.  I really ate probably a tenth of the tray before the chocolate even solidified.  I must get this out of the house, lest I gain ten pounds because I ate it all by tomorrow.  I know the pictures are not great, but I was afraid if I waited until tomorrow, there may be nothing left to take a picture of.

I know it may seem a little weird, the graham crackers and all, but I promise, on my crock pot and my hand mixer, that you will love it.  I implore you to pin this, make this, and share this with those you love...it will make the world a brighter place.  Ok, maybe it won't, but you will have a smile on your face!

GRAHAM CRACKER PRETZEL SALTED TOFFEE
(Adapted from Six Sister's Stuff's Saltine Cracker English Toffee)

Ingredients:

• 15 graham cracker sheets
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1-1/2 cups crushed pretzels

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Lay the graham cracker sheets side by side in the pan, it should end up being five across and three rows long.
4. In a saucepan, melt the butter, salt, and brown sugar over medium heat. Bring it to a boil and let it boil for three minutes without stirring. After three minutes, remove from heat, add the vanilla and stir in quickly, then pour the hot brown sugar mixture evenly over the graham crackers.  Use the spoon to spread it out a bit if needed.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, until bubbly.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips.  Let them melt for a few minutes and then use a knife or spatula to carefully spread the chocolate out evenly over the toffee.
7. Sprinkle with the crushed pretzels and press them in to the chocolate slightly.
8. Let it cool completely on the counter or in the fridge.  When set, break the toffee into two-bite pieces and enjoy!
9. Store in an air tight container for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for a few months (HA!  Like there will be any left to store....).

Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches with Nutella Swirls

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What to do with a cupboard finally stocked with pumpkin puree, and an open container of Greek yogurt that needs to be used?  Make ice cream sandwiches of course!  OK, maybe that is a far leap.  I am just dying to make pumpkin something, and searching and searching through all my fellow bloggers incredible pumpkin recipes, was not making my decision easy, or even possible.  I was asking my husband what sounded good and read him off options and he thought ice cream sounded good.  I had made frozen Greek yogurt pops before, had seen the idea of the ice cream sandwiches using graham crackers, which I saw somewhere, but I can't remember where now.  Long story short...through all my angst about not being able to decide on a recipe, I managed to make this one up.

Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches with Nutella Swirls

Makes 9 servings

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups fat free plain Greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 Tbs. honey
• 3 Tbs. brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/2 cup nutella spread
• 9 graham cracker sheets

Directions:

1. Line a 8x8" baking dish with foil and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl combine yogurt, pumpkin, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and mix well.
3. Break the graham cracker sheets in half, so you have 18 squares.  Place 9 squares in the bottom of the lined baking dish, doing whatever necessary to cover the bottom (I had to trip a few off, and turn a few different ways to get them to all fit).
4. Pour the yogurt mix over the graham crackers, spreading evenly.
5. Warm the nutella in the microwave for 10-20 seconds until it is loose enough to drizzle.  Drizzle it evenly over the yogurt mix, and using a knife, swirl it in to the yogurt mix.
6. Top with the remaining 9 graham cracker squares and place in freezer until set, 2-3 hours.
7. Remove the frozen sandwiches by lifting the foil out.  Using a large, sharp knife, cut along the edges of the graham crackers, making 9 squares.  Eat immediately or wrap individual sandwiches in wax paper and return to freezer.

White Chocolate Gingerbread Truffles

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To continue my exploration of ways to use the cookie butter from Trader Joe's, I have now subjected it to the wonderful world of truffles.  Since cookie butter is essentially gingerbread cookies in a peanut butter like spread, these truffles scream fall, and would be a wonderful addition to the holiday goodie list.  A little sprinkle of cinnamon on top is the perfect fall touch.

IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO PIN IT :)

WHITE CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD TRUFFLES

Makes approximately 24, 2 tsp truffles

Ingredients:

• 14 graham cracker sheets (about 1 1/2 sleeves)
• 4 oz. cream cheese or neufchatel cheese
• 1/2 jar cookie butter (from Trader Joe's)
• 1 (11 oz.) package white chocolate chips
• ground cinnamon, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine graham crackers, cream cheese, and cookie butter and process until well combined.
2. Using a 2 tsp cookie dough scoop, scoop out the centers and place on a foil or parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Place in refrigerator for about 30-60 minutes, until easier to handle.
3. Roll each center into a rounder ball.
4. Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe dish in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and pourable.
5. Place a truffle center in the chocolate and roll around to coat, using a fork.  Shake off excess and return to sheet pan.  Sprinkle with light dusting of cinnamon.  Repeat with remaining centers, reheating the chocolate if it becomes to solid to work with.
6. Refrigerate until chocolate is set up and hardened, keep refrigerated.

Cookie Butter Dipped Frozen Banana Bites

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I have so many over ripe bananas on my counter it is depressing. I don't want any more muffins or bread or cookies in my house right now either (OK, I do, but I shouldn't have it here). After making my macarons I had half a jar of cookie butter left over. In case you have never heard of it (I hadn't until very recently), it is carried by Trader Joe's, and it has the consistency of peanut butter, but the taste of gingerbread cookies. It is like it is named--cookie butter. Putting my thinking cap on, I was trying to figure out what I could do that maybe would use both things, and while I was thinking about it I went to my freezer and grabbed the last chocolate dipped frozen banana from my son's 3rd birthday party. Then it hit me! Cookie butter dipped frozen banana bites! Too add a bit more dimension I also decided that a bit of crushed graham cracker would make a nice topping to them (because frankly, a dipped banana with nothing else on it is just kind of dull). Thus was born the cookie butter dipped frozen banana bites!

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COOKIE BUTTER DIPPED FROZEN BANANA BITES

Ingredients:

• ripe but not mushy bananas
• cookie butter (found at Trader Joe's)
• Popsicle sticks or lollypop sticks
• a few graham cracker sheets, crushed

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Peel the desired amount of bananas and cut them into about 3/4" slices, discarding the very ends.
3. Place banana slices onto popsicle or lollypop sticks by skewering them width wise.  For the lollypop sticks I used, I fit 3 slices on each (See picture, left).
4. Place them on the parchment lined tray and freeze for an hour at least.
5. When ready, scoop out the cookie butter into a shallow bowl and microwave for 10 seconds, or until it is slightly runny.  
6. Using a knife, spread the cookie butter on all sides of the bananas and place back on tray.  If the spread will not stay on, the bananas need to go back in the freezer for a while.
7. Before it hardens, sprinkle the bananas with crushed graham cracker crumbs to coat.
8. Place back in freezer until hardened, and then store in freezer until ready to eat.  Once they are frozen solid, they can be wrapped in parchment or wax paper and put in  a ziploc bag to keep them fresher.

 
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S'mores Truffles

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I know, I know.  I am a day late and a dollar short for having these up for National S'mores Day.  Well, with two kids 3 and under, this is the best I can do.

Now that that is out of the way....these are absolutely sinful!!!!  I think this is the only way I ever want to eat something labeled "s'mores" ever again.  Five ingredients, couldn't be more simple, and they taste sooooooo good.  I am going to cut right to the chase.  Here is the recipe, and if I ever go camping, people can expect to see these with me instead of the graham crackers, marshmallows on a stick, and Hershey's chocolate bars.

S'mores Truffles

Makes approx. 36 truffles

Ingredients:

• 2 sleeves graham crackers (18 sheets)
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (or the lower fat neufchatel cheese)
• 3 cups mini marshmallows, divided, plus approximately 36 for the tops
• 2 Tbs. butter 
• 10 -12 oz semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (depending on how thick of a chocolate shell you do)

Directions:

1. In a food processor place the graham crackers and 1 cup of the mini marshmallows.  Pulse until the graham crackers are finely ground, the marshmallows will still be in big pieces or whole, but don't worry.
2. In a large microwave safe bowl place the remaining 2 cups of marshmallows, butter, and cream cheese.  Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until everything is melted and incorprated.
3. Pour the marshmallow mixture into the food processor.  Process until everything is combined and forms a dough/paste.
4. Using a 2 tsp. cookie dough scooper, scoop out the truffle centers onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, don't worry about making them round or anything.
5. Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until firm enough to handle.
6. Remove from fridge and roll each mound into a smooth ball.
7. Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second increments, stirring after each one, until they are melted.
8. Using a fork, carefully roll each truffle center in the chocolate, using the fork to coat, and then shaking off the extra chocolate carefully.  Place back on tray.  Repeat for remaining centers.
9. Top each one with a mini marshmallow and place back in fridge until set.  
10. Once set, enjoy! 
11. Keep refrigerated.