Snickers Brownies

 photo credit: http://www.jaseyscrazydaisy.com

Snickers Brownies

original recipe: http://www.jaseyscrazydaisy.com/2012/02/snickers-brownies.html

Ingredients:

Brownie Layer:

• 1 box of brownie mix, I prefer Betty Crocker's Fudge or Dark Chocolate mixes
• Ingredients called for on box
• 1/4 cup hot fudge topping, unheated, straight from the jar

Nougat Layer:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 2 (7 oz.) jars marshmallow creme (@1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Caramel Layer:

• 1 (17 oz.) jar of caramel, preferably Mrs. Richardson's Butterscotch Caramel

Candy Bar Topping:

• 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup peanut butter.

Instructions:

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions for a 9x13-inch pan, adding 1/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, unheated and straight from the jar to the batter. Make sure to follow the high altitude directions if you live at high altitude. Cool completely.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and milk, stirring until dissolved. Bring to a boil. Add in the marshmallow creme (I didn't measure, because how exactly do you measure that sticky fluff? I used one complete 7 oz. jar and most of the second jar), peanut butter, and vanilla stirring until smooth. Turn off heat and fold in peanuts. Pour evenly over cooled brownies. Use a spatula to help spread the mixture. Cool. I stick the brownies in the freezer for about 15 minutes.

Scoop caramel topping into a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat over low until caramel is soft and easy to stir. Pour the caramel over the nougat layer. Make sure to pour it evenly across the nougat covering as much as the surface as you can. This makes it easier to spread the caramel with a spatula. Let cool. Again, I usually stick this in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Scoop caramel topping into a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat over low until caramel is soft and east to stir rather than mess with hot.

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Pour over nougat layer and cool completely. I usually stick them in the fridge until the chocolate is set. They chocolate gets pretty soft when left out, so I like to store these in the fridge and let them set out for a few minutes before cutting them. You want the chocolate to be cool enough to be set, but warmed up just a bit so that they are soft enough to cut more easily. Enjoy!

PS - For those of you have noticed my absence, I wanted to apologize for the crazy long time it's been since I've last posted. I am in the middle of what I'll call a nine month marathon. Basically all food has tasted gross and some days water tastes like raw fish. I am now about a week away from entering the third trimester, and have never been as thrilled as I am to say I have gained about three pounds. To sum it up, I have felt pretty icky and haven't dared trust myself to post anything food related because nothing tastes good. On the up side, I am now having moments of wellness where things taste ok and I can eat without feeling green. I am so very excited to meet this little one who loves to somersault and already seems so full of life. Thanks again for your continued support. I look forward to sharing many more fun project ideas and tasty treats in time to come.