Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I really should read my own blog.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

Republican also-rans: four mules fighting over a turnip.

fuckem (in honor of the late great efgoldman)

Let me file that under fuck it.

How any woman could possibly vote for this smug smarmy piece of misogynistic crap is beyond understanding.

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Oh FFS you might as well trust a 6-year-old with a flamethrower.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires Republicans to act in good faith.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

“woke” is the new caravan.

Fani Willis claps back at Trump chihuahua, Jim Jordan.

ha ha ha! Nice try weird people.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

Washington Post’s Catch and Kill, not noticeably better than the Enquirer’s.

Innocent people don’t delay justice.

You are here: Home / Food & Recipes / Mmmm….Chocolate Caramel Walnut Bars

Mmmm….Chocolate Caramel Walnut Bars

by | 37 Comments

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Not surprisingly, I don’t have a lot of processed food in the house. I generally make things from scratch. And this week I was really craving something sweet and there was not a cookie or candy bar in sight.  Luckily, I keep a LOT of ingredients in the house. There are always chocolate chips, nuts and raw coconut flakes in the cupboard/refrigerator.

I didn’t have the time to make cookies, so these bars were born.

Dark Chocolate-Caramel-Walnut Bars

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp dash of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 8 oz 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chips
  • 1/2 cups walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 4 oz of caramel chips
  • shredded or flaked coconut (I use raw, unsweetened)

8×8 baking dish, bowl

Beat butter and sugar until well incorporated. Then add egg and beat until fluffy. Add baking soda, salt, vanilla and flour.

Lightly grease bottom of the baking dish. Add batter and spread evenly.

Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 15 minutes. Remove and add chopped walnuts, caramel chips and then chocolate chips on top.

Return to oven for 5 minutes. Remove and use an offset spatula to spread melted chips over the top of the bars. Sprinkle with coconut flakes.

Let cool completely before cutting into bars.

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe – but there is a good reason for that – I’ve been doing recipe blogging for TEN (!!) years. I’ve just run out of ideas, LOL. I do use my blog as my own personal cookbook, so it will always exist.

But if you guys don’t mind reruns, I’m happy to post recipes again – just realize they are going to be from my “archives” and only the occasional fresh, new items. I do test out new ideas, I’ve just lost a lot of enthusiasm for documenting it.

Otherwise, here’s an open thread.

Reader Interactions

37Comments

  2. 2.

    EmanG

    Thanks for all the great ideas TaMara, I’ve made several and enjoyed them all. Here’s one I love that might add to your list, Elotes Salad.

    Blacken a bunch of corn (grill, skillet, whatever)
    p.s, this is spoon cooking so amounts are to taste

    crumble in a good bit of feta or other fresh quesa cheese
    a good bit of chili power (make sure it’s fresh)
    juice of at least 1 lime
    handful of chopped cilantro
    1 or 2 fine dice garlic cloves
    pinch of salt
    some pepper
    finely diced jalapeno if you like it spicy
    a couple TBSP of mayo

    stir, serve and freak the hell out at the deliciousness.

  4. 4.

    TaMara (HFG)

    @EmanG: That sounds yummy. We do a lot of grilled corn with queso fresco here.

    I’m wanting to make a nice sticky rack of ribs on the wood pellet grill. I love a good dry rub, but wanted to try something else. So if anyone has ideas…love to hear them.

  5. 5.

    Mike in NC

    Current food fad is ‘caramel sea salt’ everything, but I love it all so OK by me.

  6. 6.

    Aleta

    Texas Tribune’s current list of 19 organizations (with descriptions of what each does )

    organizations that are mobilizing to try and help children that have been separated from their parents and asylum seekers at the Texas-Mexico border

    More than 144,000 migrants were apprehended or denied entry into the U.S. last month — the largest number in 13 years. More than half of them were families with children and about 8% were unaccompanied minors. Last month, Texas shelters held more than 5,800 migrant children.

  10. 10.

    NotMax

    No requirement that regular foodie posts include a recipe on the front page part, time has demonstrated there ain’t nobody here shy about sharing in the comments.

    Speaking of recipes, this looks to be a nice summertime dessert and appears about as close to foolproof as one can get. I generally range from meh to totally uninterested when it comes to dessert pies (gimme a slab o’ cake any day instead) but this one did catch my fancy.

  11. 11.

    Suzanne

    Those look like magic bars. Magic bars are one of my favorite things to make for people, since everyone just seems to absolutely freak for them. I have the America’s Test Kitchen recipe and I love it, though this also looks great.

  12. 12.

    Aleta

    A very good, fairly easy recipe I made a while ago:
    Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies Recipe

    Ingredients are basic as long as you have (or can make) confectioners sugar
    * 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
    * 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
    * pinch of salt
    * 2 3/4 cups walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
    * 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
    * 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

    The four dry ingredients are mixed in a bowl, and then the two liquids (egg whites and vanilla) are slowly poured into the same bowl, while mixing. Gluten-free, dairy-free.

    By François Payard. Instructions here: https://www.foodrepublic.com/recipes/francois-payards-flourless-chocolate-walnut-cookies-recipe/ 

  13. 13.

    opiejeanne

    Oh, that looks yummy and very naughty. when I get home I think I’ll make that. Thanks for sharing.

  17. 17.

    NotMax

    Food trivia recently learned:

    Cheez Whiz was developed by Kraft specifically with sale to the British market in mind, as a shortcut ingredient for making Welsh rarebit. It was only several years after it appeared on British shelves that it was made available in the U.S.

  18. 18.

    mrmoshpotato

    @NotMax: To hell with any recipe that doesn’t brand its lemon, powdered sugar, or vanilla.

    What if I use Simply Piss Off cage-free brown eggs?

  19. 19.

    opiejeanne

    @EmanG: spoon cooking? I’ve never heard that term before but I like it very much. Is that a term you’ve heard somewhere besides family? Do you know its origins?

  21. 21.

    opiejeanne

    @NotMax: I am concerned about the bitter pith of the lemon affecting the overall taste. I may try to make this anyway, but I might modify it if the pith makes it too bitter.

  23. 23.

    Feathers

    I’ve been making this quick and easy summery mac and cheese alternative. It is an excellent side for broccoli and other vegetables. It goes together faster than box mac and cheese.

    Lemon Angel Hair Pasta

    2T Butter
    2oz angel hair pasta
    1 cup hot chicken stock (good bullion ok)
    Pepper to taste
    1 lemon

    Melt butter in medium saucepan. Break pasta into 1-2 inch pieces, toast slightly in butter. Add 1 cup chicken stock, heated in microwave, along with a grind or two of pepper. Cover pan and simmer for 10 minutes, until pasta has absorbed chicken stock. Off heat add lemon juice, all of juice of small lemon, half of large. I’ve been doing the whole lemon, for extra lemony goodness.

    This is good enough that I have been making it instead of Kraft, which is saying a lot becaus I got one of those seen on TV silicon mac & cheese cookers. It works, although my microwave took about 5 minutes, rather than three. They sell a separate one sized for square ramen pacs, but this one can handle those as well. It has handles/rims which don’t heat up, so you can use it as a bowl and eat right out of it. Perhaps it makes ramen/mac and cheese box too easy, but I’m glad to have it so I’m not tempted to order pizza. I’m giving one to all my nieces and nephews who are off at college this fall. I would recommend it highly, just for the no energy cooking, and I’m going to see if it can’t be adapted to healthier stuff (like the lemon pasta). The trick of how it works is that it uses very little liquid. Does anyone else have one of these?

  26. 26.

    Steeplejack

    @Aleta:

    I have donated to RAICES and think they do excellent work. The (inevitable) follow-on emails are informative and not very numerous or hectoring. Recommended.

  27. 27.

    J R in WV

    @opiejeanne:

    Suzanne said tomorrow night at 9pm Tucson time… sounded pretty mellow if all goes as expected. Not her first rodeo…

  29. 29.

    opiejeanne

    @J R in WV: Woohoo!

    Thanks.

    My third was induced too. Little snot refused to come out, had to be evicted. 3 1/2 weeks late.

  30. 30.

    smike

    @NotMax:
    Although I really like lemon desserts, they are usually a big pain in the ass to make. This recipe I think I can handle. Thanks.

  35. 35.

    OzarkHillbilly

    My wife is going to hate you TaMara. And yes, please post recipes that you are especially fond of, those are the ones I want to try.

Comments are closed.