Tag Archives: christmas

Christmas Card Outtakes & an announcement

Posted on January 2, 2012 by Veronica

Happy new year! I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday break and is geared up to make 2012 a great year!

To get my own year off to a great start, I am going to take a break from blogging this month, though I might stop in from time to time with a recipe or a Thankful Thursday. I have been going strong on posting 5 or more days a week since last May, and it got to the point where I had to let other things go in my life in order to do so, so I’m going to just take a break to catch up on life and then when I come back, I most likely will be posting less frequently. I really love my blog and my readers, but I don’t want to have to give it up completely so I’m going to have to ease off a bit in order to keep it going without letting other things slide.

When I told my husband my plan to take a break, he offered to fill in for me and I immediately took him up on his offer. He has a great sense of humor and I have a feeling you’ll enjoy his craziness. He won’t be posting daily, but at least weekly, and I can almost guarantee you at least a few belly laughs. If anyone else would like to guest post for me during January, shoot me an email at vraklis@yahoo.com with your idea and I will consider it. I would especially love to feature another person’s (blogger or not) “thankful Thursday” write-up!

Before I start my break, I thought I’d leave you with a few outtakes from our Christmas photo shoot. My sister met us at the baseball diamond practice fields near our home because they have lots of evergreens there, and we wanted to pose in front of one. I told Danielle to just keep snapping photos until her finger was numb because when you have an ADD dog and a husband that has a knack for closing his eyes right when the shutter snaps, you know that you need at least a million and one shots to find one that might work. And of course, the first shot of the day was no surprise.

And it didn’t get much better after that.

Jessie: “Yawn. Can we play now?”

Dennis gave us this “natural smile” after many pleas for him to keep his eyes open.

I figure since the universe seems to be balanced, such as the ratio of men to women, for example, somewhere out there is a dog with an unnaturally short tongue to make up for Jessie’s unusually long one. She likes to let it flop to the side to give the impression that she’s an idiot so people are impressed when she understands a simple command. It seems a bigger feat for a dog with its tongue flopped over on the side to sit when told than when an alert, bright-eyed dog shakes hands, and she probably gets more treats because of it. She’s an evil genius.

The odds of us all not being ready when the camera snaps is always greater than us all being ready. I call this my glazed drunk-eyes smile and Dennis is giving us his usual closed-eyes, “I’m too busy talking to actually smile” look. Jessie looks like this, her mouth closed on her tongue, when her attention is suddenly drawn away. Think “squirrel!!” from the movie Up. Makes her look REALLY smart. ;)

This is what she was looking at:

A field of geese!

Of course Dennis had his eyes open when I had another drunk smile and Jessie and I were both looking away from the camera. It’s just the way things work with us.

Jessie: “I’m not listening. lalalalala.”

I’m pretty sure I qualify for the role of Alphaba (wicked witch of the west) in Wicked for my chin length alone! You know you’re jealous.

Had to share the outtake of our photographer, It. ;)

There she is! :) You remember Danielle, right? She was ready to give up and go home at this point, but I was sure that the million photos she’d taken weren’t sufficient, and convinced her to keep snapping them. Thanks for your patience, Dani!

Jessie: “Look at mah throat! I could swallow you in one gulp. Bwahahahahaha!”

Dennis’ face. Priceless.

After a million and two shots (you can thank me for not including them all here!), we finally have a winner! Eyes are all open and on the camera, smiles all around. YES!

I uploaded the photo to picnik.com and did some tweaking to come up with the photo that I used for our card:

And I’m sorry but I just have to share this photo I snapped of Jessie chewing on a stick during the shoot. I thought it was just too cute!

Hope you enjoyed the shoot! Enjoy my husband while I’m away (come on now, you know what I mean!) and I’ll see you again soon. :)

10 Comments

Posted in Life and tagged christmas, dog, holidays, humor, New Year, Outtake, Photo shoot, Recreation. Bookmark the permalink.

White Trash

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Veronica

I drafted this post on December 26th, 2009. It is the oldest draft in my collection, so I’m pretty excited to finally have a fairly decent photo of it so I can share the recipe with you!

On my wedding day eleven years ago, my new Grandmother (this one) gifted me with her church’s fundraiser cookbook*, which included many recipes from her and other members of my new family. I treasure it! I love spiral-bound recipe books like these because they are filled with tried-and-true recipes that real people use–simple, unpretentious, and delicious.

Love that it has a cornucopia on it--perfect for my blog! :)

Take this one, for example. I had to giggle when I read the name “White Trash.” I really like the name because it’s funny and does accurately describe the appearance, but it is also known in classier circles as “Christmas Crunch.” I don’t care what you call it, it’s salty and sweet and addictively-delicious!

So this is the last recipe I’ll be sharing before the holiday, and I think you’ll find it a perfect treat to whip up if you need a last-second snack or gift. Dennis and I are heading to Abilene as soon as we get out of church to spend Christmas** with his family, and will be back some time on Monday so I won’t be posting anything else until Tuesday at the earliest.

I wish you a merry Christmas! Be safe and have fun!

White Trash

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

3 cups Rice Chex Cereal
3 cups Cheerios cereal
2 cups salted, roasted peanuts
2 cups pretzel sticks, broken in half
1 lb. white chocolate or vanilla almond bark*
1 (12 oz) bag M&M’s in seasonal colors

Mix all ingredients except chocolate or almond bark in a large bowl. Melt chocolate or almond bark as package directs; pour over mixture, mixing to coat well. Spread out onto waxed paper to dry. Break into chunks and store in airtight containers or Ziploc bags. Saves well for several weeks.

*1 lb. of almond bark is 8 rectangles.

Recipe source: tweaked from Donna A’s recipe.

*Although I’m very thankful for this cookbook, I don’t advocate any church fundraising beyond the weekly collection. You can click here for a good article that reflects my thoughts on church fundraisers.

**You can also click here to find out why I’m a Christian that doesn’t celebrate Christmas as the day of Christ’s birth, and why the mention of it is never on our holiday cards! Don’t be too alarmed, we will be honoring our savior in worship on Christmas, because it is the Lord’s day, just like every Sunday. :)

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Posted in Snacks & Appetizers, Sweets and tagged Christ, christmas, easy, edible gifts, food gifts, holiday, party, sweet & salty, treats, white trash. Bookmark the permalink.

Toffee Crack(ers)

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Veronica

Salty + sweet = addictive for me in most cases, and this saltine toffee is no exception. It’s very easy to make, and very delicious to eat. I’ve made it with and without the nuts and really, I like it both ways!

Toffee Crack(ers)

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

40 saltine crackers
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
12 oz. bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ c chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 10×15 cookie sheet with foil and spray with oil. Cover cookie sheet with the whole saltines (don’t crust them). Melt the sugar and butter together in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour mixture over saltines and spread evenly. Bake 5 minutes, or until the toffee is bubbling evenly over the whole surface of the crackers. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips Let sit for one minute, then spread melted chips with spatula. (An offset spatula works very well here.) If using nuts, sprinkle them on now, and press down lightly. Cut on diagonal immediately or cool until firm, then break up; pieces can be frozen in an airtight container.

Yield: about 30 pieces

Recipe source: adapted from the back of a Kroger saltine box.

8 Comments

Posted in Candy and tagged chocolate caramel crackers, christmas, Christmas crack, easy, edible gifts, holiday, saltine toffee, toffee crack, toffee crackers. Bookmark the permalink.

Pecan Toffee Fudge and some sad/happy news

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Veronica

Usually I don’t include my daily life in food posts, but I wanted to honor sister June, whose funeral I’ll be attending this morning. June was 95 years old and it was her time. She spent her last night on Earth in good spirits with her family in Christ at our weekly Bible study, then she passed gently in her sleep. It is such a joy to think of her with her heavenly family now, that I have not shed more than a few tears, but I’m sure they will come in abundance as we remember her life here and how she touched each of us. It was a privilege to know this dear & faithful lady, who I knew only to miss a handful of church services due to health concerns. She was such a treasure and such a blessing to everyone who knew her–she had a great sense of humor and some really great stories!

I thought I would share this video of June from our preacher’s holiday party last year, in which she got quite the hilarious white elephant gift from Dennis. (That’s her son, Mike, helping her open it, and I would appreciate your prayers for him during this time of mourning. He never married and lived with her all these years, so this will be hardest for him.)

OK, let’s talk fudge. (Sorry, terrible segue, but how do you segue from a funeral announcement to fudge??? Maybe that’s why I don’t talk about my personal life in these posts-LOL!) I’m featuring only simple holiday recipes this week, since Christmas is less than a week away and you might need a little help with last-minute goodies ideas. This one certainly fits the bill! It doesn’t involve cooking or a candy thermometer, just beating some ingredients together and voilà! Absolutely perfect, delicious, soft fudge, studded with toffee and pecans. Fantastico!

Pecan Toffee Fudge

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 teaspoon butter
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3-3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Dash salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup English toffee bits

Line an 8 or 9-in. square pan with foil and grease the foil with butter; set aside. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar. Beat in the melted chocolate, extract and salt until smooth. Stir in pecans and toffee bits. Spread into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight or until firm. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Yield: 2-1/2 pounds.

Recipe source: slightly tweaked from Taste of Home

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Posted in Candy and tagged candy, christmas, fudge, gift, holidays, pecan, recipe, toffee. Bookmark the permalink.

Puppy Chow/Muddy Buddies

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Veronica

Puppy Chow. Muddy Buddies. Monkey Munch. Reindeer Chow. This recipe goes by a lot of names, but what it boils down to is an addictive, peanut butter & chocolate, crispy & crunchy, sweet & salty treat that abounds at parties and in gift baskets during the holiday season. (And despite the name, it is most certainly not intended for dogs. Please do not give this to any dogs-chocolate can kill them!) I know most of you probably have been making this for years, but I’m sharing this for the .00001% that have never heard of it. The added bonus is that if you are in need of some gluten-free treats, this one fits the bill if you make it with Rice Chex.

You must make this! I promise you will love it. Unless you don’t like chocolate and peanut butter, in which case I advise you seek counseling immediately. Or maybe you’d like to trade that dislike in for my dislike of exercise? Because I could use a lot more exercise and a lot less Puppy Chow. Anyone?

Puppy Chow

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

1 (12 oz.) box Rice Chex or Crispix Cereal
1 (12 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 (1 lb.) box confectioner’s sugar

Pour cereal into a large bowl that has a lid you can snap on and set aside. Gently melt the chocolate, peanut butter, and butter in a double boiler or in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring well in between and removing when almost melted to stir until the residual heat melts the chocolate completely. Pour over the cereal and stir well until the pieces are evenly coated. Add the confectioner’s sugar, cover bowl with lid, and shake well to coat thoroughly. Alternately, if your bowl doesn’t have a lid, you can pour the cereal into a large paper grocery sack, pour the sugar in, fold the top, and shake until combined. Two Ziploc gallon-size bags will do the trick as well. Spread out onto wax paper to cool, then store in an airtight container or Ziploc bags.

Recipe source: Kim D.

10 Comments

Posted in My Favorites, Snacks & Appetizers, Sweets and tagged cereal, chex, christmas, corn, crispix, easy, gift basket, goody bags, holiday, monkey munch, muddy buddies, party, puppy chow, reindeer chow, rice, treats, wheat. Bookmark the permalink.

Double Chocolate-Rum Amish Friendship Bread

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Veronica

It’s been a while since I posted any Amish Friendship Bread recipes, and that’s because this is the last one I made and I wanted to save it for December, since the flavor combination reminded me of Christmas.

Are you one that identifies certain foods with certain seasons and holidays, like I do? For me, pumpkin and pies are fall and Thanksgiving. December and Christmas is cookies, chocolate, and anything spiked with alcohol. Like this bread!

This was actually my favorite variation that I came up with, though I haven’t made very many yet. The bread is so incredibly moist, is nice and chocolatey with a punch of rum and just a hint of cinnamon from the sugar coating. Very festive, and so yummy! This would make great gifts, and I plan to break out one or two of the starters I froze in order to give some away this year. (If you don’t have any starters in your own freezer, you can click here to learn how to make your own.)

Double Chocolate-Rum Amish Friendship Bread

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup Amish Friendship Bread starter (or whatever is left after you’ve divvied it up)
3 eggs
1 cup oil
½ cup dark rum
¼ cup Dutch process cocoa
1 small box instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Generously butter two loaf pans, then dust with the cinnamon sugar. Tap out excess and save for topping.

Whisk the eggs into the starter, then whisk in the oil and rum. Add everything but the chocolate chips and whisk until blended. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Divide batter between pans, then sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar over the tops. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top and bake for an hour. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out to cool completely on wire rack.

Recipe source: adapted from Friendship Bread Kitchen

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Posted in Bread, Sweets and tagged amish friendship bread, baking, christmas, double chocolate rum, edible gifts, food gifts, holiday, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Cookie Love

Posted on November 5, 2011 by Veronica

I may have mentioned before that my favorite food group is cookies. In my perfect world, the food pyramid would have cookies at the bottom, dips next, then all other desserts, then all other carbs like bread, pasta, and potatoes, then fruits and veggies, and at the very top, to be eaten sparingly, would be meat. Alas, that isn’t very balanced and eating that way would kill me, but a girl can dream. ;)

Funny that although I love cookies more than anything else, I rarely make them. I may have also mentioned before that I rarely make treats that I REALLY like because I can’t control myself around them. Seriously, it isn’t unusual for me to eat more than a dozen cookies when I bake them. It’s ridiculous.

But I’m getting really excited about the upcoming cookie swaps I’m participating in. There’s the one for bloggers, and there’s the worldwide cookie swap I’m hosting for non-bloggers (sign up here!). I’m buying half-price Halloween candy left and right, justifying it with my husband by telling him, “this would be great in cookies!”

I thought I would share some cookie eye candy I’ve come across on Pinterest. I haven’t decided which cookies I’ll be mailing for the swaps, but I’m saving the ones I’m considering for myself! I want the person that gets my cookies to be surprised so there are no spoilers below. Still, it doesn’t hurt to drool a little over these beauties.

How delicious and soft do these almond cookies look?

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Veronica on Pinterest

How cute would these be for Thanksgiving? Pumpkin-shaped peanut butter cookies!

Source: pillsbury.com via Veronica on Pinterest

Apple Cider Caramel Cookies. Just look at those chewy middles. I die.

Source: scrambledhenfruit.blogspot.com via Veronica on Pinterest

Another adorable fall cookie–no baking required! Chocolate and Peanut Butter Acorns

Source: sixinthesuburbsblog.blogspot.com via Veronica on Pinterest

Cinnamon and Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie Cookies (!!!)

Source: keepitsweetblog.com via Veronica on Pinterest

These Oreo Pudding Cookies have Hershey’s Cookies ‘n Cream candy bars in the middle! Aaaaa!

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Veronica on Pinterest

Another easy but completely and utterly deliciously over-the-top cookie. I so have to do this.

Source: cookiesandcups.com via Veronica on Pinterest

And I even drool over healthy cookies, like these Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bakes!

Source: chocolatecoveredkatie.com via Veronica on Pinterest

Now, after eying all these gorgeous treats, aren’t you in the mood to do some cookie swapping? So far there are 18 people signed up (yay!) and I would like to beat my personal goal of 50 participants. That would be 150 dozen cookies being sent in the mail-that’s a lot of love going around! :) I have two participants from Germany and one from Australia, so if you are outside the US, please consider signing up so these guys will be able to participate (I only match people within the same country). Ready to swap cookies? Click here to sign up!

Have a blessed weekend!

**Update: just 20 minutes after posting this, we’ve got another Australian and now a South African, plus another handful of Americans, bringing the total to 25 – halfway to my goal. I’m really thinking we’ll beat my goal by the end of today! This makes me do a lot of this: :D This Christmas will not only be extra merry for everyone sending and receiving cookies, but for the postal employees (worldwide!) who have increased job security because of it. Thanks everyone, you rock!*

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Posted in The Postcard Project and tagged christmas, cookie swap, fall cookies, love, recipes. Bookmark the permalink.

Sugar-Free Candied Nuts (low carb)

Posted on December 22, 2010 by Veronica

If you look on my side bar or in my recipe index, you will see I have a category for sugar-free desserts. And in that category, there are only eight recipes. Considering I have posted over 200 dessert recipes, the sugar-free ones make up a very small percentage. There is a reason for this.

Sugar-free desserts are just not as good as sugar-filled ones. There are exceptions, but in my humble opinion, that is the rule.

I may not be a brilliant chef, but I do pride myself on my desserts and I simply refuse to let any sweets come out of my kitchen that taste like a chemical explosion. Which means I usually refuse to make anything sugar-free, but there are certain occasions when I have no choice but to give in and find something that is sugar-free and also tastes delicious.

Such an occasion has arisen, with the birthday of a brother in Christ who is a type 2 diabetic. Since I am a member of a small Church, I am able to give food gifts to everyone for their birthday, but I always flounder when it comes to the birthdays of those with diabetes. I am a diabetic myself, but I’m insulin-dependent so I can eat dessert if I choose to, since I can give myself the insulin required for my body to process it. Bob doesn’t have this luxury and controls his diabetes through food and exercise. Which means no (or very little) sugar!! My worst nightmare. But what sort of Dessert Queen would I be if I couldn’t rise to this challenge and come out victorious?

I prefer to use fruit to naturally sweeten sugar-free desserts, such as in this rugelach, but since that still has a lot of carbohydrates that would send Bob’s blood sugar soaring, I knew I had to do the unthinkable and reach for the Splenda. I decided to go for a very low-carb treat that would have minimal impact on his blood sugar and created a candied nut that is surprisingly delicious! Granted, you can tell the difference between these and the real thing, but even my husband, who can’t take a sip of my Diet Dr. Pepper (one of the few sugar-free things I love) without shuddering, thought these nuts were superb.

If you are making these for a person accustomed to sugar-free sweets, it will likely be a welcome reprieve from all the awful chemical explosions that have been happening in their mouths over the years. They are crispy and cinnamon-sweet on the outside and toasty and crunchy on the inside. They truly are addictive!

Sugar-Free Candied Nuts

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

2 ½ cups nuts of choice
1 egg white
½ cup Splenda granular
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 15x10x1 inch pan with foil and spray with cooking oil. Place nuts in a bowl and stir if not already mixed. Beat egg white in a separate bowl until foamy and stir into the nuts until evenly coated. In another bowl, mix the Splenda, cinnamon, and salt and pour over the nuts. Stir until evenly coated, then scoop onto the baking sheet, using a spoon or fingers to get the nuts in a single layer. Bake for thirty minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until toasted. Allow to cool on wax paper and store in an airtight container.

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Posted in Candy, Snacks & Appetizers, Sugar-Free and tagged christmas, holiday, low carb, sugar-free candied nuts recipe, treats. Bookmark the permalink.

Aunt Ruby’s Party Mix

Posted on December 21, 2010 by Veronica

Every year when I was growing up, my Aunt Ruby would make up baskets of goodies for all her extended family and I eagerly anticipated her visit each year to dig into all the delicious treats she slaved away in her kitchen to make. Sometimes there would be cookies, sometimes her homemade summer sausage, and always her famous party mix.

I never knew until recently why it was so much better than other party mixes until I finally asked her for the recipe and discovered her secret ingredient. Life Cereal!! It looks so much like Chex Cereal that it’s camouflaged and you don’t really notice it visually, but it gives a hint of sweetness to every bite that makes this buttery, salty concoction utterly addictive.

If you already have a favorite party mix recipe, try substituting in some Life cereal for part of the Chex–I think you’ll like it!

Aunt Ruby’s Party Mix

I’ve scaled down and altered the recipe a bit since her original recipe makes enough to feed an army. If you’d like to feed an army, click here for her original recipe.

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

In a large roaster pan, mix together:
4 cups Rice Chex Cereal
4 cups Corn Chex Cereal
4 cups Wheat Chex Cereal
4 cups Life cereal
3 cups pretzel sticks
2 cups Spanish peanuts (roasted & salted)

In a saucepan, melt together:
2 sticks (1 cup) butter or margarine
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder

Pour the mixture over the cereal and mix well. Bake uncovered in preheated oven at 250 degrees for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to cool and store in an airtight container or Ziploc bags.

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Posted in Snacks & Appetizers and tagged chex mix, christmas, gifts, holiday, party, party mix, recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Caramel Walnut Brownies

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Veronica

These things are killer. But I must apologize because they have a very unique ingredient that can be hard to find:

Seriously! Did you know that this even existed?? Can I tell you how much I LOVE this product now that I’ve discovered it????? Caramel cake–it’s every bit as delicious as you imagine it would be. And the mix makes for some seriously excellent “brownies.” (I put that in quotations because they actually have no chocolate in them and I thought that chocolate was essential to a brownie!)

Do I even need to tell you how good these are? Caramel on caramel with walnuts in the middle. Ooooh, so delicious and they were a favorite at our family’s Christmas party. If you haven’t seen the cake mix on your store shelves, see if you can get the store to get it special for you like I did. It’s worth the extra effort!

Caramel Walnut Brownies

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

14-oz. bag caramels
5-oz can of evaporated milk, divided use
1 box Duncan Hines Caramel Cake Mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
12 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9X9-inch pan and set aside.

Place the caramels in a microwave-safe bowl and add 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk. Microwave for 1 minute on high and stir to combine. Continue microwaving on high at 30-second intervals, stirring each time, until the caramel and milk are melted, smooth, and combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, cinnamon, butter, vanilla, and remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Stir until combined and no lumps remain. Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Set the remaining cake batter aside. It will firm up as it sits.

Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Spread the walnuts onto a shallow pan and toast them while the cake is baking. Remove the walnuts from the oven when they are fragrant and golden brown.

Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes. Pour melted caramel over the semi-baked batter and evenly sprinkle the toasted walnuts on top. Take large spoonfuls of the remaining batter, approximately 1/3 cup, which is now firm, and press it between the palms of your hands. Pat it as thinly as possible without breaking it apart. Lay the batter on top of the walnuts. Continue patting the batter and placing it on top of the walnuts. There might be some overlapping of the batter, and there might be several spots where the caramel barely peeks through. Precision is not necessary.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan on a wire rack. It is helpful to refrigerate the brownies before cutting them into squares. Serve at room temperature.

*Veronica’s notes: I used an 8×8 pan, which made them a bit thicker, and I had to bake them five minutes longer to get them done. I also found it difficult to cut them after refrigerating them overnight because the caramel was so hard. I’d say either only refrigerate them an hour or two or leave them out for at least fifteen minutes before trying to cut them if you’ve left them in there for a long time.

Recipe source: Sassafras Cafe