Chocolate Caramel Candy Bars Recipe

If you love brownies and Milky Way candy bars, you'll love these rich bars that start with a chocolate cake mix. Let the kids help unwrap the caramel candies, but keep an eye on how many go into their mouths!

INGREDIENTS:
1 (14 ounces) bag caramel candies, unwrapped
1 (5 ounces) can evaporated milk, divided use
1 (18.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix
8 Tbsp (1 stick or 1/2 cup) butter, at room temperature
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided use
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with non-stick foil.

In a double boiler or non-stick saucepan, gently heat unwrapped caramel candies with 1/3 cup evaporated milk.

 

Stir often until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly to room temperature but still liquid.

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, butter, and remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk. Stir with a spoon until smooth. Batter will be thick.

Spread half of cake mix batter into baking pan, smoothing to an even thickness. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Sprinkle 1 cup of chocolate chips over hot bottom layer. Slowly pour melted caramel over chocolate chips. Drop teaspoonsful of remaining chocolate cake batter over the top. Smooth the batter flat as best you can without dislodging the caramel layer. There will be open spaces. Return pan to oven and bake an additional 12 to 15 minutes.

Distribute remaining 1 cup chocolate chips evenly over the top of the hot candy bars, pressing slightly into the top to secure chips.

Cool candy bars to room temperature, then refrigerate 30 minutes before cutting into bars.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Yield: 36 to 48 candy bars, depending on cut size

 

From Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Chambord Brownie Bites

Ingredients

For the Brownies:
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 Tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 pkg (21.2 ounces) brownie mix (tested with Betty Crocker Triple Chunk)

 

For the Filling:
2 pkg (3 ounces each) raspberry-flavored gelatin
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup Chambord (raspberry liqueur)

For the Topping:
2 cups mini-marshmallows
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate bar, chopped
3 Tbsp heavy cream

 

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 x 12-inch baking pan with non-stick foil.

Cream butter and cream cheese together; add egg and mix until smooth. Combine creamed mixture with dry brownie mix, stirring by hand. Mixture will be thick. Spread evenly in foil-lined pan and bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely. Using a wooden skewer, poke holes at 1-inch intervals halfway down into brownies.

Combine boiling water and both boxes of gelatin. Stir until no more sugar or gelatin granules are visible and liquid is clear. Cool to room temperature. Add Chambord. Pour cooled Chambord gelatin mixture over top of cooled brownies. Top evenly with marshmallows. Refrigerate for two hours.

Cut brownies into squares and place on glossy side of freezer paper, parchment paper, or foil, spreading each square slightly apart to allow topping to dribble down sides.

Melt chocolate and heavy cream slowly in microwave or double boiler, stirring until smooth and creamy. Cool to room temperature, but still liquid enough to drip. Scatter-drip chocolate over cooled brownies. (Re-warm chocolate slightly as necessary.) Refrigerate to harden chocolate topping. Serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Yield: 24 to 36 pieces

Recipe from: Peggy Trowbridge

Caramel Mousse Mini-cups Recipe

Ingredients
1 box brownie mix (tested with Betty Crocker Chocolate Supreme Brownie Mix with Hershey's Syrup, 1 pound, 5.3 ounce box)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/8 cup water

1 bag (14 ounces) Kraft caramel squares, unwrapped and cut into 6ths

Chocolate Mousse Frosting:
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 Tbsp cold water
1/4 cup boiling water
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup cold whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper muffin cups in mini-muffin tins.

Combine brownie mix (including chocolate syrup pouch), eggs, melted butter, and water. Mix only until combined. Fill muffin cups half full. Bake for 10 minutes. Immediately place pieces of caramel on top of each hot muffin to melt slightly. Let muffins completely cool to room temperature before frosting, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, prepare mousse frosting.

For the Mousse Frosting:
In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Let stand 1 minute to soften. Add boiling water and stir until gelatin is completely dissolved and mixture is clear. Cool slightly.

In small mixer bowl, stir together sugar and cocoa. Add whipping cream and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of electric mixture, scraping bottom of the bowl occasionally, until stiff. Pour in gelatin mixture and beat until well blended. Chill in refrigerator about 15 minutes to firm up.

Fill pastry bag with mousse frosting and form a swirl on the top of each mini-cup (or spread on by hand). Refrigerate mini-cups in a covered container overnight. Best when served at room temperature, but refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: about 6 dozen mini-cups

Chocolate Caramel Candy Cake

This chocolate cake is topped with caramel ice cream topping, and then whipped topping sprinkled with Butterfinger candy bar pieces.

Ingredients:
Cake: 3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
6 TBLS cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cups vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBLS vinegar
2 cups water
Topping:
1 small container cool whip
1 Butterfinger candy bar
1 small jar (half a larger jar) of caramel/butterscotch ice cream topping

Method

Mix together dry ingredients for cake. Add oil, vanilla, vinegar and water, mixing until blended. Pour into 13x9 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool. Once cake is cool, poke a few holes in it. Pour caramel sauce over cake. Frost the cake with Cool Whip. Sprinkle crushed candy bar over Cool Whip. Best served same day. Refrigerate leftover cake.