Caramel, Chocolate and a Sugar Cookie Crust

Ok I owe you guys a recipe. This is a favorite of mine and its addicting and very very good. Its a bit rich but I must have more of a weathered palate because I can eat a lot of this in one sitting if I let myself. And I do!!! Watch - I've probably already posted this but its worth mentioning again.

Ooey-Gooey Turtle Bars

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough (I actually make my own and if you have a favorite sugar cookie recipe, I say take the extra time and step and make it yourself)

1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

3 cups chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 jar caramel ice cream topping

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1. Heat oven to 350 (325 for dark or nonstick pan). Press sugar cookie dough evenly into bottom of ungreased 13x9 inch pan.

2. Sprinkle 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups pecans over dough. Press lightly and set aside.

3. In 2 quart saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Stir in brown sugar, caramel topping and graham cracker crumbs. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Pour over crust in pan; spread evenly. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 1/2 cups pecans.

4. Bake 25-32 minutes or until edges are deep golden brown and pecans are lightly toasted. Cool on cooling rack 30 minutes; loosen sides from pan but do not cut. Cool completely, about 3 hours longer. Cut into bars.

So so good.

An Ingenious Baking Tip

I can't believe I never thought of this myself. I like to make cutter cookies occasionally. I wish I felt motivated more often to make them since they take up a little more time than other baked goods and quite a bit messier. Well I happen to pick up this chocolate cutter recipe (sorry - the recipe was bad) and it had a GREAT tip.

Instead of flouring a surface you can place your dough between 2 pieces of wax paper and you can roll out your dough that way and it eliminates the stick factor. It worked and I will now be doing this will all my cutter dough.

Nutella Frosting on a Cupcake? Yes, please!

Ok, I'm lame. I can't believe I went the entire month of February without posting something. That's bad. I'm making restitution by giving you a link to a food blog that I'm loving lately. Anyone who posts a recipe for Nutella frosting gets my immediate attention.

Here's my cupcakes I made for a book club I belong to. They were better than good. They were scrumtchy, yummy, overeating threat good. I'm soooooo glad I bought 2 jars of Nutella at the store!! I still have one left and I'm racking my brain to see what else I can slather this delicious goodness on.

So here's the link to the blog. And don't worry, their cupcakes are infinitely cuter than mine. But hey! An amateur can try right? http://bezzants.blogspot.com/2010/02/creamy-nutella-frosting.html

Also - I made these chicken taquitos from the same blog and they were so good. http://bezzants.blogspot.com/2010/03/baked-chicken-taquitos.html

Everything I have tried off this blog has been good. So go check it out and let me know if you try anything that you just love.