{If You Can’t Buy ‘em, Make ‘em | Maple Nut Bars}

There’s no reason to get sappy. If you can’t buy the real Pearson’s Maple Bun Bars where you live, make them yourself! Click here for a locator to find where you can purchase the candy bars, because I highly recommend you eat the real Maple Bun Bars when you can, and make this recipe for times when you can’t.

If you aren’t familiar with the Bun Bar, maybe the Salted Nut Roll rings a bell? Or how about those little Mint Patties wrapped in silver and green foil, cleverly placed in a big jar near the cash register at your local café? They are all made at Pearson’s in Minnesota.

I like the story of Pearson’s Candy Company, which three Pearson brothers began in Minneapolis in 1909 as a candy distribution company. They did some candy manufacturing and a few years later two more brothers joined the company. At the end of World War II, they got out of the candy distribution business and focused on candy making.  In 2011, Brynwood Partners VI, L.P. purchased the company. Note to the new owners: you’ve got a good thing going here –  don’t change a thing except for making your candy available in more locations. xoxoxo Staci

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Pearson’s Candy Company in any way. Of course we all know this recipe is not really the Maple Nut Bun Bar recipe – it’s my version of the candy bar, just to get me through times I can’t buy them in my area. Unlike my opinion that my homemade Snickers^®are better than the real thing, you just can’t duplicate the distinct maple flavor and the slight snap of the chocolate layer in a real Pearson’s Maple Nut Bun Bar.

Maple Nut Bars

Generously butter a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt together the chocolate and butterscotch chips.

Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, mixing well until smooth.

Spread a generous half of the mixture in the buttered pan. (As you can see in my first photo, the bottom chocolate layer is actually too thin – the bars are easier to get out of the pan if the bottom layer is a little thicker.) Chill in the refrigerator.

Stir peanuts into the remaining chocolate mixture. Set aside. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter.

Slowly add the evaporated milk.

Stir in the pudding mix. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. Do not boil. Remove from heat.

Stir in powdered sugar and maple extract. (It’s easier to use a wooden spoon at this point.) Cool slightly.

Carefully spread the maple mixture over the chilled chocolate layer in the pan. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Drop the reserved chocolate and peanut mixture by spoonfuls over the chilled maple layer; spread to cover.

Chill the bars until firm.

Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.

{Maple Nut Bars}

12 oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

12 oz. package butterscotch chips (I’m pretty sure real Maple Bun Bars don’t have butterscotch chips in them.)

2 cups creamy peanut butter (And they probably don’t use peanut butter either.)

2 cups dry roasted peanuts

1 cup butter

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 small package cook and serve vanilla pudding mix (not instant)

2 lbs. powdered sugar (approximately 7-1/2 cups)

2 teaspoons maple extract

Generously butter a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan. In a large saucepan over low heat, melt together the chocolate and butterscotch chips. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, mixing well until smooth. Spread a generous half of the mixture in the buttered pan. (As you can see in my first photo, the bottom chocolate layer is actually too thin – the bars are easier to get out of the pan if the bottom layer is a little thicker.) Chill in the refrigerator.

Stir peanuts into the remaining chocolate mixture. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Slowly add the evaporated milk. Stir in the pudding mix. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and maple extract. (It’s easier to use a wooden spoon at this point.) Cool slightly. Carefully spread the maple mixture over the chilled chocolate layer in the pan. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Drop the reserved chocolate and peanut mixture by spoonfuls over the chilled maple layer; spread to cover. Chill the bars until firm. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator. Makes approximately 48 bars.

What store-bought candy do you make in your kitchen?

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{To-live-for Pumpkin Butterscotch Coffee Cake}

I brought this cake to work in celebration of Kari’s birthday. On Monday, Mary sent me an email with the subject line “to die for”. She wrote: “The pumpkin brown sugar cake/coffee cake/whatever it is called was extremely delicious. I told Paige that my plan to just eat half and save the rest for the next day worked for about 12 seconds. I checked your blog but didn’t see the recipe there. Please share!”

So this one’s for you, Mary! And for those of you who have thrown out all your muffin recipes except the butterscotch muffins I made for the cops, this is very similar so your recipe box is getting even lighter.

The aroma of this cake baking in the oven is intoxicating. It is THE cake you want to bake if you have guests coming, your house is on the market and you’re holding an open house, or you can’t get the smell of your kid’s hockey bag out of the back entry.

1 cup butterscotch chips

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup pure pumpkin

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Streusel

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Top the cake with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Make it:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a regular-sized Bundt pan. Melt 1 cup of butterscotch chips over low heat on the stove or in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, vanilla and melted (and cooled to room temperature) butterscotch chips. Gradually stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until well combined.

For the streusel, in a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.

Pour half of the cake batter into the Bundt pan. Toss the streusel mixture evenly over the cake batter. Pour the rest of the cake batter over the streusel. Bake at 350° for 60-65* minutes, or until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven, turn the Bundt pan upside down onto a cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes before lifting the pan off the cake. When cake is completely cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

*My Bundt pan is the Pampered Chef Stoneware Fluted Pan so the bake time may be longer than what it would take in a metal Bundt pan. You may want to check the cake after 50 minutes of baking time.

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Have you fallen in love with the pumpkin and butterscotch flavor combination?

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{Thanking the Cops with a Muffin Stop}

My friend, Tracey, is unpredictable. And randomly sweet. Which is why I love her. One day, she commissioned me to bake three dozen muffins to bring to our local police department.

Tricia Squashingroff-Schwartz and Officer Joe Fishbaugher from the Brookings Police Department

Tracey wasn’t trying to get out of any parking tickets, she just wanted to let them know there are people who appreciate the work they do. Our community had just experienced two senseless tragedies from two fatal car accidents in town, one of them killing a 17-year-old boy from the local high school. (Tracey’s 17-year-old daughter was about ready to get her driver’s license so I suspect she may have been experiencing some “mom” emotions – and rightly so.)

It was easy to pick the first two flavors because my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip and Butterscotch  muffins are the ones I get the most compliments on, and the most requests for. The third flavor was triple chocolate. Chocolate in a breakfast food. Enough said.

 

I made extra pumpkin muffins and brought them to work. (Michal, here’s the recipe I promised you!)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 36 regular muffins

2 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

6 eggs

2 1/4 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup water

4 1/2 cups flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoons ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 cups mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease muffin pans or use cupcake liners. In a small mixing bowl, lightly beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together. Add pumpkin and water and stir. In a large, separate bowl, mix the flour, soda, baking powder, spices and salt. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients just until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. As with most muffin batters, don’t over-mix or the muffins will be tough. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Lightly spray tops of muffins with cooking spray – this gives the muffins a lightly crispy top. (A little restaurant trick my sister, Kalli, taught me.) Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

I used my square muffin tin which is a nice change from traditional round muffins.

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I gave these butterscotch muffins five stars on the Taste of Home website. You can view the recipe here. It quickly becomes a favorite go-to muffin recipe for all occasions. While you are on the site, take a look at this Cappuccino Muffins recipe. I haven’t tried them yet but I need to! 

My sister, Heidi, emailed me the Triple Chocolate Muffins recipe on Wednesday, April 18, 2001. (I printed the email and stuck it with my recipes.) I was eight months pregnant. All she wrote was, “Thought this recipe might also be one that you might enjoy!!!!” I wonder if I was having a pregnant-woman-chocolate-meltdown?

Triple Chocolate Muffins

3 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

4 Tablespoons cocoa

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 stick butter, melted and slightly cooled

2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

2/3 cup white chocolate chips

Melt the butter first so it has time to cool. Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease 12 regular muffin cups or use cupcake liners. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cocoa and brown sugar. Mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk, sour cream and melted butter. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Stir in the dark chocolate and white chocolate chips. 

Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

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Tracey’s gift to the Brookings Police Department is one of my favorite random acts of “sweet” kindness. I’m guessing they don’t receive appreciation as often as they should.

Enjoy the muffin recipes! Let me know if you bake a few dozen and give them in your own random act of “sweet” kindness.

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{Butterscotch Caramel Sea Salt Pretzels}

The combination of crunchy pretzels, milk chocolate, butterscotch, toffee bits, caramel and a dash of sea salt takes your pretzels to the next flavor level.

The ingredient list is short and sweet.

After melting the milk chocolate and butterscotch chips together, pour over the pretzel balls and stir. Stir in the toffee pieces and sea salt.

Spread the melted chocolate pretzel layer into a pan and drizzle with melted caramel. Grab yourself some hand wipes because these babies are sticky!

5 cups mini pretzel balls

8 ounces Hershey’s milk chocolate (can be a little more or a little less, depending on the size bars you use)

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 (8-ounce) package milk chocolate toffee bits

1 Tablespoon sea salt

1/3 package (approximately 20) caramels, unwrapped

1 teaspoon milk

Place pretzel balls in a large bowl. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt Hershey’s milk chocolate and butterscotch chips together until smooth. Pour melted chocolate mixture over pretzel balls and stir until coated. Add toffee bits and sea salt, stirring everything together. Line a large cooking sheet or tray with parchment paper or non-stick foil. Spread the mixture into the pan. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the caramels and milk. Drizzle the caramel over the pretzel mixture and cool completely. Break into pieces before serving.

Other ideas: I bought the pretzel balls from Wal-Mart in the salted snack section (near the bagel chips, Bugels, etc.) but you could use any type of pretzels. The pretzel rods would be fun too. If I have cashews on hand next time, I will decrease the pretzel balls by 1 cup and substitute cashews. You could also add 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter to the milk chocolate and butterscotch mixture. Omit the caramel if you don’t want something too sticky.

What other ingredients would you add?

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{In Memory of Store-Bought Snickers® Bars}

Gone are the days when you have to run to the store when you’re hungry for a Snickers^®. Eat one of these ooey, gooey chocolate caramel nutty treats and you may never again rip open a candy bar wrapper.

You probably already have most of the ingredients to make these.

The easiest way to cut these into bars is to line your pan with non-stick foil or parchment paper first. (Pay no attention to the apples and bananas hanging out in the background—they really have no business being here.)

Start by shaping your foil over the upside down 9 x 13 pan and then insert it into your pan. Make sure the non-stick side is facing up when you have it inserted in the pan.

For the first layer, melt milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and chunky peanut butter together.

When you first pour the melted mixture into the pan, it may seem like it’s not enough.

 But it is just enough to cover the bottom of your pan. Set the pan in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to cool and set.

 For the second layer, combine the sugar, milk and butter in a small saucepan and boil 5 minutes.

Add the peanut butter, marshmallow cream and vanilla to the boiled mixture. Stir until smooth.

 

Spread the marshmallow cream mixture onto the cooled chocolate layer.

Cover the sticky marshmallow layer with dry roasted peanuts.

Melt the caramels and pour over the peanuts.

Repeat the first layer and spread over the caramel and peanuts. Cool completely.

Cut into small bars.

 

Chocolate, Caramel Nut Candy Bars

2 cups milk chocolate chips, divided

1/2 cup butterscotch chips, divided

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter, divided

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1-1/2 cups marshmallow cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups dry roasted peanuts

1 package caramels

2 Tablespoons hot water

Bottom layer:

Line 9 x 13-inch pan with non-stick foil or parchment paper. In a small saucepan, melt 1 cup milk chocolate chips, 1/4 cup butterscotch chips and 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter together. Spread in pan and cool in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Second layer:

In saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup butter. Boil 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup chunky peanut butter, 1-1/2 cups marshmallow cream and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir until smooth. Spread over cooled bottom layer. Sprinkle 2 cups dry roasted peanuts over marshmallow layer.

Third layer:

Melt caramels and 2 tablespoons of hot water together. Drizzle the melted caramel over the peanuts.

Top layer:

Repeat bottom layer and spread over caramel layer. Cool completely. Lift bars out of pan and peel off paper or foil. Cut into bars on a cutting board with a chef’s knife. These are best if stored in the refrigerator.

 

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Do you have a recipe that reminds you of your favorite candy bar?

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{Triple Butterscotch Cupcakes with Butterscotch Maple Frosting}

Okay, so it might be the longest name for a cupcake but they deserve it. Most of these went directly to a Habitat for Humanity party, right along with their BFFs, Heavenly Chocolate Cupcakes with Snow Frosting. I didn’t attend the party so I don’t know which flavor was the biggest hit of the party. The two were so good that I wanted to cut them each in half and put them side by side to make one cupcake. Who am I kidding? I would just eat two. Enjoy all you butterscotch lovers out there! 

Cupcakes:

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain butterscotch cake mix (I can’t find butterscotch cake mix in my grocery store so I use a box of yellow cake mix and add one 3.4 oz. package of butterscotch instant pudding mix) 

1 package (3.4 ounces) butterscotch instant pudding mix

1 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the butterscotch maple frosting:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

4 Tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, softened

2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon maple flavoring

1/2 cup melted butterscotch chips, slightly cooled

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners or grease 24 cupcake cups. Blend on medium speed the cake mix, pudding mixes, water, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Spoon batter into cupcake cups, filling each cup 3/4 full. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean or until cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes and then remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Prepare frosting: Blend the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer. Add two cups of the powdered sugar, a little at a time, blending with mixer until all the sugar is well incorporated.  Add the maple flavoring and the melted butterscotch chips and mix on medium speed until the frosting is fluffy. Add the additional 1/2 cup as desired for spreading consistency. Spread on cooled cupcakes.

This recipe is from Anne Byrn’s Cupcakes! From the Cake Mix Doctor.

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“Food Day”

Food Day. I’m guessing that’s what most workplaces call it–not just where I work. But I really should call this “food week” because I did a lot of baking. It was Mary Jo’s one-year anniversary on Tuesday so I made a delicious Pumpkin Butterscotch Cake that makes the house smell amazing. Jason had his first food day on Wednesday so I made him Yellow Bars to take to work. The recipe is from my HyVee online recipe box but I’ve seen it many places under “assumed” names like Revel Bars, Chocolate Bars, etc. It’s easy to bake in the morning before work, you just can’t cut them until later because they need to fully cool. 

On Friday I brought lunch for everyone which consisted of walking tacos, fiesta bean dip and Georgia toffee. I doubt anyone needs a recipe for walking tacos, but I will share the recipes for the bean dip and the toffee.

Fiesta Bean Dip 

1 (16 oz) can refried beans (I use the spicy fat-free kind and the kind with green chiles.)

1 cup (4 oz) grated cheddar cheese (I often use shredded taco cheese)

1/3 cup taco sauce

1 tsp taco spice

1 green chili pepper, chopped

Combine all ingredients and place in a crockpot (or crockette if only making single recipe). Serve with tortilla chips

 Yes—it’s that simple. When I made it on Friday morning, the kids were already in the car waiting for me. It’s a matter of minutes to stir it together and throw it in the crockpot.  

 

Georgia Toffee

(from Paula Deen’s 2008 Chocolate Celebration magazine)

13 graham cracker sheets 1 cup butter (wouldn’t be a Paula Deen recipe without butter!)

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I like to use the mini chips)

1 cup chopped pecans (I use my Pampered Chef grinder to make the pecans more like a powder)  

Preheat oven to 425˚. Line a 10×15-inch jelly-roll pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Place graham cracker sheets evenly over foil, breaking crackers apart as necessary to cover bottom of pan; set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil for 2 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in condensed milk. Immediately pour evenly over crackers. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips and pecans. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool completely before cutting.

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