I {heart} PW...

The Pioneer Woman ROCKS!  I follow her blog...I watch her cooking show on the Food Network...I {heart} the Pioneer Woman!!  She's hysterical and I don't want to be her when I grow up!  With four kids, she still has the time to cook all the time, write cookbooks, star in her own show on Food Network, maintain a daily blog/website, homeschool and crack jokes while she does it.

While I don't want to be her, I do adore some of the recipes she makes.  They are super tasty, yummy, fattening and perfect (sometimes with slight modifications) for my hungry monkeys.  This is the one I made about a week ago to gorge myself nibble on during the Super Bowl.  All the credit goes to PW, here...

Knock You Naked Brownies

• 1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans (I didn't use these - my kids don't like nuts)
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk (additional)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 bag whole caramels, unwrapped
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

(Now don't get scared off by all these directions, it isn't that hard...really!)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together cake mix, nuts (if you are using them), 1/3 cup evaporated milk, and melted butter. Stir together until totally combined. Caution:  it will be very thick.

Press half the mixture into a well-greased 9 x 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and set aside.

In a double boiler (or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of boiling water) melt caramels with additional 1/2 cup evaporated milk. When melted and combined, pour over brownie base. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as you can over the caramel.

Turn out remaining brownie dough on work surface. Use your hands to press it into a large square a little smaller than the pan. Use a spatula to remove it from the surface, then set it on top of the caramel and chocolate chips.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for several hours. When ready to serve, generously sift powdered sugar over the surface of the brownies. Cut into either nine or twelve helpings, and carefully remove from the pan.

I gotta tell you, these are really rich and you should cut them into small servings...(that way you don't feel guilty when you go back for 2nds or 3rds...)  Enjoy!

Love you all,

Rulissa