Decisions and Cookies n' Cream Double Chocolate Cake Bars

Life is full of decisions and many of these decisions are very difficult to make. Sometimes you know deep down in your heart that a certain decision must be made in order for you to be happy in the long run, no matter how badly you DON'T want to make that decision. I feel like I have made one of those decisions recently. It has been rough, but I am hopeful for the future. I have faith that everything is going to work out the way that it is supposed to and that I will be happy. I've learned that it's important to realize that Heavenly Father knows who he wants us to become, and how we can become that person. He leads us down paths that are better for us than ones we are currently walking down because he knows what will be best for us in the end, and which one will help us to grow and become the person that he knows we can be. My family is my rock, and my friends are incredibly supportive. I don't know what I would do without them! Here are some pictures from this Summer of my dear friends and family members.































I have noticed that when I have a lot of things on my mind that I tend to bake more often. Baking is definitely an "out" for me! So, you all will benefit from my difficult decision stage because I have been whipping up some tasty treats lately! The recipe I'm blogging about today is Cookies and Cream Double Chocolate Cake Bars from Picky Palate. You all know how much I love Picky Palate! If you need a serious chocolate overload check out the recipes on her site. YUM.

These bars did not disappoint! Josh loved them. My dad loved them (Which is saying something because they are super rich and he isn't in to those kinds of treats as much as my mother and I are)! Yummy, gooey, fudgy, rich, chocolate, Oreo Bars right here!



Gooey Cookies and Cream Chocolate Cake Bars

1 Devils Food Cake Mix
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
14 Oreo Cookies, broken into bite size pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a 9×13 inch baking pan with tin foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Place cake mix, butter and egg into a large bowl, mixing to combine. Press into prepared baking pan. Top with broken pieces of cookies.

3. Pour sweetened condensed milk over cookies and top with chocolate chips. Bake for 23-25 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from oven.

4. After 5 minutes of cooling, run a plastic knife around edges to loosen, this makes it much easier to remove from foil. Let cool completely, remove foil from pan, then cut into squares.

Makes 12 bars

I hope everyone is having a fantastic Summer! Can you believe it's almost August? I can't! Gearing up for Round 3 at USU :) It will definitely be good to get back to Logan.

Oh Canada!

It turns out that Canada really knows what they are doing when it comes to treats. Have you ever had a Nanaimo Bar? (Pronunciation: Nuh-Nye-Mo) They are soo good! I have seen Nanaimo bars on several blogs, and I decided that they were something that I just had to make. They are a delicious no-bake treat, which is perfect for summer because turning your oven on isn't fun when it's so hot outside. I didn't even use my stove! I did it all in the microwave and it worked great. Give them a shot! You will be so glad that you did.

Nanaimo Bars
Recipe from "My Baking Addiction" Blog

Bottom Layer
½ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar
5 tbsp. cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
½ c. finely chopped almonds (I omitted)
1 cup coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir to cook and thicken. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8″ x 8″ pan.

Second Layer
½ cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. and 2 Tsp. cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla custard powder (I used Instant vanilla pudding powder)
2 cups icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)

Cream butter, cream, custard powder(or pudding powder), and icing sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Third Layer
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator. Slice with a warm knife when ready to serve.


Enjoy!! I promise you will love Canada after trying one of these :)