Hi there!
So this week I was a little nutty and sent a brand new brownie recipe from scratch to the Bears, without testing it on friends or family, (or myself because I am trying to diet!) What the heck was I thinking? So, as back-up to my bold move, I knew I had to send something that is tried and true… Mrs. Lloyd’s Raspberry Bars, just in case the brownies were a miserable mess. However, my Bears insider scoop thankfully came back all positive. When I don’t get a text from my brother all day, I tend to worry that everything I sent was terrible (I know, I’m all in my head…it’s not easy being me…haha!). So at 9:38pm last night, I found a reason to text him, and nonchalantly said “Oh, and hey, how were the treats?” His response was “Great, they were all gone before lunch – thank you!” and I said “Ok, good because I wasn’t sure about the brownies”. And he said “They were very good, but the chocolate chip cookies were the first thing to go….did you not send as many this week?” Busted. I skimped on the cookies this week, because I drank wine at dinner and got tired. Whoops. So much for the diet. Any-who! All good reviews on this brownie recipe…so I encourage you all to try it if you are a brownie lover. I used to always make the triple chocolate brownies in the box mix from Ghiradelli, but then found that scratch brownies taste great too. And now I love looking for different variations of scratch recipes. I have another awesome recipe that I have made several times – Buttermilk Brownies with Buttermilk frosting. I’ll share that one at some point too. But today is all about the salted caramel version.
Here are my few tips on making this:
- Because of my love for Ghiradelli chocolate, I purchased their brand of dry 100% cocoa powder. It’s a little lighter looking than the Hershey brand. I love Hershey too, so use whichever you’d like. I’m just letting you know what I used.
- I ALWAYS use Kraft Caramels… they melt well, and set up well in baking recipes. I have used another brand in the past, and the taste is just not as smooth and creamy as Kraft. Just my opinion.
- Don’t skimp on the salt! It really adds to the deep, rich dark taste of the chocolate.
I think that is it! This recipe comes from a blogger by the name of The Recipe Critic… I have made a few things from her… all great! Salted Caramel Brownies
Thank you so much for reading my blog. And GO BEARS!!!
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Sarah
2018 will mark my 7th Season making treats and baking for the Chicago Bears. You might be thinking, how does one land that gig? Well, let me tell you. It’s riveting…
My younger brother, Danny, works full-time for the Bears. Our entire family have been life-long Bears fans, btw. Back in the summer of 2012, he came to me and said, “Hey, we need someone to make treats for the team. Do you think you can do it? Because my boss said, Dan, you’ve got all those sisters, can’t one of them bake? So, I volunteered you.” My first response was, “YES, but I don’t know how to bake”. I mean, up until that point, the only things I remember ever baking were 1) S’mores Bars back in the 80’s off a recipe on the back of the Golden Grahams cereal box. Come to think of it now, I don’t even think those things went into the oven – so technically that wasn’t baking. And 2) Good old Nestle Toll House cookies – which NEVER turned out the same each time I baked them and it drove me nuts and got me to HATE baking for that very reason. I was always in love with cooking, though. I was the gal who threw dinner parties often and provided an obnoxious array of hors d’oeuvres and wine – that’s more my thing. Side note: I learned the hard way that baking and wine don’t mix. Ha! However, I was honored and excited to have been asked to step up to the plate for this little baking / treat-making gig, for THE CHICAGO BEARS, no less. So my answer was an enthusiastic, YES! I figured I still had a month before the first regular season game, which is when the “treat days” begin – every Thursday during the regular season (not preseason). So, I hit the streets in search of good recipes and then got to work test-baking in the kitchen for the rest of that summer. As I became more internet savvy, I started following lots of baking bloggers and watching video tutorials. I would go to parties and if I tasted something that I thought was exceptional, I would never hesitate to ask for the recipe. Baking for the Bears is always in the back of my mind when eating desserts.
I now have an arsenal of treat recipes worthy of offering at a bake shop, if I do say so myself;) . I started getting requests for my pound cake, outside of Baking for the Bears, and my Double Chocolate Chip Sea Salt cookies have been quoted as “The best cookies in the world” by a well-known player, as well as friends, family and neighbors. One of the first things I did was perfect a cookie of my own that comes out pretty consistently crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside. I no longer rely on the old Toll-House recipe. It’s the one thing I never get tired of baking. The guys get them every week.
With that said, this season, I plan to blog my recipes each week, and share with you whatever it is I am making for the Bears. I’ll also give you tried & true feedback on what worked, what didn’t, and any fun comments that the players, staff, friends & co-workers might have regarding the treat of the week. My office colleagues love it when football season rolls around, because I typically find new recipes and test-bake on Sundays to bring in on Mondays for critical reviews. From there, I decide if they are Bear-worthy for Thursday Treat Days at Halas Hall.
I hope you will check in periodically and enjoy my blog. I’m super excited for the 2018 Bears football season both on the field and in the kitchen!
GO BEARS! This is gonna be a good season… I can feel it!
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Baking for the Bears 
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