Pecan-Oreo Fudge Bars

Eric and I went camping for the first time with our one-year-old son.  It was actually a lot more fun than I thought it would be.  (Camping with a child is a new adventure for us.)

We went floating on an inner-tube in a lazy river, played with my sister’s energetic dogs, and took lots of walks around the campsite.  (Matthew’s learning to walk but can’t quite do it on his own yet.)  We made hobo biscuits and s’mores, and ate lots and lots of junk food.  And the dogs got a little bit too.  They certainly weren’t deprived.   (No, we didn’t give Matthew’s food to Sadie the dog, but she certainly wanted it!)

Here are some pictures of the beautiful river behind our campsite.

I am not a gardener, (so I couldn’t tell you the name), but this wild flower on the bank was so lovely, I just had to take its picture.

So when we were invited over to our friends’ house for a birthday dinner the day after returning from our trip, I wasn’t sure what to make.  (It had to be easy since I was tired from all the laundry and cleaning up.)  After much talk and discussion with Eric, I ended up adapting a fudge bar recipe from Martha Stewart.  Doesn’t it look yummy!

It has an Oreo crust, then a layer of fudgy-goodness, and topped with toasted pecans and crushed Oreos.  They were definitely a cool treat on a hot summer day.  (It finally hit 90 in the Pacific Northwest.  Our first all summer!)  Serve these alone, or with ice cream.  Or better yet, just some sweetened whipped cream.

However, make sure to eat these on a plate with a fork, as they are rich and they are messy.  As summer winds down to a close, make these and enjoy them with someone you love!  xoxo  

Pecan-Oreo Fudge Bars

printable version

Cooking spray

27 Oreos

1 T + 1 ½ t sugar

Salt

6 T unsalted butter

1 lb. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

¼ whole milk

½ t vanilla

½ t ground espresso

4 T unsalted butter

1 c pecans

8 Oreos, coarsely chopped with a knife

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place pecans on baking sheet and toast for 7-9 minutes, until fragrant.  When cool, chop into small pieces.  Set aside.

Up the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Using cooking spray, coat a 9 x 13-inch pan.  Line with wax or parchment paper
and spray again.  Using a food processor, crush Oreos until very fine.  Place in a bowl.  Add sugar and dash of salt and whisk together.  Melt 6 tablespoons butter in microwave (watch it, otherwise it will explode!) and pour over Oreos.  Mix with a spoon until the butter is incorporated.  Press into pan and bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, milk, a pinch of salt, and butter.  Stir frequently.  When mixture is melted and smooth, remove from heat and add vanilla and espresso.  Pour over Oreo crust, using a spatula to smooth.  Sprinkle chopped pecans and Oreos over fudge mixture, pressing in gently.  Place in the fridge for at least two hours to set up.

When ready to eat, take dessert out using the wax paper.  Cut 3 equal sections lengthwise and 5 equal parts widthwise.  Cut each
square in half diagonally.  Serve alone, or with ice cream or sweetened whip cream.  Store any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge.