Last week, I stopped by CVS for a quick trip to get some cleaning supplies. I’ve just moved into my new office space, and it was pretty dang dirty, so I needed to rush out right away and get cleaning spray, wipes, paper towels, the works. I was only going to pop in for a second.

But you know, CVS has the best stuff. Makeup and hair stuff and gel pens, oh my. And have I mentioned the bags of candy? Yep, I walked out of there with snack-sized Reese’s, Mega M & Ms and yes, fun-sized Snickers. Rather than eat the entire contents of each bag immediately while I cleaned dried-up Jolly Ranchers off a desk in the office, I chose to save them and bake this candy bar brownie cake instead.

This past week, I went to cake decorating class. I originally signed up for this class before my job promotion when summer was supposed to be uneventful and relaxing, and now I just don’t know if I can do it. I was sitting in class at night trying to form a fondant and gum paste flower, and the table was making waves in front of me. I was about two seconds from face-planting onto my sugar daisy.

Fondant is a tricky beast, for those of you who work with it. It’s like play-doh, except it theoretically tastes a little better. I know it looks really nice, and I like making decorations with it. That said, I’ve never been the biggest fondant fan. For one thing, it doesn’t taste as good as frosting. For another, it really gets handled a lot. I know (or hope) that bakers are working with really clean hands, but the image of someone handling something that much before I put it in my mouth is a turnoff.

Also, the stuff cracks really easily, and once that happens, there’s no fix. I know we’re into this whole smooth cake trend, and it’s totally pretty. But I get frustrated sometimes at all the fondant cakes that look alike. Or maybe that’s just me looking for an excuse to drop cake decorating class so I can get more sleep.

For the first time this week, I’ll be making a tiered cake. I’ll let you know how that goes. Send me tips, okay? I’ve chosen to frost it as a mostly-naked cake to keep the work down to a minimum, but boy, I’m scared.

When I’m trying new things in the cake decorating world, it’s nice to make a dessert that it low-maintenance and no-fuss. This brownie cake is exactly that. The base is a fudgy brownie, covered with easy chocolate ganache and topped with my CVS collection of chocolate bars. Could life get any sweeter?

And now I’m off to try and dowel some cake. Wish me luck! I’ll be stopping by here for therapy if things don’t go well. Have a great start to your week, everyone!

Nothing will please a crowd faster than chocolate cake, and when you add a rich chocolate glaze and cover the cake with all kinds of candy bars, you’re basically asking people to come to your house and never leave. If that sounds okay to you, proceed!

After all, nothing will fill a house full of visitors faster than baked goods. I find that when there’s a candy assortment in the mix, you just have to get used to having privacy invaded on a regular basis.

That’s not really a problem for me, but for Kenny, it’s awful. He’s an introvert, and our house is very loud for him already. Our three monsters make a ton of hullabaloo, and when their little monster friends come over, it’s even worse. I try to hide the chocolate during any and all play dates.

It’s kind of tough when an extrovert marries an introvert. I charge my batteries by being with other people, and I’ve had to really cut that back now that I see what it can do to Kenny. He would never complain, but I know that spending the day around people is not his thing at all.

Whenever we do get together with friends, I have a really great time. But I can usually tell from Kenny’s body language that he’s dying to get home and lie on the couch. I mean, that does sound nice, for maybe an hour or so. Then I really want to get out there again and hang out with people.

Our society really gives introverts a bad rap. We make it harder for them to get ahead in the workplace, we misinterpret their preference for quiet as hostile or unfriendly, and we refuse to acknowledge that it’s okay for some people to prefer to be alone to get their energy. It doesn’t mean that they don’t have friends, or want to do well at work, or anything else. It’s just a different way of seeing the world.

It gets to the point where introverts force themselves uncomfortably out of their natural preferences, and it shows. My mom is an introvert, but she values the qualities that extroverts exhibit, so she goes out of her way to be very social. I admire her for putting herself out there, but as a natural extrovert (not to mention her daughter), I can tell when she’d rather be at home getting some downtime.

Regardless of social preference, we can all agree that a candy bar chocolate bundt cake is a good way to unwind and recharge after a long and stressful day. I made sure to pile this high with as many candy bars as I could: we’ve got Almond Joy, Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, Reese’s, Kit Kats, Nestle Crunch and M & Ms. And have I mentioned the thick chocolate glaze? I think I did, but it bears repeating.

As long as I keep baking cakes like this, people will drop by on any old pretext to share a slice. I love it, and as for Kenny, well, he’s getting used to it. But I don’t want him to change, and we’ll keep meeting somewhere in the middle. Introvert or extrovert, we can all bond over a big slice of cake at the end of the day.

That is, until I read the narrative baking book Saved by Cake by Marian Keyes. If you’re not familiar with her work, she’s an Irish chick lit author. Her books are funny, honest, and have some fantastically complex characters. I’ve been a huge fan for quite a while.

So when she wrote a baking book a few years back, I couldn’t wait to buy it. This cheesecake loaf is an adaptation of one of the recipes in her book. I’ve changed it, but it’s the same idea. Sorry, Marian. I reserve the right to tinker. That’s what baking is all about!

In her book, Keyes shares the perception that anything with Snickers is inherently more “blokey,” or in American, man food. That’s fascinating, because I have never really thought of Snickers as being masculine. I mean, it’s chocolate. Don’t we girls have the monopoly on that? Or does the darker packaging and no-nonsense design scream “male?” It’s a thinker.

Whenever I think of food, I kind of gender assign it. Maybe that’s a bad idea, but the whole stereotype of women liking chocolate and men guzzling beer has held up with a lot of people I know. Which, of course, begs the question: if we hadn’t been raised to like certain foods over others based on our gender, would our tastes be different? If I hadn’t been indoctrinated into chocolate early on, would I be more inclined to skip dessert and just eat a hunk of red meat the size of my head?

Last week, I read three blog posts in a row that involved steak. Suddenly, I couldn’t take it anymore. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home (a much-hated errand after a long day at work) and picked up a steak. Just for me. Everyone else got hamburgers. And eating that steak was so satisfying that I had to wonder: would I miss the brownies if I just ate like a man?

It’s a complex question, and one that I wonder about a lot. Because it’s not like men don’t like their brownies. And I think that after about three days of steak, I’d go running back to the Reese’s with nary a second glance behind me. Sugar addiction might be a serious problem, but I’m not willing to detox yet. Especially if I’ll go running straight from sugar to cholesterol.

Besides, if you can’t eat like a man, work out like one. I’ve been a strength training convert for two years now, and I’ve never looked back. It’s the answer to so many questions about fitness and health. And Snickers is not.

But hey, that shouldn’t stop any of us (male or female) from indulging. And since Snickers have all those peanuts, it’s protein for after a strength training workout. If Snickers really are candy bars for men, maybe that’s why some of them are so buff!

This recipe threw me a little, because the original calls for a combo of ricotta and mascarpone cheeses. On the day I went shopping, there wasn’t any mascarpone at the grocery store, so I bought cream cheese instead. The ricotta is grainier in texture, so I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the final result. But really, it came out nice and creamy, even though the texture is not what a traditional American cheesecake calls for.

The other question mark for me in this recipe was the baking time. The recipe wants the cheesecake to bake for an hour and half at 325, something that I didn’t have time for. Apparently, baking it at a lower temp will make the top caramelize more. Since I wasn’t able to try that, you’ll see that the recipe below has a higher cooking temp with less cooking time. It’s all about tinkering!

Once you cover this cheesecake with caramel sauce, it’s a sticky delight. I can’t believe this is my first cheesecake loaf, but it won’t be my last. And I plan to taste-test it among men and women alike to see how “blokey” it really is. Thanks for the inspiration, Marian Keyes!

Last week I was driving around and suddenly it occurred to me that I just don’t bake with Snickers very much. And why? No good reason! Seriously, folks. What is wrong with me?

So to make up for this gross error in judgment, here’s a whopper. It’s a peanut butter blondie filled with Snickers and peanuts. It doesn’t get any better than this for you lovers of all things chewy, caramel, peanut, and chocolate. And it’s all made in just one bowl, no mixer involved!

As I write this, I’m on the couch with some kind of summer cold from hell. It’s affecting everything, from my stomach to my limbs to my sinuses. It’s kind of like a light flu. But if you think I’m complaining, think again. I love being sick, because then Kenny takes the kids out of the house and I get to watch Netflix in bed.

I’m definitely on the lookout for new shows to get addicted to, so if you have recommendations, fire away. And yes, I’ve seen Orange is the New Black. No, I didn’t like the latest season. Slow, slow, slow. I miss Vee. And all the fighting.

The problem with so many TV shows is that they start off amazing and then somewhere between seasons three and seventeen, they turn bad. The writing is less snappy, the characters change, the plot lines get recycled. And when the guy and girl finally do get together, they have to break up a million times to keep the show going or else have a baby, which kills the show for good.

Don’t get me wrong. I realize how hard it is to be consistently creative. Jeez, I’m a food blogger. I can never bake the same thing twice, and those of us who do this for any length of time are in constant creation mode. I’m not sure if anyone else is afraid that the ideas will one day run dry, but I certainly wonder.

But that day hasn’t come yet, my friends. These Snickers peanut blondies are absolute proof. The base is a simple blondie with peanut butter subbed in for some of the butter. Some Snickers bites and salted peanuts later, poof! A truly memorable and easy bar.

If you’ll excuse me, I have to hop off to replenish my Kleenex supply. But I’ll be eating these when I feel better, and that’s a promise. In the meantime, I need shows to watch. Recommend away!

I scoop up Reese’s and Snickers and Twix and M & Ms, shove them in my desk drawer, and have snacks for the next few weeks. Believe me, I have no qualms about having candy around. It doesn’t bother me at all. Candy was meant to be eaten!

Unless your husband beats you to the punch, which is part of my problem. As much as I can understand his need to eat the spoils, I like to bake with leftover Halloween candy. If you’re Sprinkle Bakes, you make this amazing cake that makes me drool. If you’re Mom on Timeout, you make the best peanut butter fudge ever! And if you’re me, you throw everything into a magic bar.

These magic bars are nutty. They’re a combo of chopped Nutrageous bars (which I didn’t know Reese’s still made, so happy day!), chopped Snickers, and peanut M & Ms. I put all that goodness atop a simple graham cracker crust and poured condensed milk on top. Never have the results been quite so addictive.

And it was easy! Super easy. I’m no Sprinkle Bakes, though I wish I could be. Nobody’s cakes look as amazing as hers. But if I can’t make a beautiful cake candy mountain, I can still make candy into sticky, gooey deliciousness.

Listen to me closely: there is no social obligation to get rid of your candy. Candy is happy. But if you want to put it all somewhere other than the pantry to tempt you, bake up these bars and serve them to friends. It’ll be a heck of a lot less depressing than watching people lining up to get rid of something perfectly delicious as you feast off of their leftovers.

Have I mentioned that I didn’t grow up anywhere near the water? The closest we came was a three-hour drive to Lake Michigan. It was really beautiful, but I’m more of an ocean beach girl. Something about those crashing waves really gets me every time.

Today is fudge day. One of my priority stops in any beach town is the candy shop, which is usually stocked with thick slabs of fudge in different flavors. They usually have great deals, too, because fudge doesn’t last too long and they need to sell it. It’s a win for everybody!

The fudge you see here is not available at the beach, though! You know why? It has a crust. A Nutter Butter crust! And Snickers. I’m almost falling out of my chair. It’s so exciting!

For the base, I combined peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips to get the best peanutty flavor. The Snickers bites are chopped in half and added right before chill time, and they melt ever so slightly into the fudge base. It’s heaven in a pan.

The only danger with this easy fudge is eating too much of it. But isn’t that always the problem? Sigh.

I have only one problem with fudge. You can’t freeze it. Or maybe you can. Has anyone tried? Let me know if it works!

The only thing better than fudge is fudge with a crust. Jump on this bandwagon! And get some beach while you can! It’s the only thing I love more than chocolate. Maybe.

Crust:

• 1/2 package Nutter Butter cookies, finely crushed
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Fudge:

• 6 oz. peanut butter cups
• 8 oz. milk chocolate chips
• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 bag Snickers bites, cut in half

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray.

Mix the Nutter Butter crumbs and melted butter thoroughly and press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes and then remove from the oven.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the peanut butter chips and milk chocolate chips with the condensed milk for 2 and 1/2 minutes. Remove the bowl from the oven and stir the ingredients until smooth. Add the vanilla and stir again.

Pour the fudge into the baked crust and press the halved Snickers bites into the top of the fudge.

Refrigerate for two hours and then cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

We went to a Mommy and Me at a local outdoor shopping square, and I have to be honest. It was pretty uneventful. There was a stage where a bunch of mothers were singing along to a CD player blaring “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” The rest of the square was littered with local vendors trying to lure us into their stores. That was slightly more appealing, but I couldn’t justify walking into adorable boutiques with breakable items while I was dragging sticky people around.

By the time we got home, I was having a major sugar craving. Luckily, this cheesecake was at the ready in my freezer. I made it a couple of weeks ago, served half of it to guests, ate a couple of slices, and froze the rest. And boy, has it been coming in handy for those hot tired days when I come home ready to collapse!

As is the case when I make cheesecake, this guy is over the top. Yes, this cheesecake is male. He’s covered in Rolo, Snickers and Reese’s minis. And hot fudge. Hel-lo, lover.

The base is my usual go-to for cheesecake. Along with the usual graham cracker crumbs and butter and brown sugar, I melt in peanut butter chips. It’s like a cookie holding up my cheesecake. Because we don’t want anything to be flimsy, ya know?

And yes, the base of the cheesecake is a little lighter. But it has to be. How else could I justify piling on all that candy? So there. Consider this indulgence slightly less indulgent. But it’s still pretty insane. Even with freezer condensation. I love frozen cheesecake.

Evening has come to my happy home, and as the children shriek away, the remaining cheesecake (maybe a slice at this point) sits in the freezer, ready for me when I need it. Tomorrow, Camp Mommy is going mini-golfing. I’m pretty sure the cheesecake will be reappearing at about three o’clock tomorrow afternoon.

So give this a shot! It’s summer vacation. We all need a break!

Crust:

• 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup peanut butter chips
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

Filling:

• 4 packages (8 oz.) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt
• 4 egg whites
• 2 eggs
• 4 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 package mini Rolos, divided
• 1 package mini Reese’s (the unwrapped kind), divided
• 1 package mini Snickers, divided

Topping:

• hot fudge sauce (drizzle to taste)
• remaining mini candies (Rolos, Reese’s and Snickers)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a springform pan with cooking spray. Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan and place on a cookie sheet.

Melt the butter and peanut butter chips in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir until smooth, and then mix in the brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs until the mixture is moist and crumbly. Press the crust firmly into the pan, working the crust slightly up the sides.

Bake the crust for 5-10 minutes until set.

While the crust is baking, prepare the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add the egg whites, egg, yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice and beat once more until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in half of the package of each kind of mini chocolate candy.

Pour the cheesecake filling into the crust and bake for 50 minutes. Do not open the oven while baking or cracks will appear on the surface. The cheesecake should be golden at the edges and firm in the middle.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool. Sprinkle the remaining peanut butter cups, Rolos and Snickers evenly over the surface and then drizzle with hot fudge sauce.

Chill for three hours (or preferably overnight). Slice into wedges and serve!