Layered Caramel Buster Bars.

You GUYS.  This is my summer for all things ice cream.

Between blog recipes, freelance recipes and book recipes, my two freezers have been jam-packed with homemade ice creams, popsicles and bars for a solid month now. It’s sort of a problem, but only because I have zero room left in my freezer for anything else. It’s a really good thing I hike daily and am on my feet most days of the week, cause I swear it’s the only reason I’m not three-hundred pounds. It’s kind of been A LOT of food the last few months, both sweet and savory. I’m not complaining, but my dad is probably way over his daily trips to the grocery store, and the massive piles of dishes upon dishes, upon DISHES…upon DISHES.

Literally.

Also, I don’t know what I would have done without him this last year. Life saver and bestest dish washer known to man, guy has got skills.

Can you tell I am nearing the end of this whole book thing? Well, not really the end-end, but the end of the planning, recipe development, recipe testing, and writing the manuscript part. I hopefully have only about a week left, then it’s time to send the manuscript off to my editor. Trust me, you will know what day this happens because I will not be able to contain my excitement. So ready to move on to the next stage…the photos!

We’ll talk more about the book next week though, after I get like a full nights sleep and can reflect on the process with a bit clearer head. Today let’s talk about these layered caramel Buster Bars. These EPIC bars that are easy, and possibly one of my favorites of the summer…or well, until I make a new favorite that is! 🙂

So you guys all know about Dairy Queen Buster Bars, right? Actually, I never ordered them, I was more of a classic chocolate soft serve kind of girl, but every time I would go to DQ with my Nonnie, she’d always get the Buster Bar. To be fully honest with you guys, I am not sure I’ve ever actually had a DQ Buster Bar. Oddly, that’s what inspired these bars I am sharing with you today.

They’re kind of like a DQ Buster Bar…but better (or so I’m told). I mean, obviously.

Here’s how these go.

…start off with a layer of caramel. You can make your own or use store-bought. If you’re looking for a good homemade caramel, I used this salty one from my caramel cake recipe.

…from there, add a layer of vanilla ice cream.

…then a layer of fudge sauce and a sprinkle of roasted peanuts. I used my homemade fudge sauce, but store-bought works too!

…finish with a layer of chocolate ice cream.

…freeze, freeze, FREEZE.

…peel away the paper Dixie cup.

…dip that caramel layer in chopped peanuts.

…now dip the whole bar in homemade magic shell.

…EAT. 🙂

DONE. Homemade caramel Buster Bar! So fun, right?!?! And like I said, way better than DQ, cause I mean, salty caramel. Duh.

Buster Bars for the win!!! Isn’t summertime the BEST? Gotta love it. 🙂

SIDE NOTE: I tried so hard to have my younger brother, Red help me capture some action shots, because one, he happened to walk in my door at just the right time, and two, because little Asher was ‘too busy’ to help me out (no, for real, she’s getting too cool for her big sis).

Let me just say this, using Red to promote anything other than say, Burton luggage, is a BAD idea. Kid cannot stand still for even a second. All the photos I got of him where blurry, and weird. UGH. That kid needs to learn some focus or something. YIKES.

That said, he loves these bars, but then, who wouldn’t?

Okok and now I will stop my Friday rambles, and demand that we all go make Buster Bars. Ahh, maybe not demand, because that sounds a little harsh, BUT I highly recommend it. I mean, it’s Friday after all, and you can have these prepped and into the freezer in just about thirty minutes…then they’ll be ready for an epic Friday night dessert.

DO IT.

Hehe. Happy Friday! Hope it’s filled with hot weather and a dozen ice cream bars!