Friday Recipe: Knock-You-Nakeds

This is a G-rated post, but the recipe contained within is seductive, delicious, and terrible for you. Luckily, if you make them, everyone will want to eat them, so you can have a taste and not feel bad about it. Because they are truly amazing.

Introduced to me in college, Knock-You-Nakeds might be the best dessert ever. Recently, some college friends found the recipe and emails flew back-and-forth about making them, the best way to eat them (some say fro-yo, though I'm partial to them without additions as well), memories of eating them (it was important to consult the Dining Services calendar so as not to miss them), and so forth.

Knock-You-Nakeds
~Makes 1 large tray

1 box chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup of unsalted butter (melted)
1/3 cup and 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (1 small can will have some to spare)
1 package caramels (~14 oz)
1 c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix cake mix with melted butter and 1/3 c. condensed milk. (It will be thick.)

3. Press half the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.

4. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 and let cool.

5. While the cake part is baking, unwrap the caramels. Melt the caramels together with the 1/2 c. condensed milk. Stir regularly.

6. Spread caramel mixture over cooled chocolate cake.
7. Sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel mixture.

8. Spread remaining cake mix over the chocolate chips. At this point, the mix may be a little dry, which is handy for sprinkling.

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes.

10. Enjoy!!

Notes
*I used Duncan Hines Rich, Fudgy Cake because it was on sale for $1. I'm sure any cake mix will work. If you want to make it from scratch, you'll need to substitute the butter and condensed milk for eggs/oil/liquids.

*The easiest way to press the cake mix into the pan is to drop big spoonfuls and use the spoon to spread out the thick batter.

*A flexible spatula is key for spreading the caramel.

*I think these would be good without the chocolate chips, though they contribute to the intensity.

*Eat in small amounts as they are rich. I think they're great warm out of the oven, cool, or even frozen.