Peanut Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

It is Friday, January 17, 2014, and I'm calling it: I'm officially D-O-N-E with winter. I'm over it. I don't want any more cold, I don't want any more snow, I don't want any more below-zero wind chills. I'm so ready for spring that I'm practically aching with it.

I always get kind of blah during the winter, but this year, it's especially bad. I have no energy and no motivation and I know it's all connected to the weather. Basically, I would like to hibernate until at least April in flannel pajamas, in my cozy house, with my family and a few batches of these peanut butter bacon chocolate chip cookies to keep me company. Why can't that be my life?

Let's talk about these cookies, because if anything can pull me out of my wintertime funk it's these beauties. These peanut butter cookies not only have sticky, brown sugar bacon pieces in them; they also have bacon drippings in them. Along with peanuts and chocolate chips, of course. This is another of those instances where I need the smiley face emoticon with the hearts for eyes to describe how I really feel. These cookies are a little sweet, a little salty, and a lot sinful. So, in short, you're going to love them.

Peanut Butter Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Food Network

5 strips bacon
2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

 

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

1/2 cup roughly chopped honey-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Place the bacon on the baking sheet with space between each strip. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Bake, turning once, until bacon is crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and set aside to cool. Set bacon aside to cool and, once cool, chop into small bits. 

 

2. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.

 

3. Beat the butter and reserved bacon drippings in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the peanut butter until combined, about 1 minute. Beat in the granulated and light brown sugar until creamy, about 4 minutes, then add the egg and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

4. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down the bowl as needed, until just combined. Stir in the peanuts and all but 2 tablespoons each of the chocolate chips and bacon.

5. Form the dough into 12 balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten with your fingers (the cookies will not spread in the oven); press the reserved bacon and chocolate chips on top. Bake until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let the cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Reese's Pieces Oatmeal Cookies

I had to be sneaky about making these cookies. You see, my husband has a Reese's Pieces Problem -- the problem being that, if we have them in our house, they make their way into his mouth at lightning speed. I knew if I wanted to have any Reese's Pieces available for these cookies, I had to keep them hidden from him, or avoid purchasing them until right before I baked the cookies. I just made it; mere moments after I'd stirred them into the batter, he was in the kitchen saying, "Hey, are those Reese's Pieces?" Then he proceeded to eat what was left in the bag (well, all except for one little handful I kept for myself). It was a close, close call.

We were both glad he didn't get to them before I made these cookies, because we would have missed out on an absolutely delicious sweet treat. These cookies are awesome! They were a huge hit with all of us and disappeared more quickly than I'd like to admit. The color makes them perfect for fall, but the flavor is one that we will be enjoying year-round (as long as I can keep Joe away from the star ingredient).

Reese's Pieces Oatmeal Cookies

adapted from MD Cooks for 2

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup Reese's Pieces
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Mix flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, beat butter with sugar until smooth. Then whisk in the egg and vanilla.

4. Incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry mix until completely combined. Stir in Reese's Pieces and chocolate chips.

5. Drop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

6. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Let cool five minutes on baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

I’ve come to the realization that I shouldn’t make cookies unless I have a group of people to share them with. I just shouldn’t. Every member of my family is a cookie monster. We simply can’t control ourselves around them.

And speaking of Cookie Monster...you’ve all seen the video of his new song, right? Yeah, you know the end of it? When he’s shoving multiple cookies into his mouth? That’s basically my family, with every batch of cookies I make.

Our cookie addiction came out in full-force with these beauties, not surprisingly. Chocolate and peanut butter has long been one of my favorite sweet flavor combinations, and putting them together in oatmeal cookie sandwich form was of course going to be delicious. I even upped the chocolate flavor by adding chocolate chips to the cookie batter. The cookies are crispy on the outside and fudgy in the middle, and the creamy peanut butter filling is just so tasty.

“It hard to look at your snack baby. But you got cookie, so share it maybe.” Cookie Monster speaks the truth. Go watch the video if you haven’t seen it yet; it’s hilarious!

Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

adapted from Cate’s World Kitchen and Joy the Baker

For the cookies:

10 tablespoons butter (2/3 cup), softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

4 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup milk chocolate chips

For the filling:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Beat the butter until smooth and creamy and add both sugars. Mix well, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, cocoa powder and baking soda. Add to the butter mixture and mix until all traces of dry ingredients disappear. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

4. To form cookies, scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough at a time and flatten slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until set on the edges but slightly fudgy inside (they’ll harden up as they cool). Cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

5. To make the filling, place butter, peanut butter, and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on medium speed, drizzling in vanilla extract. Scrape down the bowl as necessary. Add milk one tablespoon at a time until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

6. When cookies are completely cool, flip over and spread half of the cookie bottoms with peanut butter filling. Top with a similar size cookie. Store covered.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

This isn't a pretty plated dessert. It's not fancy by any means. My picture is mediocre at best. But believe me when I tell you that these brownies are insanely good. They're composed of a brownie layer, a peanut butter cheesecake layer, a chocolate layer, and a layer of crushed peanut butter cups. Are you drooling yet?!

These are incredibly rich, so be sure you have someone to share them with. They're so decadent that you really can't eat more than one -- even though you'll definitely want to!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies

adapted from Chef in Training

1 fudge brownie mix (and anything it calls for)

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons whipping cream

8 Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray.

2. Prepare brownie batter according to directions and pour batter into the pan; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and vanilla and beat until smooth. Spoon cheesecake mixture over brownie batter evenly. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until cheesecake layer is set and edges are golden brown. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. In a microwave safe bowl, add chocolate chips and whipping cream. Melt on high in 30 second increments until melted and smooth. Pour and spread evenly over the top of brownies/cheesecake. Sprinkle the 8 peanut butter cups over the top.Store covered in refrigerator. 

Easter Bunny Snack Mix

I was lucky enough to get assigned the very last snack day before Easter for Andrew’s preschool class, and I just know that his teacher did it on purpose. I always make fun things for his class when I’m assigned a snack day around a major holiday, and this one could be no exception. Talk about pressure! Except, honestly, there really wasn’t any pressure at all, because it’s something I love to do, and I knew exactly what I was going to make this time around.

Enter this Easter Bunny snack mix. It’s simple and delicious, with a nice mix of salty and sweet elements. The multi-colored chocolate drizzle and generous amount of Easter sprinkles make it so festive. Even though the Easter Bunny himself sorta creeps me out (anyone else feel this way?), I think he’d appreciate having this delicious snack mix named in his honor!

Easter Bunny Snack Mix

8 cups popped popcorn (1/2 cup unpopped kernels, or 2 bags of natural microwave popcorn)
3 cups waffle pretzels
1 bag Easter M & Ms (I used dark chocolate)
1 bag Reese’s Pieces eggs (you could also use robin’s eggs or Whopper eggs)
12 ounces white chocolate chips
3 tablespoons sprinkles
Assorted food colors (I used purple, blue, pink, and green)

1. Combine popped popcorn, pretzels, M & Ms and eggs in a very large bowl.

2. Pour all but 1/2 cup of the white chocolate chips into a microwaveable bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth. Reserve the remaining chips in a small bowl to melt later.

3. Pour the melted white chocolate over the popcorn mix. Add the sprinkles and immediately stir to coat the entire mixture. It’s a little messy, but your hands really are the best tool to accomplish this! Lay the wet mixture out on wax paper to dry.

4. Melt the reserved half cup of chocolate chips in the microwave, then divide the melted chips evenly among four small bowls. Add a drop of purple, blue, pink or green (or whatever color you want) food coloring to each bowl and use a toothpick to stir until it reaches the desired color. Using a fork, drizzle each color over the popcorn mixture. Leave on wax paper to set up, then store it in a covered container until you’re ready to snack.

Mocha Snack Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

“Snack cake” is probably one of my favorite terms in all of food. Just the idea of a cake that was made for snacking is sort of hysterical to me. I mean, who really snacks on cake? Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have cake for a snack, but grapes and almonds are a much healthier 2 PM pick-me-up.

I would define a snack cake as one that is baked in a 9 x 13 pan, is simple to make, and can be kept on hand for a while to cut into squares for snacking dessert. There’s nothing fancy about a snack cake. It’s just no-frills, simple deliciousness. This mocha version with its yummy peanut butter frosting fits that definition on all fronts. The cake itself is incredibly moist, and the addition of the coffee highlights the flavor of the chocolate and makes it taste so rich. Although I wouldn’t typically pair peanut butter with coffee, the peanut butter cream cheese frosting adds a sweet tangy quality and works perfectly with the cake.

The only thing I’ll do differently next time I make this (which I definitely will) is double the frosting. I only had enough for a very thin layer of frosting, and I’m a girl that likes a pretty thick glob of the stuff. This cake would also be delicious with coffee buttercream. Yum!

Mocha Snack Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
slightly adapted from Taste of Home

For the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup brewed coffee, room temperature

For the frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

2. In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes. Stir in coffee (batter will be thin).

3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

4. For frosting, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter in a bowl until smooth. Beat in sugar, milk and vanilla. Spread over cooled cake. Store in the refrigerator.

2011 Christmas Cookies Recap

As you know, I recently got done sharing all of the Christmas treats I made for last year’s cookie trays. Last weekend, I spent an entire day baking cookies for our family, neighbors, and friends. It was exhausting and stressful, but it was also incredibly rewarding when Andrew, Will and I delivered overflowing trays of goodies to everyone earlier this week.

Rather than saving the cookie recipes to share with you next year, I thought I’d go ahead and write about them now. I’m doing this for a couple of reasons: 1. Because I’ve talked to some people who aren’t doing their holiday baking until tomorrow (Christmas Eve), and this may give those people a few yummy last minute ideas; and 2. Because I didn’t have the time to take a picture of each cookie individually. Frankly, while I was baking these cookies, I didn’t even have time to stop and eat. (Well, aside from the baked goods and cookie dough I was sampling all day long.)

Before I started baking last Sunday morning, I wrote out my agenda on my trusty chalkboard door:

By the end of the day, all of these items except for two were crossed off – and one additional item was added (but I’ll get to that in a minute). My failures were the peppermint fudge, which never sat up for me properly, and the soft sugar cookies. I tried baking three different batches of them, but they came out incredibly dry and sort of flavorless each time.

The rest, though, were absolutely delicious, and so far I’ve gotten tons of positive feedback on all of these things. I already told you about the hot cocoa mix and dipping spoons and the hot chocolate popcorn. Here’s the rest of what I made:

Buckeyes and pretzel turtles: These are yearly staples for me, and they always go over well with everyone. This year my sister dipped the Buckeyes for me, and she did a much better job than I ever do, so that’s totally her job from now on.

Mint chocolate chip cookie dough truffles: Everyone has loved these so far. More than one person has told me that it’s so fun to bite into a truffle and see something that looks like mint chocolate chip ice cream on the inside. They’re pretty tasty, but they don’t have quite enough mint flavor for me. Next time, I’d add an additional 1/4 teaspoon of mint extract.

Nutter Butter snowmen: Are these little guys cute or what?! I usually make Santas, but thought these snowmen would be a fun change. They’re basically candy, coated with candy, and decorated with more candy. Needless to say, they’ve been a huge hit, and well worth the time it took to make them (nearly two hours for one package of Nutter Butters)!

Rugelach: This was the first time I’ve ever made rugelach, so I picked a popular recipe that was pretty highly rated and sounded simple enough for me to make. Well, I must have good recipe-picking skills, because these were perfect. The dough is so lovely and flaky and not too sweet, and the filling of walnuts, chocolate chips, and cinnamon sugar is just absolutely scrumptious. Everyone loves these, and I’ve had multiple requests for the recipe.

Chocolate caramel cookies: These are similar to the Snickers cookies I’ve made before, except the cookie base is chocolate and they’re stuffed with a Rolo instead of a mini Snickers bar. These cookies are rich and sweet, with a nice caramel surprise in the middle.

Lofthouse sugar cookie bars with easy buttercream frosting: When the soft sugar cookies failed me thrice, I did a quick online search for something sugar cookie-ish that didn’t involve a dough that I could make quickly. Thankfully, I had everything on hand to make these. And although they were a last-minute addition to the cookie trays, they’re actually my favorite thing I made this year. They taste exactly like a Lofthouse cookie, with a sweet, silky frosting and the soft crunch of holiday sprinkles. LOVE.

Oatmeal butterscotch coconut cookies: Annie said these are the best oatmeal scotchies she’s ever tried, and I agree. They’re definitely the best ones I’ve ever had. The shredded coconut and toffee bits just take them to a completely new level. I only had quick-cooking oats on hand, so that’s what I used for the cookies, and they turned out just fine. This is one loaded, delicious cookie.

Red velvet crinkles: These cookies start with cake mix, so immediately I love them, because I love easy things like cake mixes when I’m baking cookies for AN ENTIRE DAY. I added 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the mix and left out the lemon zest, but otherwise made the cookies as indicated. They came together in minutes, and they’re so festive and pretty, with that familiar red velvet flavor everyone loves.

Hot chocolate triple chip cookies: Joe had his eye on these cookies before they’d even been baked, when they were still just raw balls of cookie dough sitting on baking trays. They were the first thing he tried when presented with all of my day’s efforts, and were definitely his favorite of all of this year’s offerings. These cookies are gigantic and rich. You can really taste the hot chocolate flavor in them. I loved them, too, but because I’m not a huge fan of white chocolate chips in cookies, I’ll probably replace those with another cup of milk chocolate chips when I make these again (and I will, because they’re almost gone, and Joe will soon be clamoring for another batch, I have no doubt).

Chocolate cherry blossoms: This is a change-up of the traditional peanut butter blossom. It’s a cherry cookie instead, with both cherry juice and chopped maraschino cherries in the base. I really liked these cookies. The texture is really soft, and the cherry flavor is definitely there, and strong enough that the Hershey’s Kiss doesn’t overpower it. I thought these were definitely the prettiest cookies of all the types I made.

Are you exhausted, just reading about all of this? I was definitely exhausted by the time I finished baking all of it on Sunday evening! It was so worth it, though, to be able to give plates of delicious baked goods to the people I care about. And even while I’m recovering from all that baking, I’m already thinking about what I’m going to make next year…

I want to wish all of you Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope your holiday is merry, bright, peaceful, and spent as every holiday should be: with the people you love the most in the world.

Two Weeks of Christmas Treats, Day 8: Christmas Pretzel Treats

There's really no recipe involved with either of these treats, but I still just have to share them with you. They're quick, easy, and adorable, and absolutely everyone loves them.

The classic version of this treat is made with a snap pretzel, a Rolo, and a pecan half. Simply top each pretzel with a Rolo, stick them on a baking sheet in the oven until the chocolates begin to soften, and then press a pecan half into the top of each one.

The version that I personally prefer replaces the Rolo with a miniature Reese cup, and the pecan with Christmas M & Ms. They're prepared the same way, but I think this version tastes even better. The pretzel/peanut butter/chocolate combination is just one of my very favorites!

You are literally minutes away from a delicious treat that you can make a lot of in very little time, so these are perfect if you've left your baking for the last minute. What are some other variations for these treats you can think of?

Two Weeks of Christmas Treats, Day 6: Nutter Butter Santas

Three words: Nutter. Butter. Santas.

How cute are these guys? Again, I’ve posted about these before, but I thought they deserved another mention here. I’d never seen these before I started dating my husband. His grandma makes these for Christmas every year, and now I’ve copied off of her, and I make them too. They’re adorable, and kids and grown-ups alike just love them.

They do take some time to make, but they’re not hard to make by any means. They require very little effort, and they are just so cute that they’re more than worth it.

Nutter Butter Santas

2 packages white baking chocolate, chopped
1 package Nutter Butter sandwich cookies
Red sugar
32 white chocolate chips
64 miniature sweet or semisweet chocolate chips
32 red hot candies

1. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt white chocolate, stirring occasionally.

2. Dip one end of each cookie into melted chocolate. Place on wire racks. For Santa's hat, sprinkle red sugar on top part of chocolate. Place one white chocolate chip off-center on hat for pom-pom; let stand until set.

3. Dip other end of each cookie into melted chocolate for beard, leaving center of cookie uncovered. Place on wire racks.

4. With a dab of melted chocolate, attach semisweet chips for eyes and a red hot for nose.

5. Place on waxed paper until chocolate sets.

Two Weeks of Christmas Treats, Day 4: Buckeyes

I’ve seen these treats simply called “peanut butter balls,” and I know the fact that I refer to them as buckeyes is purely because I live where I do. The buckeye is Ohio’s state tree (and also the name of our college football team, of course!), and these treats were given their name because of their resemblance to the buckeye nut. Although the ones from the trees aren’t edible, thankfully these are – and they’re delicious.

Buckeyes, hands down, are my favorite Christmas treat. They remind me of my childhood, when we’d go to my grandma’s for Christmas every year and my aunt would make a huge plate of buckeyes for the dessert table. It was something I looked forward to every single Christmas. Even today, when I make my own buckeyes (using my aunt’s recipe!), they still don’t taste as good as hers.

Not all buckeyes are created equal. Homemade ones are vastly superior to the packaged ones you can get at the store. The type of peanut butter is important for these, too; don’t use natural peanut butter, and don’t use a generic brand. Normally I’m all about generics, but the flavor of the peanut butter is really important in these treats. I prefer using Jif, but I've also used Skippy for these with good results.

This will be the first year Andrew will help me make our buckeyes. Rolling all those peanut butter balls can get a bit time-consuming, but I’m betting the time will fly when I have him in the kitchen helping me.

A note about the recipe: You’ll probably only need around 4 cups of chocolate chips to dip the peanut butter balls in, but I strongly suggest you melt even more chocolate than you need. When you get to the last few, it’ll be hard to get enough chocolate to cover the peanut butter. You can save the leftover chocolate for another recipe if you don’t want to waste it.

Buckeyes
from my aunt

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 cup softened butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl, blend peanut butter, butter, and vanilla until smooth and well-combined. Add powdered sugar and mix well.

2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Combine chocolate chips and vegetable oil. Melt in the microwave in 20-second increments until smooth, stirring after each interval.

4. Using a tooth pick, dip each peanut butter ball in melted chocolate, leaving a portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like buckeyes.

5. Refrigerate until serving. Makes 4 to 5 dozen buckeyes, depending on size.

Butterfinger Blondies with Butterfinger Cream Cheese Frosting

Ah, Halloween. The one day each year when children dress up in adorable costumes and go beg for candy for their parents to eat. It’s a magical, magical day.

I’m hoping we get lots of the “good candy” so I can make these blondies again. You know the difference between “good candy” and “bad candy,” right? Good candy = Butterfingers, Snickers, Kit Kats, etc. Bad candy = individually wrapped hard candies, generic chocolates wrapped in foil. Good candy = a cupboard stocked with sweet treats for months. Bad candy = a careful inspection to make sure it’s still fully sealed, and most likely a trip to the trash can just in case.

These blondies are a perfect use for the good candy. I think you could replace the Butterfingers in the recipe with just about any type of candy bar you can think of – Snickers, Kit Kats, Twix, Nestle Crunch...they’d all taste amazing in this application. I’d much rather use the Halloween haul in recipes like this, just so I don’t have it all sitting around for the next few months, begging me to eat it. Recipes like this get rid of a lot of it at once, which is good.

Plus? These blondies are delicious. Truly, amazingly delicious. “I think I’ll eat three of them” delicious. And that’s just the blondies; don’t even get me started on the frosting.

(P.S. These candy bar cookies are another great use for Halloween candy.)

Butterfinger Blondies with Butterfinger Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Cookies and Cups

For the blondies:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups coarsely chopped Butterfinger bars (about 16 “fun size” bars)

For the frosting:

1 stick butter at room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped Butterfinger bars (about 4 “fun size” bars)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. For the blondies, cream butter and sugars in mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated.

3. On low add the dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking soda) until just combined. Stir in the chopped Butterfingers.

4. Spread in a 9 × 13 baking dish and bake for 25 minutes until center is just set. Remove from oven and cool completely.

5. For the frosting, mix together butter, cream cheese and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add powdered sugar to desired consistency. Stir in Butterfingers and spread frosting over cooled blondies.

Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Fudge Cake

I typically try to bake something every weekend. I usually never know what I’m going to bake until I wake up on Saturday morning, though; it just depends on what I’m in the mood for. One weekend when I was looking through all of my bookmarked recipes, I realized I was missing at least one ingredient for every single thing that sounded good. So I moved on to my cookbooks, and that’s where I ultimately found this gem of a recipe. I had everything on hand, so it seemed like the perfect treat to make for my family.

I’ve seen (and bookmarked) lots of recipes for slow-cooker desserts, but I’d never tried one myself. I was happy with both the ease of this recipe, and with the result. I’ve since made it again, with a couple of modifications, and it’s been really well-received by everyone who’s tried it.

This is a lot like a pudding cake, so the chocolate is poured in on top of the cake mixture, but the cake mixture “floats” to the top while the chocolate becomes the sauce. The cake itself is moist, and the chocolate sauce is rich and decadent. The peanut butter flavor is subtle, but not overwhelmed by the chocolate. This cake is definitely best served warm right out of the slow cooker with a dollop of whipped cream, and it is a divine dessert.

Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Fudge Cake
adapted from Taste of Home

1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup peanut butter (do not use reduced fat)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 cup boiling water
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for serving

1. In a large bowl, combine the milk, peanut butter, oil and vanilla; beat until well blended. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar, flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture until blended. Spread evenly into a 1 1/2-quart slow cooker coated with cooking spray.

2. In a small bowl, combine the cocoa and remaining sugar; stir in boiling water. Pour into slow cooker. Do not stir.

3. Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted near the center of comes out clean. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Chocolate Peanutella Chocolate Chip Cookies

Really, these are chocolate peanut butter Nutella chocolate chip cookies, but I like the sound of “peanutella.” A fun and delicious new word!

And were these cookies ever delicious. I made them on a day when I was craving cookies but had very limited ingredients in the house. Most significantly, I wanted Nutella chocolate chip cookies but I only had one egg, so my usual recipe wouldn’t fly. I quickly found another recipe that called for only one egg, so I was good to go. When I was grabbing the Nutella from the cupboard, I saw the peanut butter, and I thought, Why not?

Nutella and peanut butter were absolutely made for each other, and they work so well together in these cookies. They have a flavor that is out of this world and a perfect texture, too. Joe declared them the best cookies I’d ever made, and they held that title until they were overtaken by the red velvet chocolate chip cookie sandwiches I made recently (recipe coming soon).

These cookies are sinfully delicious and decadent, and you should rush to the kitchen and make them as soon as you can. If your pantry looks anything like mine, you probably already have all of these ingredients on hand. :)

Chocolate Peanutella Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Lovin’ From the Oven

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1. Mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside dry ingredients.

2. Cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in Nutella and peanut butter and vanilla extract. Mix in egg.

3. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Add chocolate chips.

4. Chill for at least 1 hour.

5. Drop tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes until the edges look set. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then carefully remove to cooling racks.

One year ago: Classic fried rice

Saturdays with Rachael Ray: Nut and Honey Smoothie

My sons and I have smoothies as part of our breakfast almost every weekday morning. They’re such a perfect breakfast for us. They’re portable and healthy and I can sneak extra nutrition into them without the boys ever knowing the difference (some things I’ve tried with success, FYI: spinach, shredded zucchini, and cooked cooled carrots). I’m always on the lookout for new recipes, so when I saw this smoothie in an older issue of Rachael’s magazine, I was all over it. Andrew and Will are peanut butter fanatics, so I knew this would be right up their alley.

To me, a smoothie just isn’t a smoothie without yogurt in it. I realize I may be alone in my thinking here, but I always, always put yogurt in my smoothies. So I add a container of low-fat vanilla yogurt to these, and I love the texture and flavor it adds. I also use a combination of almonds and peanuts instead of just almonds. The boys go nuts for these smoothies – Andrew calls them “peanut butter sandwich smoothies,” which is super cute – and I’ve made them countless times now. I toast the nuts the night before and whip up the smoothies quickly before we head out the door in the morning. I’ve also added a banana to them, which is really good.

You probably have all the ingredients on hand for these already, so give them a shot! And be sure to check out Taste and Tell’s Saturdays with Rachael Ray for more great recipes!

Nut and Honey Smoothie
adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, toasted
1 6-ounce container low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups ice cubes
A few splashes of milk

Using a blender, mix the almonds, peanuts, yogurt, peanut butter and honey on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the ice cubes and blend until slushy, about 15 seconds. Add a few splashes of milk if smoothie is too thick.

Peanut Butter Cookies

It happens to all of us: an undeniable, overwhelming craving for a certain food. It happens to me quite often, actually. If it’s a savory dish I’m craving, I put it on the coming week’s menu. But if it’s a sweet craving – well, it’s harder for me to wait.

One of the cravings that hit me recently was for a peanut butter cookie. Just a simple, classic, chewy, peanut buttery cookie, fork marks and all. Believe it or not, I had never made these cookies myself (yes, really! Do I lose my food blogger's license?), so I didn’t have a tried-and-true recipe to use. My mom made them all the time, but I couldn’t find her recipe in her collection. So I chose this recipe on a whim, and thankfully, it was a winner.

I don’t know what else I can really say about these cookies. They’re delicious, and take me back to when I was a kid and my mom would serve these to my brother and me, hot from the oven, drizzled with melted chocolate in the fork marks. I did the same thing with my cookies and my children, and it was such a happy memory, and such a yummy cookie.

Peanut Butter Cookies
slightly adapted from Allrecipes

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup finely chopped unsalted peanuts
Semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.

2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Fold in peanuts. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern. Bake in a preheated 375-degree oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake. Remove to a wire rack.

4. Add chocolate chips to a plastic bag with a touch of vegetable oil to make it smooth. Melt in 30-second increments until completely melted. Snip a corner in the bag and trace chocolate into the fork marks on the cookies.

One year ago: Zucchini banana chocolate chip muffins

Crock Pot Asian Peanut Butter Pork

My entire family really likes savory sauces made with peanut butter, so as soon as I saw this recipe I knew I’d be trying it. Any time I can tell my boys “It has peanut butter in it,” I know they’ll gobble up their dinner, and that always makes for a good evening in our house.

We all really enjoyed the flavors of this meal, and the part we didn’t like was completely and totally my fault, not the recipe’s. I cooked the pork too long (as you can probably tell from the photo) and the sauce got way too thick and heavy-tasting. I usually find Crock pot recipes very forgiving regarding the length of time to cook them, but that wasn’t the case this time. And I’d say it’s really important to give the pork a stir every once in a while, if you can. I didn’t (because I worked the day I made this), and the sauce on top was very brown.

That said, though, this was really flavorful. Joe actually wished there was more peanut butter, but I thought it was the perfect amount. And the boys asked for seconds, which is a sure-fire way to get a meal back on the menu in our house.

I served this with a frozen blend of Asian-style vegetables and white rice. Taking a hint from this recipe, I stirred peanuts into the rice to provide some texture, and we thought that was delicious.

Crock Pot Asian Peanut Butter Pork
seen on The Picky Apple and originally from A Year of Slow Cooking

1.5-2 pound pork tenderloin
1 onion, sliced in rings
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

1. Add onion slices to the bottom of the Crock pot and top with pork. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, water, garlic, and peanut butter.

2. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 6. One hour before serving, flip the meat over in the Crock pot to allow the other side to soak up the sauce. Garnish with chopped peanuts, if desired.

One year ago: Roasted broccoli or cauliflower

Peanut Butter Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze

In my humble opinion, the doughnut pan is one of the greatest inventions in the realm of baking equipment. Ever. I mean, what a genius idea, right? A pan you can use to bake doughnuts instead of frying them. Why, it almost makes doughnuts healthy! (…Okay, I know. That’s a stretch. But at least it’s healthier than deep-frying.)

I bought myself a doughnut pan for Easter, and then promptly…didn’t use it. I just never got around to it for some reason. But then one morning this post showed up in my Reader. And I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. These doughnuts were calling to me, and it was a call I was going to answer.

These doughnuts were delicious. The doughnuts themselves are cakey, rich, and peanut-buttery, but the glaze is what really did me in. I could have eaten it with a spoon. It tastes exactly like the chocolate glaze that comes on doughnut-shop doughnuts. I made these for us as a special weekend treat, and we all just loved them!

(By the way, if you’re in the market for a doughnut pan, this is the one I bought, and I love it. Although while I was searching for it to share the link, I saw this…and now I want it, too. One can never have too many doughnut-making-implements, right?)

Baked Peanut Butter Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze
from Fake Ginger

1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a doughnut pan.

2. Using a mixer, combine peanut butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in milk, oil, vanilla, and egg; mix.

3. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt over top of peanut butter mixture. Use mixer to blend until just combined. Transfer to a pastry bag with a large, round tip (or a zip top bag) and pipe into doughnut pan.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until doughnuts are golden brown and spring back when touched. Flip onto a wire rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before glazing.

5. To make the glaze, whisk together melted butter and cocoa powder. Once the cocoa powder has melted into the butter, add milk, corn syrup, vanilla, and powdered sugar; whisk. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more milk.

6. Dip the doughnuts into the glaze and allow the glaze to set about 30 minutes before serving. Makes 6 doughnuts.

Frozen Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bananas

I’m adopting a new strategy when it comes to the heat: I’m going to stop complaining about it. It seems like that’s all I’ve been doing lately, but it’s not helping anything, so I’m going to just stop. Maybe if the heat thinks it’s not getting to me anymore, the heat will lay off a little bit. Because it’s not necessary for it to be this oppressive. It’s just not.

Instead of complaining, I’m going to sit back with one of these frozen bananas and try to stay cool. And if there ever was a snack to help you stay cool on these hot summer days, this is it. And it couldn’t be simpler. Chop a banana in half, drizzle it with melted peanut butter and sprinkle it with chocolate chips, and then freeze it until it’s really cold. It’s a semi-healthy, quick, and delicious snack. When you freeze a banana, it takes on the texture of ice cream, and it’s such a fun treat. My boys go nuts for these.

I didn’t have any popsicle sticks on hand, but that would be a great way to enjoy these. We just went at them with our hands. Messy, but so delicious we didn’t care.

Frozen Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bananas
adapted from Keep’n the Faith

Peeled bananas
Melted peanut butter
Miniature chocolate chips

Cut each banana in half and drizzle with melted peanut butter. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Freeze for a few hours before serving. Let soften about 5 minutes before eating.

Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread Muffins

My oldest son really loves baking with me, and he’s at an age where he’s able to help me a lot more. I usually bake something every weekend and he’s always right there with me, pulling a chair in from the dining room, saying, “What we makin’ today, Mommy? I help you!” When I told him one weekend that we were making peanut butter cup banana bread muffins, I rendered him speechless. So many of his favorite things, all in one treat – it was probably the pinnacle of his young life.

These muffins really are pretty incredible. The banana bread base is moist and flavorful on its own, but the addition of peanut butter cups just takes these muffins over the top. They were a huge hit with both of my boys and my husband. And to his credit, Andrew didn’t steal too many of the peanut butter cup pieces for snacking. He is three, though, so some product loss was to be expected. :)

Peanut Butter Cup Banana Bread Muffins
adapted from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody

2 cups granulated sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
4 very ripe large bananas
4 eggs, well beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
10 regular sized peanut butter cups, chopped into small pieces and coated in 1 tablespoon of flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 12-cup muffin tins or line them with paper liners.

2. Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and bananas and beat until uniformly blended.

3. Sift together the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until you cannot longer see any of the dry ingredients. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in candy pieces.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.