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Archive for the ‘Peanut Butter’ Category

Rice Krispy Treat Bark

Posted in Bar Desserts, Candy, Chocolate, Dessert, Peanut Butter, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 19, 2013 | 12 Comments »

rice kriispy treat bark on overtimecook

Today’s post is really good timing.

And no, I don’t mean that this is a fabulous last minute Purim treat if you’re still stuck on what to make for your Mishloach Manot (purim basket). Although it totally is a fabulous purim treat…etc.

The reason this post is very timely is that there was in an interesting discussion on Facebook recently regarding recipe sources and credits and things. And the question came up if there’s a possibility of complete coincidences in recipes.

The answer? Yes. How do I know? Because of this recipe. Before I explain, let me say that recipe attribution is a very important issue, and one I feel very passionate about. But sometimes, two people might just have similar ideas, independently. And the proof is in the bark.

Recently, I mentioned to my friend Carla that I made rice krispy treat bark. She was floored. “So did I!” I had just finished wrapping up my photo shoot, so I asked her for details. Turns out, our ideas weren’t exactly the same, but the idea was similar. Total coincidence. (Or, as I like to think of it, great dessert minds think alike!) Anyway, after you scroll down to look at my version of this fun treat, click here to see what Carla came up with.

Anyway, for a chocolate peanut butter snack that’s as addictive as you’ll ever find, try this. You can thank me later.

rice kriispy treat bark 1

Rice Krispy Treat Bark

Ingredients:

for the rice krispy treat layer:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

2 cups mini marshmallows

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2 1/2 cups rice krispies

to assemble: 

10 ounces chocolate

Instructions:

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a pot over medium heat, melt the margarine or butter. Add the marshmallows and stir until melted. Add the peanut butter and stir until melted and everything is combined.

Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the rice krispies. Stir well until combined and all of the rice krispies have been coated.

Pour the rice krispies mixture onto the prepared pan and spread into a very thin layer. Set aside to cool completely.

Once the rice krispies are completely hardened, assemble the bark. Break the rice krispie treats up into small pieces. Set aside.

Line a pan (about 9×13 inches, but that isn’t too specific) with parchment paper and set aside.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler and pour onto the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the rice krispie treat pieces. Set aside until chocolate is hardened.

Once the chocolate has set, break the bark into pieces.

Enjoy!

rice krispy treat bark 2

Thanks for coming by people! Enjoy this completely addictive treat. Come back soon for more fun and delicious recipes! – Miriam PS: don’t forget to enter my giveaway! 

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Brownie Bites with Peanut Butter Frosting

Posted in Bar Desserts, Chocolate, Dessert, Peanut Butter, tagged , , , , on January 22, 2013 | 47 Comments »

brownie bites 1

I recently came to an awful realization. I’ve been a horribly neglectful blogger.

I am sorry. Really, I am. But this blog is almost a year and a half old, and to date, I only have one brownie recipe posted. Two, if you count my brownie pies. But clearly that isn’t enough. I mean, is there even such a thing as “enough” brownies? I don’t think so either. 

I realized this as I was going to sleep late on Saturday night. (And if you stalk my Instagram feed, you know that was about a million o’clock, when most of you were probably near waking up.) Anyway, I rectified the situation less than 24 hours later.

And I think I made up for over a year of no brownie posts with these amazing treats. Let’s look closer, shall we?

First, I made them mini. Because we have established many times over that me and mini are like peanut butter and jelly. Or peanut butter and chocolate, as the case may be. Next, I made these super fudgy and delicious, but I also made a simple recipe that can actually be done without a mixer.

Next, I topped these brownies with peanut butter cream cheese frosting. Let’s let that sink in. Peanut. Butter. Cream. Cheese. Frosting. Because everyone knows that houses in heaven are actually made of chocolate and peanut butter molded together into delicious beauty.

Anyway, the reviews are in. Or they would be, if my tasters wouldn’t be so busy stuffing their faces with cream and grabbing for another one.

Go ahead. Make these. Then keep making them for a year. I’ll try to post some more brownies meanwhile.

brownie bites 2

Brownie Bites:

Adapted from Hershey’s

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a mini muffin pan well and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, or in a large bowl with a whisk, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and eggs, stirring well to combine after each addition. Beat until the mixture is creamy.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Stir into wet mixture and beat to combine.

Use a small cookie scoop or a half tablespoon measuring spoon to drop the brownie batter into the prepared muffin pan.

Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes, until set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before turning the pan over to unmold.

Set brownie bites aside to cool completely before frosting them.

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:

Ingredients:

1/2 stick (1/4 cup)  butter or margarine

4 ounces (1/2 container) cream cheese or tofutti cream cheese

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter/margarine, cream cheese and peanut butter until combined. Add the powdered sugar and beat until creamy.

Spoon or pipe frosting on top of cooled brownies. To get the look in the picture, use a wilton 1M piping tip.

Enjoy!

brownie bites 3

Thanks for stopping by folks! Hope you adore these brownies! I know I promised you some exciting news last week, and it’s totally coming. Stay tuned… -Miriam PS- are we connecting on Facebook yet? No?! Why not?


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Baked Peanut Butter or Nutella Donuts

Posted in Breakfast, Chocolate, Dairy, Dessert, Holiday, Nuts, Peanut Butter, Super-Easy, Traditional, tagged , , , , , , , , , on December 5, 2012 | 13 Comments »

baked donuts

Remember how I recently discussed how hard I find the process of making decisions? Well tonight’s post is basically a post script to that one, because if you thought deciding between pecan pie or brownies was hard, imagine trying to decide between chocolate glazed peanut butter donuts or glazed nutella (chocolate hazelnut) donuts! I know, it totally boggles the mind.

Well I, for one, don’t believe in making such difficult decisions. So I thought to myself…why choose?

Yep, that’s right. I made both peanut butter donuts and nutella donuts. Which means, if you think about it, that these donuts are super easy to make. Because I started making them late at night, and still had time and patience to make a second batch.

Psst! Looking for traditional fried donuts for Hannukah? Well, I’ve got you covered!

So, will you make both? Or pick one of these? Either way, you can’t really go wrong. My tasters raved about how these are as good as fried donuts. Plus they are practically health food because they’re baked. And mini.

baked donuts 4

Chocolate Glazed Peanut Butter Baked Donuts:

adapted from Fake Ginger

This recipe makes very little, so I recommend doubling it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon milk or soy-milk

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

for the glaze:

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla exract

1 Tablespoon milk or soy milk

optional finely chopped peanuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a mini donut pan and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the peanut butter and sugar and set aside.

Add in the milk, oil, vanilla and egg. Beat to combine. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour the mixture into a resealable bag or a piping bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Pipe the mixture into the donut pan, filling the cavity about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Place in the oven and bake at 325 for 5-6 minutes, until the top springs back when touched. Remove donuts from the pan, and set aside to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

To make the glaze, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir to combine. Dip cooled donuts into the glaze, then sprinkle with finely chopped peanuts, if using. Allow the glaze to set before serving.

baked donuts

Glazed Chocolate Hazelnut Baked Donuts

adapted from the recipe above

This recipe makes very little, so I recommend doubling it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup nutella or chocolate hazelnut spread (for a non-dairy option, I use Shneider’s Delinut)

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon milk or soy-milk

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

for the glaze: 

1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar

2 Tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread

1 T milk

1 1 Tablespoon water

1 Tablespoon corn syrup

optional chocolate sprinkles

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a mini donut pan and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the nutella and sugar and set aside.

Add in the milk, oil, vanilla and egg. Beat to combine. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until evenly distributed.

Pour the mixture into a resealable bag or a piping bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Pipe the mixture into the donut pan, filling the cavity about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Place in the oven and bake at 325 for 5-7 minutes, until the top springs back when touched. Remove donuts from the pan, and set aside to cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

To make the glaze, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and stir to combine. Dip cooled donuts into the glaze, then sprinkle with sprinkles, if using. Allow the glaze to set before serving.

Note: to use a full size donut pan, bake either recipe for 8-10 minutes. 

Enjoy!

baked donuts

Look how I just freed you from making a tough decision! You can thank me later.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you all make these donuts, but for a seriously decadent, fried chanukah treat, come back soon…and save up your calories- it’s worth it! -Miriam

PS: Did you enter the fabulous giveaway I have going on?

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Cookie Dough Thumbprint Cookies and a Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook Review

Posted in Chocolate, Cookbook Reviews, Cookies, Dessert, Peanut Butter, tagged , , , , , , on July 4, 2012 | 18 Comments »

I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am to have been given the opportunity to review The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook, by Lindsay Landis (of Love and Olive Oil Fame). I have been a fan of Lindsay’s for ages, and from the minute I picked up this book I was amazed by her creativity and ideas.

At First Glance:

I loved this cookbook from the moment I picked it up. Before I even read any of the recipes, I noticed that the pictures (all taken by Lindsay herself- speak of talented!) are unbelievably eye-catching and drool-inducing. It’s hard to look at this cookbook when you’re on a diet (trust me, I had to do it!) because you will want to make every single thing in it. And you won’t like not being able to taste any of it.

Regarding the recipes, the first thing I noticed was how amazingly versatile this cookbook is. You’d think that when limiting your recipes to cookie dough-centric ones, you won’t have much of a variety. Well, if you are skeptical, this cookbook will prove you wrong. Lindsay goes where nobody has gone before, putting cookie dough into things that most of us can only gape at open-mouthed. Cookie dough creme brulee? I wouldn’t have thought of it, but count me in!

Once you start reading, you notice that quite different from the dry and contrived introductions in some cookbooks, Lindsay injects humor into the introductions, giving you just one more reason to start baking immediately.

Some Features I Liked:

As I mentioned before, this cookbook has absolutely beautiful pictures. However, as a very visual person, I particularly appreciated that every recipe in this book has a picture. A gorgeous picture that helps you see exactly what you are getting yourself into.

I also love that the cookbook has recipes for all occasions. Again, when every recipe includes cookie dough, you might not expect fancy desserts for special occasions, but treats like the aforementioned creme brulee and chocolate cookie dough tarts are beautiful and definitely worthy of special occasions.

Another thing I loved about this cookbook was the variety of cookie dough flavors. Sure, we all think of chocolate chip cookie dough first, but I sure won’t say no to peanut butter cookie dough, sugar cookie dough, or other great flavors that Lindsay includes in her book.

Some Recipes I Can’t Wait To Try:

Soft Sugar cookies with cookie dough frosting: These look like those amazing soft sugar cookies you see all over the internet, except the frosting isn’t some plain old boring pastel colored concoction, but it’s actually made out of cookie dough. Of course.

Cookie Dough Stuffed Chocolate Cupcakes: Does this even need an explanation? Chocolate Cupcakes. Filled with cookie dough. Heaven help me and my dieting soul.

Invisible Cookie Dough Ice Pops: it’s summer and cookie dough turns into an ice pop. You know you want that.

Chocolate chip cookie dough balls: they’re the recipe that inspired the book. You know they have to be super awesome.

Who This Cookbook Is For:

Obviously, anyone who loves cookie dough. More specifically, anyone who loves cookie dough and wants to make some awesome desserts which incorporate cookie dough into them.

Who This Cookbook Isn’t For:

Anyone who doesn’t love cookie dough. Do such people even exist?

Also, anyone who is looking for an all around dessert cookbook for general purpose use will not find what they are looking for in this cookbook.

Lastly, anyone who is on a diet should stay far away from this cookbook. Or torture yourself. Either way, this book doesn’t contain diet-friendly recipes.

What I Didn’t Like About This Cookbook:

Like I said, I love this cookbook. My main complaint about it is not about this cookbook in particular, but any highly focused cookbook like this one. While this cookbook features an unbelievable array of cookie dough desserts, at the end of the day, they are all cookie dough. As amazing as they are, they do seem to run together in my head after a while.

I think the only other real complaint I have about this is in the nature of the cookbook. Being that many of these recipes require cookie dough to be made in addition to the other parts of the recipe, there is often a totally extra step to the recipes. Worth it, but extra.

The only other (very small) issue I have is that there are some recipes that use special equipment like a candy thermometer that some people don’t have. Again, it’s a small issue, as most recipes don’t require anything special to make them.

My final issue with this book is, as I mentioned, there’s nothing remotely dietetic in it. Honestly, I completely expected that from a dessert cookbook, but thought I would throw this out there.

Conclusion:

This is an incredibly innovative and gorgeous cookbook, with recipes that look amazing and taste better. Anyone with a special place in their heart for cookie dough really needs to own this book.

Disclaimer: I was provided a review copy of this cookbook at no charge. Opinions are my own.

Cookie Dough Thumbprint Cookies:

From The Cookie Dough Lover’s Cookbook

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup (one stick) butter or margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar for rolling

For the Cookie Dough Filling:

2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon cream or rich-whip

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Optional melted chocolate, for drizzling

Instructions:

To make cookies:

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the peanut butter, butter/margarine and sugars until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.

Beat in the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Slowly add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until ingredients are just incorporated.

Roll 1 inch balls of dough into the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until evenly coated. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart from each other. Using your thumb or the back of a teaspoon, make a small indentation in the cookie.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set. Let cool for one minute, then further define the indentation with the back of a spoon. Transfer cookies to a cookie sheet to cool completely.

To Prepare filling:

Beat together the peanut butter, butter or margarine and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in flour, cocoa powder and salt on low speed. Add the cream and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop a teaspoon of dough onto the center of the cooled cookies, then smooth the top into a dome and press in slightly to adhere to the cookie. If desired, drizzle melted chocolate over the finished cookies.

Enjoy!

Thanks everyone for stopping by! I have an amazing guest post coming up for you soon, so stay tuned! -Miriam

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Party Pictures and Goodies Round Up

Posted in Bar Desserts, Bundt Cake, Cake, Candy, Cheesecake/Dairy Desserts, Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert, Fruit, Life on the side, Muffins/Cupcakes, No-Bake Dessert, Party, Peanut Butter, Pies/Tarts on May 14, 2012 | 33 Comments »

There are no recipe in this post, so if that’s all you’re here for, sorry to disappoint. However, I am going to show you what I made for my sister’s engagement party and how I displayed it. Partially as an explanation of why I disappeared for a couple of weeks, and partially in case you want ideas of something to make for a party.

Edit: by request, I have added freezability (I don’t think that’s a real word) information to each item. Please comment or email me for more details.

(Excuse the poor quality of the pictures. By the time I had finished setting up I had a very short window of time to take them before people arrived and started to demolish the treats.)

Firstly, the set-up. My mother, together with a family friend who helped with the arrangements got the tablecloths and arranged for people to make real foods. My job was the desserts. I set them up on three tables.

First:

Second:

And third:

Now, let’s break it down. I will show you close up pictures and links (if I have them!). Here goes:

On the first table:

Mini Double Chocolate Trifles – I made these pretty much the same as the link, except that I piped the cream on the top differently. They were very popular, as always.
Freezer info: I made these the day of the event, using brownie scraps from the heart shaped brownies, below.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting – While these were the dreamy kind of delicious, I think the presentation made a big difference here. I bought these cupcake liners from wilton, alternated black and white, then I colored fondant black, rolled it out, and stamped out the letters “mazel tov.” (For my non-jewish readers, that is the traditional greeting when someone gets engaged. It would also work with congratulations, or some other relevant phrase.)
Freezer info: I made the cupcakes in advance and froze them. I made the frosting the day of the event. I made the fondant cupcake toppers a couple of days before the party and kept them in an airtight container.

Mocha Bundt Cake with Coffee Glaze – this is a family favorite that I somehow never posted. (Must remedy that soon!) It looked nicer in real life than it does here, I promise!
Freezer info: I made the cake well in advance and froze it. I made the glaze a couple of days early and kept it in the fridge.

Glazed Raspberry Cookies – As I state in the original post, these are beautiful and easy to make. What more could I ask for?
Freezer info: I made and glazed these in advance, and froze them.

Triple Chocolate Oreo Chunk Cookies – Easy and delicious- real crowd pleasers!
Freezer info: I made and froze these in advance.

Mini Mocha Cheesecakes with Oreo Crumb Crust – One of the options on the original post was to bake them in mini muffin pans. Perfect size for a party, plus everyone adores this recipe.
Freezer info: I made these and drizzled melted chocolate over them and froze them completed.

Almond Covered Sugar Cookies – I had extra roll out sugar cookie dough from the royal icing cookies, so I rolled it out, brushed it with an egg, sprinkled sliced almonds on it, dusted it with cinnamon and sugar and baked it. Simple and yummy!
Freezer info: I made these in advance and froze them.

Cannolis (for lack of a better word) – I used store-bought (don’t tell anyone!) wafer shells, dipped them in melted chocolate, then filled them with sweetened whipped cream. Needless to say, these were super popular.
Freezer info: I made these in advance and froze them. In fact, the freezer helped these keep their piped details nicer.

Next table…

The centerpiece of this table (and possibly of the whole buffet) were the royal icing cookie hanging from the branches you see in the center. I will be dedicating an entire post to those, so we will go right on to…

Cappuccino Cookie Cups – I made them exactly like the recipe, but I wanted to tell you a funny story. These were in the magazine the week of the party, ( I had actually made the cookies in advance and put them in the freezer, then stuck the cream on the day of the event.) Someone told me that she also saw them in the magazine and was thinking to try them. I was like “yeah, I wrote that.” I am a showoff at times, I guess I can’t help it.
Freezer info above.

Mini Cherry Pies – I plan to post the full recipe eventually (along with some pictures that actually do these beauties justice!) but for now, here’s a link to my pie crust recipe, and a tutorial on making good pie crust.
Freezer info: I made these in advance and froze them.

Chocolate Covered Oatmeal Bars – Again, easy, delicious and pretty. Are you noticing a theme here?
Freezer info: made these in advance and froze them whole. I should have cut them up before freezing. Learn from my mistakes!

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Candy Bars – I have to post the recipe one of these days, these were super yummy, and no bake to boot!
Freezer info: I made these and froze them whole. Bad idea. See above.

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies – These were my first venture into the world of shortbread, and I definitely plan to be back, with all kinds of awesome variations. Their flaky texture is amazing.
Freezer info: I froze these already dipped in chocolate.

And finally, the last table. There was actually one thing on this table that I didn’t make (shocking, I know. But it was a gift and we had to put it out.)

Heart Shaped Brownies – The recipe isn’t as important as how I decorated them. I baked the brownies in a wider pan, so they were more shallow than average. Then I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts. The glaze is the same as the one I used for the raspberry cookies. I don’t know why I didn’t get a picture where you could actually see how gorgeous they were, so you will just have to take my word for it. Or make them and see for yourself.
Freezer info: I made these and glazed them and froze them after the glaze set. And I used the scraps for the trifles.

Rugelach – Another recipe which I will have to post eventually. Though these don’t really need an introduction or an explanation.
Freezer info: I made these in advance and froze them.

Nutella Puff Pastry Roll Ups – These Nutella Puff Pastry Pockets were one of the most popular posts ever on my blog. I decided to take them and make something bite sized and a little bit prettier out of them. This is what I came up with. As you can imagine, they were as popular at the party as on the blog.
Freezer info: I made these in advance and froze them.

The fourth compartment was filled with a wafer cake that someone sent from a bakery. I won’t glorify it with any more blog space.

Now on to the items directly on the table:

Vanilla Bundt Cake – another family favorite which I somehow never posted. It’s actually a real favorite of my sister (the bride) so I decided to make it. Those are pink sugar pearls decorating the top.
freezer info: I made the cake in advance and froze it. I made the glaze a couple of days in advance and refrigerated it. I decorated it the night before the party.

Maple Sandwich Cookies with Toasted Pecans – I made these mostly because they are so impressive looking, but you wouldn’t believe how wild people were over them. Not until you taste them, then you’ll be totally in love too. With a cookie. It happens.
Freezer info: I made these in advance and froze them whole.

Mini Maple Bundt Cakes with Bourbon Glaze and Toasted Pecans – Yep, these are every bit as good as they sound. You’ll have to take my word on that, because the recipe is my original one and I haven’t posted it yet. I’ll get there. Eventually.
Freezer info: as with the other bundt cakes, I froze the cake, refrigerated the glaze and put it all together the night before.

Anyway…that’s pretty much what kept me busy for the two weeks following passover. That and the cookies I hope to post next. And buying a new dress to wear, picking out paper goods, borrowing and collecting props, and some other things, such as working 9 hours a day and commuting 3 hours a day. No biggie.

Hope you get some good ideas from my insanity! Come back soon for the royal icing cookies, plus some super delicious recipes! -Miriam

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies

Posted in Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert, Peanut Butter, Super-Easy on February 8, 2012 | 11 Comments »

I spent my first year after high school in a fairly well supervised school dorm. Lunch was provided to us at school, and suppers were served in a large lunch room in the second floor of the school building. Breakfast was where we had a little leeway. Each Sunday we had to give in a grocery list of items we wanted for the week’s breakfast. The list was typically comprised of bread, fruit, oatmeal and cereal. Snacks, however, weren’t provided by the school.

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. And as poor students, there was certainly a necessity for free snacks. So we got creative. We improvised. We discovered that the folks in charge of our grocery order didn’t differentiate between bran flakes and other such healthy cereals and total junk.

And so, by way of having our school buy us snacks, we included all kinds of sugary, junky, completely nutrition-less cereals. And at night as we sat around doing who-knows-what teenage girls do, in lieu of popcorn, pretzels and potato chips, we ate cereal. Our favorite was Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs. We ordered boxes of it every week, and consumed it into the wee hours of the night.

It’s definitely a delicious cereal. It’s got that magical combination of peanut butter and chocolate, but for me, there’s more to it. For me, this cereal will always be associated with our clever method of free snacking, with sitting on that horribly ugly beige couch, snacking until the most ridiculous hours of the night.

So recently, when I noticed this cereal in the grocery store, I knew I had to turn it into a cookie. These are Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies, but a part of me will always think of them as Nostalgia Cookies.

Do you have any foods that are strongly associated with a specific memory?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies:

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs, lightly crushed
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter for about 30 seconds until combined. Add granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until creamy. Add vanilla extract and eggs, beating well to combine after each addition. Turn mixer to low and slowly add the dry ingredients. Beat until just combined. Stir in the (slightly) crushed cereal and chocolate chips.

Scoop the cookie dough using a medium cookie scoop, or drop by tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 9 minutes, of until tops are just set.

Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheets for a couple of minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!
Miriam

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Posted in Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert, Peanut Butter, Super-Easy, Uncategorized, tagged , , on January 17, 2012 | 9 Comments »

The other day I was talking to one of my coworkers about…what else? Cookies. He was mentioning his preferences in cookie flavors, when he made a shocking statement.

“I don’t like chocolate. And I don’t like peanut butter.” I opened my mouth in shock and horror. “My wife,” he continued, “always says-” and at the exact same moment as he finished his wife’s statement, I was verbalizing the exact same sentiment. “What is wrong with you?!”

This may be insulting to some, especially to said coworker who had such nice things to say about my blog, but I truly believe that it’s difficult to be happy without chocolate. Throw in some peanut butter? That’s pretty much bliss.

Assuming you are among the 95.7% of the world’s population that loves chocolate and peanut butter happily married in one delicious bite, go ahead and make these. If you are in the very sad 4.3% who don’t appreciate the finer things in life, I’m sorry, but you are going to want to skip this recipe. My condolences.

Oh, and that stat? I totally made it up. Sounds convincing though, doesn’t it?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) butter or margarine

1/2 cup peanut butter (not natural)

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

12 oz chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

1 cup chopped salted peanuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. Line or grease 2 cookie sheets.

Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter/margarine and peanut butter for about 30 seconds to combine. Add sugars and beat until creamy. Add vanilla and eggs, beating after each addition until smooth. Add flour mixture and stir just to incorporate. By hand, stir in the chocolate chips and peanuts.

Using a medium cookie scoop, or a Tablespoon measuring spoon, drop dough onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 9-12 minutes, or until just set. (Cookies may appear soft in the center.)

Leave cookies to cool on tray for a minute, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by,

Miriam

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Chanukah Style Peanut Butter Blossoms

Posted in Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert, Peanut Butter, Seasonal, Uncategorized, tagged , , on December 18, 2011 | 12 Comments »

Who is ready for some chanukah cookies?!

I’ve had this idea for ages. There are many cookies that involve pressing a chocolate or some other candy into the finished cookie, and a while ago I realized that a Chanukah chocolate coin would be the ultimate item to finish off a cookie for Chanukah.

I waited for ages until the local stores started their seasonal displays of Chanukah merchandise. I happily purchased a couple of pouches of these delicious coins, and settled into my chair with a stack of cookbooks to decide which cookie would work best with my Chanukah Gelt (chocolate coins.)

Finally, and idea hit me. I decided on what turned out to be a match made in heaven. Peanut butter blossom cookies, usually made with a Hershey’s kiss, aren’t generally something I can make, as Hershey’s kisses are dairy, and I bake non-dairy. But with these chocolate coins, peanut butter blossoms with a lovely Chanukah twist were soon happening in my kitchen.

If you can’t find chocolate coins, or prefer to use Hershey’s kisses, go ahead. These cookies will be delicious either way. After all, who doesn’t love peanut butter with a deliciously chocolatey seasonal twist?

Chanukah Style Peanut Butter Blossoms:

Adapted from Hershey’s Incredibly Easy Desserts

Ingredients:

40-50 chocolate coins, unwrapped

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup shortening

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

2 Tablespoons milk or milk substitute

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

granulated sugar, for rolling (about 1/3 cup)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the peanut butter and shortening until combined. Add the granulated and brown sugar, and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the egg, milk and vanilla extract, beating well after each addition.

Turn the mixer to low, and slowly add the flour mixture. Stir until just combined.

Using a small cookie scoop, or a teaspoon (or half Tablespoon) measuring spoon, scoop balls of dough about an inch in diameter. Roll the dough between your palms to create a neat ball, then roll in the sugar to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Work with one tray at a time; bake the cookies about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven, and while hot, press an unwrapped chocolate coin into the center of the cookie. Make sure to press the chocolate far enough in to ensure that it will melt into the cookie a bit. Set cookies on a wire rack to cool. Do not touch the chocolate while the cookies are cooling, as it is soft and slightly melted at that point.

Enjoy!

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