Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Looking for a super simple dessert?  Like peanut butter and chocolate? Don't walk, run (well, "run" your fingers across the keyboard) and go here.  Try this pie now!!

I just adore The Pioneer Woman and all her blogs, but her cooking blog is what initially drew me in.  Last weekend I was in a need of a quick, easy dessert where I already had most of the ingredients on hand.  This one fit the bill and was a hit with the fam.  I didn't have a pie plate, so I just used a square dish and put the whole oreos in certain spots so people would know it had a chocolate crust.  You know me, always thinking. (Actually it was just a good excuse for more chocolate)

You will notice it is a very small portion size.  It is super rich, but so very worth it.  And a tall glass of milk doesn't hurt either!

I won't bore you with re-typing it.  I could never do it the justice PW does.  Enjoy!

Cupcakes, Take 2

Ok, so I've said before I am not an avid baker. I love to eat baked goods, but I always mess them up when I try to make them. Especially desserts. Right after Taylor and I got married I tried to make chocolate cupcakes to take to dinner with some friends. They have kids and I thought this would be a fun dessert to bring. Let me start off with the fact that I began this venture after I got home from work one night. Not a good idea. I need to be fresh and of sound mind when I decide to bake. I even tried to make it easier on myself by using a boxed cake mix. So, the cupcakes themselves turned out fine. It was the icing that gave me trouble. First off, I didn't have a real recipe. I just called my mom and asked how she makes her icing. It is my favorite. She told me and I thought I followed her directions. Obviously not. My icing was way too thin and just ran all over the cupcakes. By the end of the night I swore off baking since I couldn't even make stupid cupcakes.

Many months later I have decided to try again. My husband requested chocolate cupcakes Saturday, so I went on a hunt for a recipe I could make from scratch (yep I was trying a little harder this time) and an icing recipe I hopefully could follow. I came across a chocolate peanut butter cupcake recipe that was very similar to an easy chocolate cupcake recipe I found, so I merged the two.

The batter was really thick, but my results were much better this time. The cupcakes were moist and had just the right hint of peanut butter. Taylor was pleased. I also played with my pastry bag and tips I've had forever but never used. I don't think I did too bad for the first time.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a muffin pan with paper or foil liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full.
3. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with your favorite frosting when cool.

Buttercream Icing
Source: Wilton

1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract - I just used regular vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons milk

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

YIELD: Makes about 3 cups.

A new spin on cereal for dinner

I have been craving a snack/dessert from my childhood the last few days and tonight I couldn't wait any longer. Cornflake Clusters were a staple at my house growing up. I'm not sure where the recipe originated, but it was one of the first recipes I learned from my mom. I came home and immediately started cooking. Thank goodness these only take about 10 minutes!

Cornflake Clusters
Source: My Mom

1 cup yellow label syrup (you can use any light colored syrup that you have on hand)
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups cornflakes
wax paper

Before beginning set out a large sheet of wax paper.

Place a medium/large sauce pan on over medium heat and add the sugar and syrup. Cook until liquid comes to a light boil, stirring the entire time. Once it begins to boil, cook for an additional one minute. The sugar should be completely dissolved and the liquid should look clear when running off your spoon. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter stirring until smooth. Add the cornflakes a few cups at a time incorporating them into the peanut butter mixture.

Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the wax paper and let cool.




The best part is eating a nice warm bowlful. I get fuller faster these days, so it just happened to become dinner tonight. Yeah, I know it isn't even remotely healthy, but it was worth it! (For those wondering about my poor husband, he had leftovers) ;)

“And above all…Think Chocolate!”

The above is a quote by Betty Crocker. Very fitting for the queen of baking to say chocolate is at the top of her list. For me, chocolate is one of those things I crave. It’s not something I have to have all the time, but when I crave it, get out of my way! It’s one of those foods that can make you feel better when you’re having a bad day. There have even been scientific studies to show the effect chocolate has on the brain as it releases certain endorphins. Add some peanut butter and that makes it even better to me.

My sister made some Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies a while ago and I loved them! I am not a big cookie person, so I only really tried them to be polite, but WOW. They are awesome! I asked her to send me the recipe and decided to make them for our weekly girl’s night tonight. Last night wasn’t a big TV night for me, but I did want to watch Private Practice. So, I got started on them about an hour before it started and they were done in plenty of time. They were really pretty easy to make. **Helpful Hint: I could only get the batter combined so much using the spoon, so I ended up just using my hands to finish it.**

Peanut Butter Brownie Cookies

Source: Unknown (I forget where my sister found the recipe)

1 box fudge brownie mix
1/4 cup Land O Lakes butter, melted (and unsalted butter is fine)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter (creamy works best)
1/2 container chocolate fudge frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl beat brownie mix, melted butter, cream cheese and egg with spoon until well blended (dough will be sticky). Onto un-greased cookie sheet(s), drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart to make 24 cookies. Smooth edge of each to form round cookie. In small bowl mix sugar and peanut butter until forms a ball. Make 24 balls and lightly press one into the center of each ball of dough. Bake 10-14 minutes. (The picture to the right is after they came out of the oven before they were iced) Cool on cookie sheets at least 30 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets and spread a thin layer of frosting over peanut butter.