peanut butter

Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles.

December 16, 2011 · 188 comments

Wanna know a secret?

My mom totally burned me out on buckeyes as a child. Really.

She made billions of them every Christmas for years and years and years and then I made myself physically ill from eating the peanut butter balls, actual spoonfuls of the melted chocolate (and paraffin?), and finally the finished product hidden in tupperware outside in the garage.

You can only imagine how thrilled she was to open those containers when it came to making last minute cookie trays and find only… crumbs. Yeeeeeah. I deserved coal ~~and a treadmill~~ in my stocking every year.

But I haven’t wanted a buckeye in like, 15 years. Seriously.

And I mean, you KNOW how I feel about peanut butter and chocolate.

So good news! These aren’t buckeyes. Or maybe they are and this is just my lame attempt to pretend they are something else. However, these have a doughier (is that a word? because why is there a squiggly red line under it?) texture and obviously – tons of crisp. When I brought out Mother Lovett’s recipes a few weeks ago to gather my crap for Christmas cookies, this recipe fell out on a little faded square of paper. Not sure why I tossed it to the side in previous years, but I’m pretty sure it has something to do with the whole buckeye thing. Well that, and because it’s also on the same scrap of paper as two variations of dried beef dip. That just wasn’t doing it for me either.

But these definitely do it. They are so doughy and crispy and crunchy. Yes, they are really just your typical peanut butter balls with lots of crisp junk shoved inside. They take other cookie dough truffles to the next level. They take buckeyes to the next level. They take your brother’s birthday to the next level.

Oh yeah. I made these for him. But then we ate them all. Before we could deliver them. Story of my life.

Crispy Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Truffles

makes about 50-60 balls, if teaspoon sized

2 cups creamy peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup crisped rice cereal

2 1/2 – 3 cups milk chocolate chips

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat peanut butter and butter until creamy and smooth. Gradually add in vanilla extract and powdered sugar with the mixture on low, speeding up once it becomes more combined. At this point you should have a cookie “dough” (depending on your brand of peanut butter you may need a little more sugar – add it 1-2 tablespoons at a time while mixing). Using a spatula, gently fold in crisped rice cereal so it gets distributed through the batter, adding more is desired. Be careful not to crush all the cereal so it stays crispy.

Once combined, roll dough into balls (mine were slightly more than teaspoon-sized) and place on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Some of the balls will have crisped rice edges sticking out and some may be crumbly – that’s okay, just roll as smooth as you can occasionally squeezing the dough together if needed. Refrigerate for 60-90 minutes. Melt chocolate in either the microwave (I melt in 30 second increments while stirring) or in a double boiler. Remove peanut butter balls from fridge and dip in chocolate, then place back on parchment. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. Store in the refrigerator!

Note: if you want the peanut butter drizzle, I simply melted 1/2 cup of peanut butter chips then used a spoon to drizzle.

You will want one. Or ten.

{ 188 comments }

Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars.

September 30, 2011 · 139 comments

You look hungry.

Here… have one of these. I made them just for you.

Okay… and me.

But at least I know how to share.

Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars

[inspired by my little Clif bar addiction]

makes one 9 x 13 pan

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup puffed rice cereal

1 cup crushed salted pretzels

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup chopped dry roasted peanuts

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon honey (agave should work too)

2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine oats, flour, puffed cereal, pretzels, brown sugar, peanuts, and flaxseed, and stir to combine. Add in peanut butter, and mix with a spoon to break it up and create a “dough,” mixing it in as much as you can for at least 5 minutes. Mix melted butter with vanilla extract and add to dough, then mix. Add in honey and stir to moisten completely. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray and press the dough into the pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove and let cool completely before cutting – there may be minimal crumbling but they should hold together completely. If you find they are crumbling, stick them in the fridge to chill for a few minutes and try again.

I accept compensation in the form of Louboutains, good Chardonnay and Godiva. Oh… and your love.

{ 139 comments }

Fluffernutter Cupcakes.

September 26, 2011 · 175 comments

At 6PM last night, the last thing on my mind were cupcakes.

Until I looked at this bowl of batter.

After a magical food-and-wine filled weekend, all I wanted was a normal one-course dinner without 3 forks and 2 spoons. Since I was staying near the airport to gain easy access to my flight this morning, I dragged myself to the nearest restaurant and plopped down in the booth.

I ordered, I ate and I even declined the dessert menu because surely nothing was going to taste as incredible as the vanilla bean panna cotta I ate twice this weekend. Then I reached for my wallet.

But all I found in my purse was four lip glosses, a few hair-brush fur balls, makeup removing face wipes and like six hundred unorganized receipts. That does not a wallet make.

Uh… what? I was at dinner alone, in a city I’ve never been, with a fully cleaned plate, a 16-year old going on 12-year old server, and an absence of all credit cards and cash. Surely things could have been worse, but I tend to be a bit of a dramatic snot and began to panic.

So I asked if I could see the dessert menu.

Surprisingly I wasn’t fretting over my wallet… I knew for sure that it was in my hotel room [sitting pretty on this really gross orange leather couch that I'm currently staring at - yeah]… the hotel room that I had to blindly walk four blocks to with a 50+ pound suitcase and two carry on bags after the driver dropped me off at the wrong hotel, then left. You know… that hotel.

I ordered some banana cream pie to go, and when ~~Justin Bieber~~ my server brought me a square of styrofoam, I asked if he could also bring me some chocolate cheesecake. I needed to be sure to have the Rolls Royce of dessert take-out considering this was my only plan for collateral. After getting the check, I looked him straight in the eye and was all, “I know you don’t believe me but I seriously left my wallet in my hotel room. You can search me, search my purse, keep my dessert, just please let me run over and get it, and I promise I’ll be back with a big tip for you.”

He just sort of stared at me.

I left. I ran. I demagnetized my seventh (not even exaggerating) hotel key of the weekend and got an eighth, grabbed my wallet from it’s orange perch, ran back, paid his wide eyes since he assumed I was a goner, then came back to my hotel with two giant containers of dessert. I opened the boxes to see two stereotypical I-pulled-these-out-of-the-freezer-three-hours-ago-and-defrosted-them-next-to-the-frozen-chicken-fingers slices of dessert, which immediately made me want to cry after eating such incredible treats this weekend. Nothing is more disappointing than flash frozen fake dessert.

So that’s my story. It has nothing to do with these fluffernutter cupcakes, which oddly enough I came home and made after our seven course dinner last Friday night. Something about large quantities of food lends me crazy inspiration. We ate them for dessert after our game-day meatballs, and I really did forget how much I loved them until I saw the first batter picture up there. It is quite possible I consumed more cupcakes in batter form than in cake form.

It happens.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with a Marshmallow Swirl

[adapted from my peanut butter cupcakes]

makes about 12 cupcakes

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup peanut butter morsels

2/3 cup marshmallow fluff

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter and peanut butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and eggs and beat together until fluffy. Add vanilla and mix for another minute or so.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add the milk. Once mixed, add remaining dry ingredients. Fold in peanut butter morsels and marshmallow fluff.

Pour into cupcake tins and fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350. Let cool completely before frosting.

Note: since the marshmallow fluff can harden a bit, I would advise making these cupcakes the same day you eat them.

Peanut Butter Frosting

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1-2 teaspoons milk, if needed

Beat butter and peanut butter in the bowl of an electric mixer until creamy. Add in vanilla extract, then with the mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2-3 minutes until fully combined, scraping down the sides. If frosting is too thick, add in milk and beat for 1-2 minutes more. Fill a pastry bag with frosting or using a spoon, poke a hole into the cupcake and fill.

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

3 cups of powdered sugar

Beat butter in the bowl of electric mixer until creamy. Add in fluff and beat for 2-3 minutes, then add in vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, add in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until fully incorporated. Once all the sugar has been added, beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes. If mixture if too runny, add a bit more sugar. If it’s too thick, add a bit of milk one tablespoon at a time. Frost cupcakes and drizzle with melted peanut butter if desired.

It should be illegal for me to buy marshmallow fluff. Seriously.

{ 175 comments }

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies [adapted from the giant rainbow cookies] makes about 18 cookies 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled 6 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, melted and cooled 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup white chocolate morsels/chunks 1/2 cup peanut butter morsels Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add butter and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl, and heat in 30 second increments until melted. Let cool completely. Mix the flour, oats, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the cooled butter/peanut butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Gradually add dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. I even used my hands to bring it all together. If necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk, but I did not need this. Fold in white chocolate and peanut [...]

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Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Trifle.

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Trifle [peanut butter mixture layer from this peanut butter pie recipe] 1 batch of your favorite brownies, boxed or from scratch, cooled and cut into cubes 1 large box (5-ounce) of instant chocolate pudding, prepared and chilled (this will most likely call for 3 cups of milk, nothing else) 1 bag of peanut butter cups, chopped (I used Dove chocolate peanut butter Promises) 2 cups heavy cream 3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar, depending on your desired level of sweetness 1 cup of creamy peanut butter 1 cup of powdered sugar 2 tablespoons milk 8 ounces of whipped cream cheese, at room temperature In the bowl of an electric mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat heavy cream and sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to an separate bowl and stick in the fridge until ready to use. I did not even clean the bowl of my electric mixer and just began mixing the peanut butter mixture. Add the peanut butter and cream cheese to the bowl and beat at medium speed, scraping down the sides a few times until mixture is creamy. Add in powdered sugar and mix until combined, then [...]

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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Snack Squares.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Squares makes 9 squares 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 cup old fashioned oats 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup brown sugar 3/4 cups creamy peanut butter, like Skippy Natural 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup milk (I used vanilla almond milk) 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, add peanut butter and sugar and mix on high speed until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in vanilla extract and mix until combined. 3. Add in flour, oats, salt and baking soda, mixing on medium speed. The dough will look crumbly and you want the peanut butter mix to be broken up into clumps. Add milk with the mixer on low speed, and mix until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips. 4. Make sure dough is completely combined, and roll it into a ball with your hands. Place it in the middle of an 8×8 baking dish, pressing it to fit. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until set and golden on top. Let cool completely, then cut into 9 squares.

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Peanut Butter Fudge Pretzel Brownies.

Peanut Butter Fudge Pretzel Brownies pretzel crust from heathers dish, brownies from my red velvet brownies makes about 12 bars 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 2/3 cups chocolate chips (optional) 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter 1/3 powdered sugar 1 3/4 cups crushed pretzel pieces 6 tablespoons butter, melted Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8×8 baking dish and set aside. Combine melted butter and pretzel crumbs in a bowl until moistened. With the back of a spoon, press pretzels into the 8×8 pan making a crust. If pretzels seem loose, drizzle some additional melted butter over top of hit with a quick shot of non-stick spray. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. With the mixer on medium speed, add in cocoa, flour and salt, mixing until combined – about 2 to 3 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips. Using a spatula sprayed with non-stick spray, evenly spread brownies on top of pretzel crust. Set pan on [...]

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Puffy Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips.

Puffy Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips adapted from the giant rainbow cookies makes about 18 cookies 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 8 tablespoons of salted butter, melted and cooled 6 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, melted and cooled 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Add butter and peanut butter to a microwave safe bowl, and heat in 30 second increments until melted. Let cool completely. Mix the flour and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the cooled butter/peanut butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Gradually add flour and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. I even used my hands to bring it all together. If necessary, add 1-2 teaspoons of milk, but I did not need this. Fold in chocolate chips. Shape the dough into a ball the size of a golfball. Place on a baking sheet two inches apart and bake [...]

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Triple Layer Chocolate Chip Cookie-Fudge Brownie-Peanut Butter Blondie Bars .

Triple Layer Chocolate Chip-Fudge Brownie-Peanut Butter Blondie Bars makes one 9 x 13 pan the chocolate chip layer (taken from my deep dish whole wheat cookies) 1/2 cup butter, softened 3/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 tablespoon dark cocoa powder (optional) 3/4 cup chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt together and set aside in a bowl. Beat butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer until it’s light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add in dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Spray a 9×13 dish with non-stick spray and begin pressing the dough into the bottom. I found that using the back of a spoon sprayed with non-stick spray helped. It will JUST cover the pan and may seem thin, but it is the right amount for the bars. the brownie layer (taken from my red velvet brownies) 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour [...]

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Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Cheesecake Frosting.

Peanut Butter Cupcakes makes about 12 cupcakes 1/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1 cup sugar 2 whole eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/3 cup milk 3/4 cup peanut butter chips/morsels Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and peanut butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and eggs and beat together until fluffy. Add vanilla and mix for another minute or so. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add the milk. Once mixed, add remaining dry ingredients. Fold in peanut butter morsels. Pour into cupcake tins and fill 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350. Let cool, then frost. Chocolate Cheesecake Frosting 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 block cream cheese (8 ounces), softened 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 4 cups powdered sugar 1/3 cup dark cocoa powder 1-2 tablespoons milk, if needed In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time [...]

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