Ode to Peanut Butter and Chocolate: The Scotcheroo!

Melt together on the stove:
1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
Pour and mix into:
6 cups Rice Crispies
Place in greased dish.
Melt together:
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
Spread over Rice Crispies. Cool, then cut.

Oreo Truffles

Easy and yummy and fun for kids to help with. I got the recipe from Bakerella and mine are on my blog here.

ENJOY!

A New Treat

Has anyone heard of Bakerella? Maybe everyone has and I'm way out of the loop! But I tried these cakes pops/bites last night and they were awesome! If you use a good cake recipe and a good homemade cream cheese frosting ... delicious! There's a store called Sweet Tooth Fairy here in Utah that sells cake bites and I always wanted to know how she did it. Well look no further ladies... Great for any occasion.

Yummy Toffe Bark!!!!

Last night I hosted a recipe exchange and this is what I made.  It doesn't take long and it's pretty easy to make.  Also, you can make it a day or two before and just refrigerate or freeze it.  I've made it before and everyone LOVED it.  It's deadly because once you have just one bight, you'll want to eat it all.  So here's the recipe:

1 c. brown sugar (packed)

1 c. melted butter

1 pkg. Trader Joe’s semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Nabisco’s salted tops soda crackers

Trader Joe’s dry roasted unsalted almonds (chopped)

Preheat oven to 350.  Put foil over cookie sheet and spray with Pam butter flavor.  Place crackers salt side up on foil.  Melt butter then add brown sugar and stir over med. heat until it boils.  After sugar mixture has boiled for 3 minutes, pour over crackers and put in oven.  When it stars getting bubbly on top, turn oven down to 325 and let bubble for another 5 minutes.  Turn off oven and sprinkle choc. chips over mixture (crackers).  Leave in oven for 3 minutes.  They should be soft enough to spread evenly thereafter.  Sprinkle with chopped almonds and freeze for 45 minutes, or you may refrigerate.  Crack into pieces and enjoy!

Pancake Cups

I take absolutely zero credit for this idea, my friend in Boston got it from a friend of hers. It looks like something you would see on this blog, so I copied it. I know you Supermommies will try it and I want to see some pictures. I think it would be great for a baby shower brunch.This idea sprang from a recipe she found in the book Kitchen Playdates by Lauren Deen. In her version thinly sliced wheat bread forms the cups instead of pancakes. She didn't have any thinly sliced bread on hand nor did she want to run to the store so she gave pancakes a try. It was great!

Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Make your favorite pancake batter but add a few extra tablespoons of water. Add 1 tablespoon at a time to make sure the batter doesn't get too thin. You want the batter thinner than usual but not watery.

Step 2: Use a 1/4 c. measuring cup to add the batter to the pan or griddle. Cook pancakes.

Step 3: Lightly grease your muffin cups with butter. Don't forget the sides

Step 4: Gently press pancakes into the muffin cups. Remember to press around the bottom edges of the muffin cups.

Step 5: Bake in a 325 degree oven for 5-8 minutes.

Step 6: Let pancakes cool in the muffin tin.

Step 7: When ready to serve, remove your pancake cup, place on a plate and reheat in the microwave (if desired.) Fill with yummies and eat!





Filling ideas:

Strawberries and whip cream (as shown)

Scrambled eggs, bacon and syrup drizzled on the plate (as shown)

Peanut butter and bananas

Blueberries

Ricotta cheese and berries

Lemon curd, raspberries and a dollop of whip cream

Banoffee Waffle

I think this would make a nice Father's Day breakfast treat if anyone wants to try it. We lived in Cambridge, UK two years ago and it was one of my favorite treats. We would eat them at the Coton Orchard near our kids' school. You can leave out the Heath bits and mini chips or sprinkle them on top of the finished product. I took the easy way by using Bisquik for the waffles, but when you have little kids you kind of have to take all the short cuts that come your way. These are pretty fantastically fatty and rich so I can only eat about 1 and a half before I start to feel sick. But they taste so yummy . . . it is totally worth it. I think this can be a breakfast or a dessert.

Here is my version of:

Banoffee Waffles

waffle batter made using recipe on Bisquik box, add 1T sugar and 1T lemon juice to batter

bananas, sliced

whipped cream whipped with 1 T sugar and a drop of vanilla

Heath bits

mini chocolate chips

Smucker's Caramel ice cream topping

Hershey's syrup

chocolate bar 

Pour about 1/3 c batter in hot waffle iron, sprinkle sparingly with Heath bits and mini chocolate chips. Cook waffle for about 5 minutes or however long it takes for a crispy exterior and soft interior. Top immediately with whipped cream followed by bananas. Drizzle with caramel sauce and chocolate syrup. Shave a little chocolate over the top with a microplane grater. You're welcome;)

Smooth Frosting and other Cupcake Tips

Here is a video clip of how to make your cupcake frosting really smooth and pretty, pictures of how to make mini-marshmallow flower petals and a link showing how to make a basket weave pattern with frosting.

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

This is probably redundant since all of you are great dessert makers, but I like it because you can make peanut butter cookies lightening fast and they aren't dry like other recipes I've tried.

1 c peanut butter

1 c sugar

1 egg

Blend well. Roll out into 1" balls or use a small ice cream scoop (greased lightening method). Press down with a fork in the usual manner. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Let cool 5-7 minutes and voila, you've got a batch of cookies made in about 20 minutes.

Oh My Decadence!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Reeses Pieces Cookie Sandwich

The cookies were just made from a chocolate cake mix (adding two eggs and 1/2 cup of oil to the mix) with Reeses Pieces. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350. The frosting is 1 cup powered sugar, 2 Tbs butter, 2 Tbs cream (or milk), 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 2 Tbs peanut butter. I need about a gallon of milk just to finish off one of these cookies. They're that wonderful, and far too easy to make for my own good!

Toffee Grahams

I was in the mood for something sweet yesterday but didn't want to go to any big trouble to make anything. And I didn't have any popcorn to make Robyn's peanut butter popcorn which is what I wanted. So, I made the easiest treat I could think of.

Toffee Grahams:

Spray a jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Heat oven to 350. Break two packs of graham crackers in half and line pan with the squares. Boil together one cup brown sugar with one cup butter for two minutes. Pour over graham crackers and bake for 10 minutes. Once the start to cool separate each square and remove from pan to finish cooling. So stinkin good.

Food Storage Pinto Bean Challenge

Is anyone interested in making a dessert using pinto beans? I have two food storage recipes that I want someone braver than I to try. I challenge you to make either pinto bean fudge or pinto bean pie. Ready, set, cook!

Pinto Bean Fudge

1 c cooked, mashed pinto beans

1/4 c milk

1 T vanilla

6 oz unsweetened chocolate

6 T butter

2 lb. powdered sugar

nuts (optional)

In a large bowl, stir beans and milk together, adding enough mil to resemble mashed potatoes. Stir in vanilla. Melt chocolate and butter and stir into bean mixture. Gradually stir in powdered sugar. Knead with hands to blend well. Spread in lightly buttered 9" baking dish. Chill for 1-2 hours.

Pinto Bean Pie

1 c mashed pinto beans

1/2 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

2 eggs beaten

1/2 c butter, softened

1 unbaked 9" pie shell

pecan halves

Mix all ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into unbaked pie shell and top with pecan halves. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 min. Reduce heat slightly and continue to bake another 25 min. or until knife inserted comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Peanut Butter Popcorn

This is my favorite treat that my husband makes for me all the time (because he's wonderful like that). If you're a peanut butter fan, you'll love this. If you don't like peanut butter, you'll probably still love this. It's quick and easy.



8 cups popcorn
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Karo syrup
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Melt together the sugar, Karo syrup, and peanut butter in a sauce pan on low heat. For the smoothest sauce, combine the sugar and Karo syrup first until it's not gritty, then add the peanut better until it's mixed in, but not cooked. Remove the unpopped kernels from the popcorn, pour the sauce all over the popcorn, and stir it until it's well-covered.

My favorite addition to this recipe is to sprinkle in milk chocolate chips while I'm coating the popcorn with the sauce. Mmm! It's so good!

Monkey Bread

SO good. I put this in the oven while we were opening presents Christmas morning and it was ready and delicious when we finished. If you're a nut person you can add them to the butter/brown sugar layer, but I'm not. And because I'm a sauce freak, I serve with a small pitcher of icing to drizzle over. Not for dieting for sure.

MONKEY BREAD
------------
4 cans refrigerator biscuits (10 per can)
1 c. sugar
2 tbsp. cinnamon

Grease Bundt pan. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Mix sugar and
cinnamon in a Ziploc bag. Place quartered
biscuits in plastic bag and shake to coat each piece well.

TOPPING:
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/4 sticks butter, melted

Melt butter and add cinnamon and sugar. Layer 1/2 biscuit
pieces in Bundt pan. Cover with 1/2 topping mixture. Layer
remaining biscuits and cover with topping. Bake at 350
degrees for 35-40 minutes. Invert onto plate while still
warm. Eat by pulling apart pieces with hands; hence the
name, Monkey Bread.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

I have made my own birthday cake a couple times and it stunk! This year Collin made these for me and they were gooey chocolatey perfection. Emma asked him to make them for her birthday as well. I had mine with dulce de leche Häagen Dazs, but I think it would be great with raspberry sauce as well or vanilla bean ice cream with black specs. The recipe comes from Martha Stewart´s Everyday Food cookbook.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

4 T unsalted butter, at room temp., plus more for muffin tins

1/3 c granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins

3 large eggs

1/3 c flour

1/4 t salt

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 4 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar and tap out excess. Set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With mixer on low speed, beat in the flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate (do not overmix). Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. 

Place muffin tin on baking sheet, bake until tops of cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 10 minutes.

To serve, turn out the cakes, and place on serving plates, top sides up. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Brownies

I made these brownies the other night and they were soooo yummy. I doubled the recipe (and added some chopped walnuts) and baked in a 9x13" pan. I prefer my brownies without frosting, so I skipped it- although this frosting recipes does sound good.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8 inch square pan.
In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

To Make Frosting: Combine 3 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup confectioners' sugar. Frost brownies while they are still warm.

Angel Food Cake

A few great things about Angel Food Cake: it is low-fat, it is cheap and easy to make from scratch, and it's is delicious!

Call me a angel food cake snob, but I can't stand cake from a mix or from the grocery store bakery. Maybe because my mom had the best recipe ever. So I thought I would share it with you all. It may be a little sloppily put together so let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy!
ANGEL FOOD CAKE

-Separate 12 egg whites and set aside to stand for 1 hour.
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-In a separate bowl, sift together 4 times : 1 C flour and 3/4 C. sugar and set aside. (cake flour is great if you have it, but not a necessity at all) Add 1/4 C. cocoa to sifted mixture if making chocolate angel food cake (which is -oh my heck- delicious!)
-Add 1/2 tsp. salt to egg whites and beat till frothy (not long)
-Add 1 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar and beat on high till egg whites form rounded peaks (almost stiff)
-Add 2 Tbl. sugar at a time until 3/4 C of sugar is beat in.
-Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp. almond extract*
-Remove beaters and use rubber spatula to fold in flour mixture 1/4 C. at a time until all is mixed thoroughly, but be gentle or your cake will be heavy.
-Slide batter into lightly sprayed angel food cake pan and cut through with butter knife to break any air bubbles.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool upside-down.

*This secret ingredient is optional, but it is SO much tastier with it in there.
-If you are in a hurry it is okay to skip the 1 hour waiting for the egg whites, but from my experience it has made the eggs fall a little more when the flour is added, so a heavier cake.
-Serve with fresh berries in light syrup and whipped cream or drizzled with chocolate sauce.

Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies

I used to make these cookies for school bake sales in England. I always got lots of compliments on these cookies and my family loves them. The butter and shortening  mixture makes the texture chewy and perfect.

Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 c packed brown sugar

1 c granulated sugar

1/2 c butter

1/2 c shortening

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

2 1/2 c flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

1 bar white chocolate, chopped

1 bar milk chocolate, chopped

1 bar dark chocolate, chopped

Heat oven to 350 F. Beat sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon until creamy. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in all chocolate chunks. Drop dough in rounded tablespoons about 2" apart onto ungreased large cookie sheet; flatten slightly. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Decorating Frosting Recipe

This is for Stephanie and anyone else who might want to decorate a cake sometime soon. I know Katy and Kirsten have this recipe because they took the same beginning cake decorating class I did. I totally recommend the class which is available at local area recreation centers or craft stores like Robert's Craft and Michaels. I have decorated lots of different types of cakes including,  but not limited to: Dora, Diego, Danny Phantom, i love egg, VeggieTales, Superman, Yu-Gi-Oh, a giant butterfly, frog, etc., The class makes it really easy to learn how to transfer a picture from a photocopy to your cake and then instructs you on the best way to fill it in. 

Decorator Frosting

1/2 c butter

1/2 c solid vegetable shortening

1 t clear vanilla extract

4 c sifted powdered sugar

2 T milk

Cream butter and shortening 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 added, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. At this point you can add food coloring. Keep icing covered with damp cloth until ready to use. Can be stored up to two weeks in an airtight container in fridge. Rewhip before using. To thin, add a milk 1 t at a time. To thicken, add powdered sugar 1 T at a time.

One of my favorite shows is Ace of Cakes. It would be awesome to have that as a job. I would even do it at the supermarket bakery for a job if it was practical. I love decorating cakes!

Yummy Homemade Oreos

I tried this recipe today for dessert tomorrow night. They turned out really good, so I thought I would share the recipe. The recipe I had made too many for my family, so I altered it a bit. It makes 16-18 sandwiches.

1 pkg. Devil's Food Cake Mix (not with pudding in the mix)
3/4 c. butter
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix dough. Roll into balls. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 min. (They will almost look under done; thats okay, you want them chewy, not crunchy). Cool and fill with:

4 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. butter
1/2 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream first two ingredients; then add the others. Dab a little in between 2 cookies. Refrigerate.

I also wanted to pose a question. I just joined a make-a-head meal group. I need to find a recipe that I could make, as my contribution, that freezes well and that I could throw right from my freezer to the oven. Any suggestions??

Toffee-Top Cheesecake Bars

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package toffee bits, divided

Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, combine flour, powdered sugar, cocoa and baking soda; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Press into bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Bake 15 minutes.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk, eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in 1 cup English Toffee Bits. Pour mixture over hot crust.
Bake 25 minutes or until set and edges just begin to brown.
Remove from oven. Cool 15 minutes. Sprinkle remaining toffee bits evenly over top. Cool completely. Refrigerate several hours or until cold. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.