Brown Butter-Peanut Butter Truffle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok I have had to make these cookies 3 times just to get a picture of them. I  have made them, then somehow we eat/give away all of them before I can get a picture to put them on this site.  My husband said that these might be his new favorite cookies. I can't seem to get enough of them.  They are kind of like a peanut butter cookie and a chocolate chip cookie combined into one delicious irresistible cookie. 

Brown Butter-Peanut Butter Truffle Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter Truffles

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with foil and spray with no-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, mix powdered sugar and peanut butter until smooth (using your hands or some sort of food processor works best). Spread in baking dish and flatten with hands. Place in freezer for at least 30 minutes.

To brown butter, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk frequently and heat until it's golden brown and giving off a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl; allow to cool to room temperature.  If you want to speed up this process stick your bowl in a sink full of cold water.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove peanut butter truffles and cut or tear into small pieces; place back in freezer for at least ten minutes. Don't worry about them looking perfect; I  didn't...

In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and browned butter. Whisk in eggs and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour, baking soda, and salt until just incorporated.  (You can also do this step in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.) Fold in chocolate chips. Gently fold in chunks of peanut butter truffle. You want them to be visible, not completely blended into the dough. (Note: This makes a lot of peanut butter truffles. Use as much or as little of it as you want!)

Scoop onto a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet, flatten slightly with hand, and bake for 8-10 minutes.  8 minutes is perfect in my oven but watch your cookies closely to see if they need to be cooked a little longer. You want your edges to just start to get golden brown. The center might still look a little doughy, don't worry they will continue to cook on the pan as they cool. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe Source: Bakergirl

Easy Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

We have been moving this week (hence the lack of posts recently). It has been a busy and great week, but with moving that means lack of cooking supplies, pans, ovens, and Internet. This all means eating out for an entire week. We are finally in our new (actually its old) house and I know where almost all of my kitchen stuff is! To celebrate being in our house we to make some treats. Since I only know where most of my stuff is I decided to go easy. I decided to make peanut butter swirl brownies. They are easy, I had all of the supplies, and I adore chocolate and peanut butter anything! I thoroughly enjoyed them and I hope you will too!

(Our Camera is also in between houses so this one was taken with my phone. Thank heaven for camera phones)

Easy Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

Ingredients

1 box(es) (19.8-ounce) brownie mix
1/2 cup(s) peanut butter
1/4 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon(s) melted butter
1 large egg

Directions
Prepare brownie mix as label directs for 9" by 9" pan. In bowl, stir peanut butter, sugar, melted butter, and egg until smooth. Dollop peanut butter mixture onto brownie batter in pan; swirl with knife. Bake according to directions.


Recipe Source: Good Housekeeping 

Peanut Butter Bars

I know I know, I always post desserts on here, but I just can't help it! There are so many delicious things out there that I want to make (and eat) and my most favorite are usually desserts. We live in a very fluid area, really close to a university. We have lots of new people moving into our area all the time. What better way to get to know new neighbors than to bring them a delightful plate of goodies? It really works out to everyone's benefit. I get to make lots of treats and try new recipes, they get to eat my treats, and I don't eat all of my treats and gain a million pounds! I look at this as a win win win situation. I also have many willing victims at work that so graciously eat my yummy treats. These delicious bars have been put to the same good use. I was able to take some around to neighbors, make a few new friends, then I also shared a few at work. To be completely honest though, my favorite part about these bars is the part where I get to eat them! They are fantastic! They have such a rich peanut buttery flavor combined with a delicious chocolate frosting, all with some oats in the dough to almost make you feel like you are being healthy. They really are some of the best peanut butter bars I have ever had. Every time I eat one of these bad boys I always want another. Luckily for me (but not for my waistline) this makes a large pan so I can share some and enjoy some myself.

Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 c butter

3/4 c sugar

3/4 c brown sugar

3/4 c peanut butter

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 c oats

1/2 c peanut butter

Cream together the butter and sugars. Add peanut butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix the oats until a firm dough is made. Grease a cookie sheet and spread mixture in the pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and let set for a few minutes. While bars are still warm spread on the extra 1/2 cup peanut butter. The warmth of the bars helps the peanut butter spread easier. The 1/2 cup peanut butter is an approximation use less or more according to you own personal peanut butter desires. Allow bars to cool completely. Once cooled top with chocolate frosting (recipe below).

Chocolate Butter Frosting

1/2 c butter

3 1/2 tsp cocoa

6 Tb milk

1 tsp vanilla

Boil together, remove from heat and add powdered sugar until desired consistency. For these bars I preferred the frosting to be slightly runny while still warm. This way I could pour the frosting over the bars and spread easily without disrupting the peanut butter I had spread on top too much. The frosting sets up more as it cools.

Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from The Sister's Cafe

Homemade Tagalongs

I love girl scout cookies. My sister and I were both in girl scouts growing up. I think I only made it to a brownie but that's ok I was still a girl scout. Growing up my parents would always keep the thin mints in the freezer. I think part of it was that they liked them cold and I think the other part was that they were trying to hide them from us kids. I have 2 types favorite girl scout cookies. I love both thin mints and tagalongs. Depending on my mood that day I might like one over the other. A while back my husband bought a box of tagalongs. Honestly I hadn't eaten these kind in a few years. They combine my favorite flavor combo: chocolate and peanut butter. We had just finished the box and I decided that I could make something like this. I started searching the internet for good recipes. I found one that looked delicious and went for it. What came of this experience was a delicious cookie that is even better than the boxed variety. These cookies have no preservatives, no artificial anything, just yumminess covered in high quality chocolate!

Homemade Tagalongs

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (I used Adams all natural with great results)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups high quality chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate, but semi-sweet would be great too)

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Beat until smooth. Add in egg and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the bowl, if necessary. Add in vanilla. Beat until smooth. With mixer on low, add in salt and flour. Mix until completely incorporated and dough is uniform. Shape dough into a cylinder with a diameter of about 2-3 inches. Wrap in parchment paper and freeze for at least 25 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice dough into 1/8 inch disks and place on baking sheets, about a half inch apart. Once you have made 30 cookies, wrap up the cookie dough, freeze, and save for another time. Bake for 8 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and let cool completely.

3. Mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar. Form into small disks and press onto cookies. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second intervals, and mix well after each interval. Coat cookies completely in chocolate and lift out with a fork. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let set, or freeze to speed up the process.
Recipe Source: The Family Kitchen

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Pancakes

I am a breakfast lover. Whenever I have time I love making a warm breakfast. I love pancakes, but always seem to play around with the ingredients. I love that pancakes can be so versatile. This was the recipe I came up with this morning and my husband and I both loved it. They are very filling and keep you full for quite a while.

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tbs peanut butter (I used Adam's crunchy but any kind would work)
2 tbs honey
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 tbs golden flax seed
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat a nonstick griddle to 350 degrees. In a small mixing bowl combine the buttermilk and the egg. Whisk until incorporated. Add the peanut butter and honey mix until well combined. In a separate medium size combine the flour, flax seed, salt and soda. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated. You do not want to over mix. Pour approximately 1/3 cup mixture at a time onto the griddle and spread out slightly since the batter is quite thick. Brown on both sides turning once. Enjoy with butter and pure maple syrup.

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

This last weekend was my husband's birthday. I made him a traditional cake on his birthday, but we have lots of family that lives close by (which we love); therefore I had more than one opportunity to make him a yummy treat. When I saw this recipe I knew that it would be perfect for a birthday dessert. Both my husband and I love chocolate and peanut butter together, add a few Reese's peanut butter cups (or a lot of them) and we are very happy people.

I mean who could resist all those peanut butter cups?

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

1 9X13 pan of your favorite brownie recipe
10 ounce bag of peanut butter chips
5 ounce package vanilla instant pudding mix
3 cups milk
1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream, whipped and divided
24 regular sized (about 2 inches in diameter) peanut butter cups, divided

Line a 13 by 9 inch pan with aluminum foil, extend foil by 2 inches over side. Grease lightly with cooking spray. Prepare brownies according to the recipe. Add peanut butter chips. Bake in foil lined pan for length of time required. Cool completely.

Lift foil out of pan. Invert on cutting board. Remove foil. Cut into 3/4 inch pieces, using sharp knife.

Coarsely chop peanut butter cups; 1/4 cup for garnish.

Combine pudding mix and milk in large bowl. Beat at low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened (I had to chill mine for about 5 minutes to thicken it completely). Add peanut butter and vanilla; beat until smooth. Gently fold in half of whipped cream.

Place half of brownies in bottom of trifle bowl; top with 1/2 of chopped candy and half of pudding. Repeat layers. Top with remaining whipped cream, spooned or piped on. Garnish top with remaining peanut butter cups.



Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Granola Bars

I realize that I have been making a TON of desserts lately. I promise I make other things besides desserts. I will admit though that I do enjoy making desserts the most! Actually I will say that I enjoy making anything I really enjoy eating. Lets just get this out in the open......the main reason I enjoy baking is because I enjoy eating yummy food! This is why I am not a chef. I have very little desire to make food that I don't personally get to enjoy. I love cooking for groups where I get to enjoy food with others, that is great, but just cooking for others seems like a task. I am very grateful that there are those out there that cook selflessly, very grateful. I am just not one of those people. In case you haven't noticed I seem to get on tangents in my posts, sorry about that. Now back to the real topic of discussion. I have been making way too many sweet treats lately and decided that this post needs to be about something more healthy. Of course healthy to me still has to taste good or else I won't eat it. These bars turned out to be just what I needed. They are hearty and filling yet sweet and tasty. My husband and I have been taking them with us to work and eating them for breakfast. For all the healthy stuff that is in them, I still enjoy eating them and occasionally choose them over a dessert.

Homemade Granola Bars


2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat bran
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons whole raw flax seed
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 - 1 banana mashed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, wheat bran, flour, chocolate chips and salt. In a separate bowl mix together honey, egg, peanut butter, vanilla, and mashed banana. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Mix well using your hands or in a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. I didn't spread it to the edges. I left about 1 inch of space on one side because I wanted the bars to be a little thicker.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut. Do not over bake, if you want chewy granola bars just bake until the edges barely start turning a golden color. Store in zip lock bags.

Recipe adapted from here