Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies

Is it just me, or has it been too long since I posted a new cookie recipe? Truth be told, most baking and elaborate cooking endeavors have taken a back seat to other, more pressing maters. Between filming and traveling for "Hey, Can You Cook?! All-Stars", keeping up with work responsibilities, traveling to catch football games and meeting our new little nephew, and spending a little bit of time Joe, too, time has been short.

But I know that despite the craziness that has been the last month, there are a lot of wonderful things going on right now. I feel blessed to be where I am, surrounded by my amazing support system, and energized by the new experiences that are pushing me way out of my comfort zone.

As we enter into November, the month of thanks, I hope you will all consider taking time out of every day to reflect on something you are thankful for. If you're on Twitter, take a cue from Tina's post over at Carrots 'N' Cake and take part in Tweeting what you are thankful for with the hash tag #bethankfulchallenge. It's a great way to see what others are thankful for and get you in the right frame of mind amid the craziness of the day-to-day.

Right now, I'm thankful to be home. And for these cookies. Because they are super tasty, chewy and perfect for keeping warm as the weather gets cooler.

Peanut Butter Toffee Cookies
Ingredients
*1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
*1/2 cup sugar
*1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
*1 large egg
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1/2 cup peanut butter chips
*1/2 cup toffee bits (Heath Bar bits)

Instructions
*Place racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

*Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside. 

*In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. 

*Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the sugar, brown sugar, salt and creamy peanut butter. Continue creaming the mixture on medium speed until it is smooth and lump-free, about 1 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.

*Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed for 15 seconds, or until the egg is fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

*On low speed, add the sifted flour mixture. Beat slowly until all of the flour is incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the peanut butter chips and toffee bits and stir in.

*Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, 2-inches apart. Flatten slightly with your hand. Bake, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking, for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and slide the parchment off the baking sheets onto a work surface. Cool the baking sheets between batches. Allow the cookies to cool for at least five minutes before serving.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Peanut-Walnut Butter

Since we have been married, Joey has been shocked at the amount of peanut butter I consume each week. When, like me, you eat a couple tablespoons of the stuff each day, it doesn't last long. Instead of picking up another jar of Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, I decided last week that it would be fun to start making my own nut butter again.

It's an amazingly simple process to whirl together your own nut butter, and I love how easy it is to customize the blend based on your specific tastes or allergy restrictions. I've made pure walnut butter before, but felt that it was lacking something without the extra zing of salty peanuts or another more flavorful nut. So this time, I used a combination of walnuts and peanuts for a smooth, creamy and slightly salty spread that is perfect atop toast or served with sliced apples.

If you're interested in some of the other combinations I've put together, you can see them here:
*Make Your Own Nut Butter
*Cashew Butter

Also, just a reminder that our Fund for Jennie Auction is open until 10 pm tonight! The bid for our baked goods gift basket is now up to $225. Let's keep the bidding going! If you're interested, you can find the auction HERE. And thank you all so much for your kindness and generosity. 

Peanut-Walnut Butter
Ingredients
*3 cups lightly salted peanuts
*2 cups unsalted walnut halves
*1/4 cup olive oil
*1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions
*Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend for two to three minutes, scraping own the sides occasionally, until mixture is smooth and creamy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream

  

This weekend, something so amazing came out of my ice cream maker that I can hardly believe it was me who made it. Chocolate and peanut butter are a killer combination in every form, but chocolate and peanut butter together in cheesecake ice cream form? Absolutely killer.

I could keep rambling about how the subtle chocolate flavor compliments the creamy peanut butter perfectly. Or comment on how the cream cheese adds a perfect bit of tang and makes for the creamiest ice cream I've ever eaten.

Or I could just encourage you to make some for yourself and actually taste what I'm talking about.

Yeah, that sounds about right. Go forth and make ice cream! What are you waiting for?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream
Inspired by Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams At Home

Ingredients
*2 cups 2% chocolate milk
*1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon corn starch
*2/3 cups granulated sugar
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 1/4 cups heavy cream
*4 oz. cream cheese, softened
*1/2 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter (not natural peanut butter)

Instructions
*In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the chocolate milk and the corn starch until smooth. Set aside.
*In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the remaining chocolate milk, sugar and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for four minutes, stirring frequently. (I had issues with the mixture boiling over a bit, so watch carefully and remove from the heat for a second or two, if necessary)
*After four minutes, remove from the heat and whisk in the corn starch mixture. Return to heat, bring to a boil and continue to boil for one to two minutes or until mixture is thickened slightly. (A good test: it's ready when it thinly coats the back of a wooden spoon.)
*Remove from heat and whisk in the cream cheese and peanut butter. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Whisk in the heavy cream. Pour mixture through a mesh sieve and into a bowl.
*Place mixture in the refrigerator and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours or until mixture is completely chilled.
*Transfer chilled mixture to the bowl of an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Store mixture in an airtight container in the freezer.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Peanut Butter Spread

Wow! Thank you all so much for your enthusiastic response to the giveaway. I wish I could give every one of you an ice cream maker. Alas, I have to choose just one person, and that person is....

Congrats, Ashley! E-mail me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) with your name, address and your selection of which type of ice cream maker you would like and I will get it to you asap!

Last weekend I found myself making waffles for the first time with our new waffle iron, only to realize halfway through that we were out of maple syrup. Typically, when I'm trying to keep sugar and calories down, I opt for the artificially sweetened bottled light pancake syrup or sugar-free pancake syrup. But on Saturday I didn't have anything remotely close to syrup and was too lazy to make my way to the store.

Instead, I whipped up this creamy peanut butter spread. While it's not quite as drippy as syrup, its thicker consistency does prevent it from making pancakes, waffles and other breakfast goodies from becoming soggy underneath and it helps to stretch the peanut butter across a larger surface. Major bonus in my book. Because although I would like to eat tablespoon after tablespoon of peanut butter, my hips and thighs beg me not to.

After I made this spread, I imagined that it would make a delicious dip for pretzels or fruit, or a great spread atop toast. And if you sprinkled a little granola and chocolate atop it, I can only imagine it would be perfect on its own, too.

Peanut Butter Spread
Ingredients
*4 oz. plain, 2% Greek yogurt
*1 tablespoon natural, creamy peanut butter
*1/2 to 1 teaspoon stevia or brown sugar
*1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*1 to 2 tablespoons milk (depending on how thick you want it)

Instructions
*In a small bowl, combine all the above ingredients. Stir until well combine. Start with 1 tablespoon of the milk, then add additional if you want a thinner consistency. Spoon over waffles, pancakes or atop toast.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey

I don't personaly know Jennifer Perillo, nor did I know her husband, Mikey. But like thousands of others across the web, I was brought to tears after reading her touching post in the wake of her husband's sudden and premature death.

When I first heard the news, I thought immediately to what we as a blogging community could do to offer love and support. Jennifer herself provided the answer: make Mikey's favorite peanut butter pie on Friday and enjoy it with loved ones. Such a simple, meaningful and delicious call to action that hundreds of bloggers are answering today.

Joey and I will be enjoying this pie at home with a couple of friends who are staying with us tonight, counting our blessings and being thankful for each and every day we have with one another. Life is such a precious gift, and I hate thinking about how much time we waste being angry over petty things or how busy we get with superficial details.

And the pie? It's as good as it gets. Quite similar to a giant peanut butter cup spooned into a chocolate cookie crust. I can't imagine a better way to celebrate loved ones.

I hope you make time to eat peanut butter pie soon, too.

Peanut Butter Pie
Adapted from In Jennie's Kitchen: Creamy Peanut Butter Pie 

Ingredients
*1 purchased chocolate cookie crust
*4 ounces milk chocolate chips
*1/4 cup chopped pecans
*1 cup heavy cream
*8 ounces cream cheese, softened
*1 cup creamy peanut butter
*1 cup confectioner's sugar
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions
*Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth. Spoon mixture into the bottom of the prepared pie crust. Top with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate until ready to use. 
*In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
*Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a deep bowl.  Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar.  Add the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Increase speed to medium and beat until all the ingredients are combined and filling is smooth.
*Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture (helps lighten the batter, making it easier to fold in the remaining whipped cream).  Fold in the remaining whipped cream.  Pour the filling into pie crust. Refrigerate for three hours or overnight before serving. Top with additional chopped pecans, if desired.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes

After talking in my last recipe post about my commitment to sharing more healthy recipes and inspiration from my daily life in food, I know what you must be thinking.

Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes? Well, that hardly qualifies as a healthy breakfast. But let me explain.

For a while now, pancakes have gotten a bad reputation for being unhealthy and full of empty calories. But with a little tweaking, they can actually be a great way to start your day. What may look unhealthy on the outside is filled with good-for-you ingredients like whole wheat flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, protein powder and low-fat milk. And topping your pancakes with peanut butter or Greek yogurt instead of syrup saves loads of calories and grams of added sugar.

Since Joey requests pancakes on a regular basis, I loved the idea of mixing the dry ingredients ahead of time and storing them in the pantry for a hassle-free breakfast in the morning when I'm short on time or just feeling a little lazy.

Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes

Dry Ingredients
*1/2 cup all-purpose flour
*1/2 cup whole wheat flour
*1/4 cup protein powder (vanilla or chocolate)
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda
*2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
*1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional, or you could substitute 1 teaspoon stevia)
*1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips

Wet Ingredients
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 cup low-fat milk
*1 large egg, lightly beaten

Toppings
*Natural peanut butter and/or Greek yogurt

Instructions
*In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a second bowl, combine the wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined, leaving a few lumps to keep the pancakes light and fluffy.
*Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pancake batter, a 1/4 cup at a time, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, flipping when bubbles form on the surface of the pancake.
*Top pancakes with a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter or Greek yogurt. And if you're feeling bold, go with both.

Rough nutrition info: Each 1/4 cup pancake is about 185 calories, without the peanut butter. Although I like to eat two pancakes with a tablespoon of peanut butter when I'm eating these babies for breakfast. 

Peanut Butter Granola

Happy (almost) weekend, everyone! I don't know about you, but I sure am ready for a few days to relax with Joey and Nut. Joey has business in Des Moines on Monday morning so he will be staying with me a little longer than usual, and it means we get to have a Sunday night together. I'm ridiculously excited. 

I thought it was also high time for me to share what I've been eating for breakfast the last couple weeks. Last week, after seeing Jenna's post about granola, I was compelled to make some of my own. Of course, I decided to forgo using a recipe and just stick with equal parts butter, oil and honey. I realize that Granola is typically made with regular rolled oats, but I made this granola with a combination of regular rolled oats and the quick-cooking variety. It would be great if I could say it was for creativity's sake, but truthfully, I ran out of rolled oats.

The good news? Quick-cooking oats made a fabulous substitute. Although I wouldn't recommend using 100% quick-cooking oats, the mix worked out well. And you know me, if you put peanut butter on something I'll follow you around and love you forever. I've been enjoying my granola served with an ice-cold glass of 2% milk and chopped walnuts.

P.S. - How cute are these two?

Peanut Butter Granola

Ingredients
*1 2/3 cup rolled oats
*1 2/3 cup instant oats
*1/3 cup peanut butter
*1/3 cup vegetable oil
*1/3 cup honey
*Serve with milk (I vote for 2%) and chopped walnuts

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 275°F. In a large bowl, combine the oats. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, vegetable oil and honey. Stir until well combined.
*Pour peanut butter mixture over oats and stir until oats are evenly coated. Spread evenly onto baking sheet. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until lightly golden and toasted, stirring once halfway through baking. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Fluffer-Nutter Bars

It has come to my knowledge that there is something called a fluffernutter sandwich. I had heard of such a sandwich before, but was never quite sure if it really existed or if it was just an urban myth. Most certainly no such sandwich was part of my childhood, but then again, I didn't eat my first peanut butter and jelly sandwich until I was in 7th grade. I was a strange kid.

So to satisfy my curiosity, I got to digging around on the internet. And, of course, Wikipedia came to the rescue with this answer:

"A fluffernutter sandwich is a sandwich made with peanut butter and marshmallow creme. It's name comes from the popular Marshmallow Fluff brand of marshmallow creme. It is particularly popular in the Northeastern United States and has been proposed as the state sandwich of Massachusetts."

Who knew? Personally, marshmallow creme was a phenomenon I knew very little about first-hand. And although I love peanut butter, this sandwich sounded a lot more like a dessert to me than a viable lunch or dinner option.

Fluffernutter sandwiches may have zero appeal to me, but rolling all that sweet goodness into one gooey, caramel bar sounded like a very good idea. I based the bars off a recipe for Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars from the most recent issue of Bon Appétit. The base is very similar to a blondie. A blondie that is filled with a marshmallow center, which is surprisingly delicious. I might go so far to say that these are one of the best desserts on the entire site. But I'll let you be the judge of that.

Fluffer-Nutter Bars
Adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2011, Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Ingredients
*1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
*1/2 teaspoon baking powder
*1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
*3/4 cup packed brown sugar
*1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
*2 large eggs
*1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
*1 cup mini marshmallows
*1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8x2-inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
*In a medium bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. Set aside. In a second bowl, beat together the peanut butter, brown sugar and butter until well-combined. Whisk in the eggs, one by one, followed by the kosher salt.
*Reserve 1/2 cup of the dough. Transfer the remaining dough to the lined baking pan and press into the bottom of the pan and 1-inch up the sides. Sprinkle the marshmallows atop the dough in pan, spreading in an even layer.
*With reserved 1/2 cup of dough, stir in the walnuts. With your fingers, drop the dough mixture atop the marshmallow layer in grape-sized pieces. (This doesn't have to be a completely even layer. You should still be able to see some of the marshmallows.)
*Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and marshmallows are puffed. The bars may not seem done because of the marshmallow layer, but that is no cause to worry.
*Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars. Makes 9 Bars

Happy Baking!

Madison

Candy Pumpkin Peanut Butter Kisses

It's official. The Sunday night blues have set in yet again. Typically I consider myself a happy, positive person, but it's tough to find the joy in Sunday nights sometimes. After a wonderful weekend with two of my favorite people in the whole world I now find myself cleaning up my apartment and getting ready for the week ahead with my mom traveling home in one direction, and Joey heading home in the opposite direction.

Lately, what Joey and I have been craving more than anything is a sense of place, normalcy and tradition. We marvel at what it would be like to spend a Sunday night together, to have a tradition like eating popcorn and watching movies, or even just being together in the same room preparing for the week ahead. Until then, I'll take whatever little bits of normal we can get. For now, that comes in the form of me packing him a sandwich for the drive home and baking something sweet for snacking on. Something like these Candy Pumpkin Peanut Butter Kisses.

Last week when I posted about Halloween and Butterfinger candy bars, a number of people commented about their passionate love for candy pumpkins. Can I get an amen? These cookies have been made in your honor, to let you know you're not alone in your obsession. And just because Halloween is over does not mean we need to retire these little objects of desire just yet.  I, for one, have stocked up on enough candy pumpkins to last for at least a month.

Chances are, you've had the more traditional version of these cookies made with Hershey's Kisses in the center. I've never really been a big fan of these cookies, but the addition of candy pumpkins in the center makes all the difference in the world. Peanut butter and chocolate can go ahead and make room for the peanut butter candy pumpkin combo any day in my apartment.

Candy Pumpkin Peanut Butter Kisses
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
*1/2 cup butter, softened
*1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
*1/2 cup sugar
*1/2 cup brown sugar
*1/4 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. vanilla extract
*1 tsp. baking powder
*1/4 tsp. baking soda
*1 large egg
*2 Tbsp. milk
*1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
*1/4 cup sugar
*Candy Pumpkins

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
*With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and peanut butter. Add in the sugars and beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until creamy and fluffy. Add in the salt, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and egg. Beat until well combined.
*Add in the milk and the flour and beat until just combined. Roll rounded teaspoons of the cookie dough in the sugar. Place on baking sheet, about 1 inch apart, and bake for 12 minutes.
*Remove cookies from oven and immediately place a candy pumpkin in the center of each cookie. Cool on baking sheets for about 10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Peanut Butter Spice Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream

One of these Mondays I'm going to be able to post about my relaxing, leisurely weekend where I got lots of sleep, painted my toenails, caught up on laundry and read all my untouched magazines cover-to-cover. But that day is not today. I'll spare you the details only to say it was a crazy, whirlwind of a weekend and I'm still scratching my head wondering where Saturday went.

In addition to traveling eight hours in the car on Saturday to see J's little brother play football, it was a weekend spent celebrating J's 23rd birthday! He might not have seen the reason to cause a fuss, but I most certainly did. I'm a big believer in the concept of 'birthday weekends' and was intent on making the entire three days a celebration of the man I love.

There were birthday cupcakes on Friday night when he arrived and a birthday dinner in Minneapolis with family on Saturday night after the game; there was also a man making balloon animals at the restaurant who catered to my request that he make J an birthday balloon hat to wear during dinner. And when his actual birthday arrived on Sunday, I put candles in both his chocolate chip pancakes and his sandwich at lunch. Like I said, birthdays are a big deal around here. 

Since J isn't a huge fan of overly-sweet desserts, I passed on most of my original ideas and decided to go with a simple spiced cupcake topped with a small dollop of peanut butter buttercream. Had this been my own birthday celebration there would have been a whole lot more buttercream involved. Thankfully, the birthday boy is generous and let me steal the buttercream off another cupcake to make up the difference.

Happy birthday, J!

Peanut Butter Spice Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Buttercream
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
Cake
*1 stick butter, softened
*1 cup sugar
*1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
*1 tsp. ground cinnamon
*1/4 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. vanilla extract
*2 large eggs
*3/4 cup self-rising flour
*1/2 cup buttermilk 
*2/3 cup all-purpose flour

Buttercream
*1 stick butter, softened
*1/2 cup peanut butter
*1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
*1-3 Tbsp. milk (start with 1 and add more if you want a thinner consistency)

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
*With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add in the sugar and peanut butter and beat until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract until combined.
*Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just combined. Reduce speed to low and beat in the self-rising flour until just combined, followed by the milk, then the all-purpose flour, being sure not to over beat and only mixing until ingredients are just combined.
*Spoon batter into prepared cupcake liners, filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
*Meanwhile, prepare the buttercream. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter together until creamy. Add in the powdered sugar, a 1/2 cup at a time, followed by the milk, beating until smooth and creamy.
*Pipe or spread buttercream atop the cupcakes. Candles optional. :)

Happy Baking!

madison

PB&J Buckwheat Crepes

Every morning I eat the same breakfast, boring but true. Greek yogurt, fresh or frozen berries, and a half a cup of cereal, usually Kashi. It's a delicious dose of protein and calcium with a serving a fruit. What can I say? I'm a creature of habit where matters of breakfast are concerned. But today I broke out of my breakfast rut because I couldn't say no to these crepes filled with a thin smear of homemade peanut butter and topped with black raspberry jam.

Before this, I had never made a crepe in my life. Sure, I'd eaten plenty, some of the best while in Europe, and loved every bite, but had always stayed away from making them at home because I thought they were difficult to replicate.

Turns out I was very wrong. If you've made pancakes and own a non-stick skillet, you should make crepes. They're a cinch to prepare, and that's coming from a girl who struggles mightily to flip pancakes. When reading the recipe for these buckwheat crepes from David Lebovitz, he suggests running a spatula around the edge, then turning the crepes over with your fingers. It worked perfectly for me, though if you feel more comfortable with a spatula, then flip away!

I can only imagine the possibilities for the rest of the crepe batter left in my fridge. Filled with a little goat cheese and spinach, or a hefty spoonful of blueberry preserves and fresh peaches, or the classic Nutella crepe with a dollop of whipped cream. J. comes tomorrow, and besides counting down the hours until he gets here, I'm counting the number of crepe combinations we can eat together.

P.S. - If you don't have buckwheat flour, don't stress. Just substitute an equal amount of all-purpose or whole wheat flour.

PB&J Buckwheat Crepes
Adapted from David Lebovitz 
Ingredients
*2 cups whole or 2% milk
*1 tablespoon sugar
*1/4 teaspoon sea salt
*3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, melted
*1/2 cup buckwheat flour
*3/4 cup (105 gr) all-purpose flour
*3 large eggs
*1/2 cup black raspberry preserves or other preserves of your choosing
*1 cup peanut butter 


Instructions

*In a blender, or with a whisk, mix together all the ingredients until smooth. Cover and chill overnight.

*To fry the crêpes, remove the batter from the refrigerator about an hour before frying. Stir it briskly; it should be the consistency of heavy cream. (If not, you can add a tablespoon of milk.)

*Heat a 8- to 9-inch skillet on the stovetop. You can use a real crêpe pan that's been seasoned, but I use a Tefal non-stick skillet which works great.

*Drop a tiny piece of butter or neutral oil in the hot pan and wipe it around with a paper towel. (I only do this for the first crêpe.)

*Lift the pan and pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the middle of the hot skillet, swirling the pan to distribute the batter quickly and evenly. The pan shouldn't be too hot or too cold: the batter should start cooking within a few seconds, giving you just enough time to swirl it. It may take a couple of crêpes for you to get your rhythm.

*After about a minute, run a non-stick spatula around the underside of the rim of the crêpe, then flip the crepe over. I grasp the crepe with my fingers, but use the spatula if you wish.

*Let the crêpe cook on the flip side for about 30 seconds, then slide it out onto a dinner plate. Repeat, cooking the crepes with the remaining batter, stirring the batter every so often as you go.

*In two separate microwave-safe dishes, heat the jam and peanut butter in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds, until it spreads easily. Fill the inside of each crepe with a few spoonfuls of peanut butter, fold in half, then in half again. Top with a spoonful of fruit preserves. 

*Crêpes should be served warm. To rewarm the crêpes for serving, fold the crepes and put them in a baking dish covered with foil. Heat them in a moderate oven until warmed through.

Happy Breakfast!

Madison

Make-Your-Own Nut Butter

 Hi, my name is Madison and I love peanut butter. I also love ketchup, and it's a well-known fact in my extended family, since every time we eat either turkey or ham, I go searching through the fridge of the aunt and uncle's house I am at in search of ketchup to bring to the table.

Unfortunately, this is one duo that does not work well together. Though when J. returned from Europe in January, he did bring me back a chocolate bar that incorporated both. Let's just say I am not going to be trying to sell any of you on that combination any time soon.

But what I really intended to discuss was homemade nut butter. A trip to the peanut butter section of the grocery store will most likely yield some non-peanut butter impostors: soy nut butter, almond butter, mixed-nut butter. They are, of course, impostors in the most wonderful sort of way. Along with the delicious, unusual taste comes an equally unusual and not so delicious price tag. Does anyone really think it's a good idea to shell out $10 (yes, $10!) for a small jar of nut butter? Not this girl, especially when it's so easy to make yourself.

Over the past couple of weeks I've been playing with this recipe, using peanuts, almonds, and walnuts (pictured). I love the taste of walnuts, though if you aren't a walnut-lover to begin with I don't think walnut-butter is going to change your mind. The process is simple, really. And unlike the labor-of-love homemade pop tarts of last week, this nut butter recipe can be completed and consumed in under 12 minutes. Grind up the nuts in a food processor, add a little oil and salt, process some more, and then a little more until you are left with a creamy nut butter better than anything you might buy on the supermarket shelves, for a whole lot less.

Homemade Nut Butter

Ingredients:
*16 oz. (about 4 cups) toasted, unsalted nuts of your choice (I have tried this with almonds, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts and had success with all four, or you could use a combination)
*3 to 4 Tbsp. oil (I used light olive oil)
*1 1/2 tsp. salt (regular, table salt)

Instructions:
*In a food processor, process the nuts for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed, until the mixture resembles fine crumbs and becomes slightly pasty.
*Add in the oil and salt. Continue to process for 3-5 minutes more, scraping down the sides frequently, until creamy and smooth, with just a slight texture remaining.
*Refrigerate until ready to use.

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Peanut Butter-White Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I first started baking, chocolate chip cookies were my greatest source of frustration. It seemed that everyone except me had their own trademark recipe. And while I could properly duplicate a batch from the back of the Toll House bag, it wasn't enough. After two years and many trials, it finally happened. It was love at first bite and after that moment, there was no looking back.

At this point you might be wondering where the chocolate chips are. The short answer is there aren't any. People, just as much as recipes and the food itself, influence me in the kitchen. And so when a high school friend told me he didn't like chocolate chips, a substitution of white chocolate and peanut butter chips seemed appropriate. But the adaptations and add-ins don't stop there.

When I first made these cookies, I was cooking with Mexican vanilla I had lugged home in my suitcase after a recent vacation. If you're not familiar with Mexican vanilla, it has a hint of cinnamon flavor, and when my bottle ran out, I started adding cinnamon into the cookies to compensate. The drizzle of molasses builds on the rich cinnamon flavor, giving the cookies a slightly deeper flavor and an extra bit of chewiness. Add in some peanut butter and a whole lot of peanut butter and white chocolate chips and you have yourself one heck of a cookie, though I think calling it a chocolate chip cookie at this point would be a bit misleading.

Peanut Butter-White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

*3/4 cup butter

*3/4 cup sugar

*3/4 cup brown sugar

*2 large eggs

*1/4 cup peanut butter

*1 tsp. ground cinnamon

*2 tsp. vanilla extract

*1/4 tsp. salt

*1/2 Tbsp. full-flavored molasses

*1 tsp. baking soda

*2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

*3/4 cup peanut butter chips

*3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions:

*Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease or line with parchment paper two baking sheets. Set aside.

*With an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add in the sugar and brown sugar, and beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. (Trust me on this one, the mixture will become pale and fluffy and allow the sugar to blend with the butter. Just time it out - 4 minutes.)

*Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Beat in the peanut butter, cinnamon, salt, and molasses.

*Mix together the flour and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in two additions, beating just until flour is combined.

*Beat in the peanut butter chips and white chocolate chips by hand. Scoop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the greased or lined baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes. (I find 13 minutes to be perfect) Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Place on wire racks and cool completely.

*Side note: Prior to this post, I swore I would never give up this recipe. But after some consideration, I feel that it would be cruel not to share it. Bake, eat, and enjoy!

Happy Baking!

Madison

Homemade Peanut Butter Patties

I'm going away for the weekend and will not be taking my computer, so instead of leaving you hanging until Sunday, I wanted to give you a little something to occupy your time and taste buds this weekend.

What, you ask, is enough to make me unveil these cookies earlier than planned? I'll be visiting my best friend and boyfriend, but more importantly, I'll be meeting the bf's best friends. When meeting new people, I find bringing along a little something sweet is both a nice gesture and a sneaky act of bribery, and as far as bribery goes, I'm pretty sure peanut butter and chocolate have a nearly perfect success rate. Just in case these little peanut butter patties fail, I'm bringing along reinforcements for support: a batch of those chocolate chip banana mini-muffins from my previous post, and chocolate truffles (recipe to come).

So off I go, goodie basket in hand, leaving you with the recipe for Homemade Peanut Butter Patties. They're incredibly easy, despite having three components, and fairly hard to mess up. The biggest mistake I made while baking them was making the cookies themselves too big. Start with a heaping teaspoon, roll it into a ball, and slightly flatten with your fingers into a disc. Get that down, and it's practically foolproof. I cannot claim this recipe as my own, I found it via another blog, Love and Olive Oil, who adapted it from another recipe from the site Baking Bites. And here I am, passing it along once again. If that's not enough to convince you, I don't know what is.

Peanut Butter Patties

Makes about 3 dozen. Recipe adapted from Baking Bites.

Ingredients
Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk

Filling
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (natural or regular)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
generous pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Coating
about 8 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
2 oz cocoa butter OR 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk. The dough should come together into a soft ball.

Take a tablespoon full of dough and flatten it into a disc about 1/4-inch thick. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Cookies will not spread too much, so you can arrange them fairly closely together.

Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes, until bottoms and the edges are lightly browned and cookies are set.

Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, use your thumb or a small spoon to make a depression in the center of each cookie. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make filling, whisk together peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt and vanilla in a small microwave-safe bowl. When the mixture has come together, heat it in the microwave (in short intervals, stirring frequently), until it is soft. Working carefully with the warm filling, transfer it to a pastry bag (or plastic bag with the tip cut off) and pipe a generous dome of the filling into each cookie’s “thumbprint”.

Chill filled cookies for 20-30 minutes, or until the peanut butter is firm.

Melt the chocolate and cocoa butter in a small, heat-resistant bowl placed over a small saucepan filled with simmering (not boiling) water.

Dip chilled cookies into chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on a sheet of parchment paper to set.

Happy Baking!

Madison

New Take On: Scotcheroos

If you're from the Midwest, or have spent any prolonged amount of time in the area, you may want to stop reading right now. I mean it, this post may offend you, but if you ignore my warning and keep reading, please don't say I didn't warn you. Because I'm about to take issue with one of the most beloved desserts that exist in the Midwest. Heck, Scotcheroos may have cult status in other areas of the country, too, though I have yet to eat a Scotcheroo in the South.

It's not that I have anything against Scotcheroos. In fact, they play right into my weakness for all things peanut butter and chocolate, and the gooey-meets-crunchy texture is spot on. My real issue is that they aren't reaching their full potential. If you want to make something great in the kitchen, the best place to start is with great ingredients, so you can see why I might have a problem with the base of Scotcheroos being Rice Krispies. Yes, Rice Krispies - also known as the most borning and flavorless cereal known to man. Sure, they have great texture and were a cereal revelation in 1928 when they were invented, but today there are so many delicious, crunchy, flavorful cereals to choose from that I am at a loss as to why anyone would choose to use Rice Krispies when making one of the most beloved desserts on earth, or at least on of our favorites out here on the prairie.


Ranting against Rice Krispies aside, you could still make these scotcheroos with Rice Krispies, but starting with something a little more exciting can only make them better. Except if you use Fruity Pebbles..... don't use Fruity Pebbles.

These scotcheroo 'cupcakes' will be my contribution to the Superbowl party I'm going to. A bar pan would work too, but the colors of these cupcake liners were just too darn appropriate to pass up, and makes for one less pan that needs to be washed afterwards.

Ingredients:
Base
*1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
*1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
*1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
*6 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal (or any other cereal of choice)
Topping
*6 oz. milk chocolate chips
*6 oz. buterscotch chips
*1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Instructions:
*In saucepan, bring corn syrup and sugar to boil, stirring constantly, and remove form heat. Add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Stir in cereal until well combined. Scoop heaping tablespoons into cupcake liners. Set aside.
*In saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Spoon mixture on top of each scotcheroo 'cupcake.'

Happy Baking!

Madison

Open-faced Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies

 My two absolute favorite ingredients are peanut butter and pumpkin. Impressive, exclusive, gourmet? No. Delicious and versatile? Most certainly. Because they are both so versatile, and can star in dishes both sweet and savory, I never run out of ways to use them, and if at all possible, together.

If you take a seat at my breakfast table during the winter months, which here in Iowa the term 'winter months' can mean any time between October and April, you will probably be served a slice of whole wheat bread from Great Harvest, spread with a bit of creamy peanut butter and topped with a mixture of canned pumpkin, cinnamon, and a bit of brown sugar.

But I'm not here to talk about ways to use peanut butter and pumpkin at breakfast. No, I'm posting to share my newly discovered way to combine the two - in a cake-like cookie topped with fluffy peanut butter cream. I've been showing a lot of healthy, veggie-centric dishes lately, so to balance it out, I give you Open-faced Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies.

Open-Faced Pumpkin and Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies 
Ingredients:
*1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
*1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
*2 large eggs
*1/2 c. canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
*2 tsp. ground cinnamon *
1/2 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. baking soda
*2 1/2 cups flour
Icing:
*3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
*1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
*1/3 cup milk
*4-5 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:
*Preheat oven to 350*F. With electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add in the sugar; beat 1-2 minutes, until creamy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. Add in pumpkin, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Beat until well-combined. Slowly add in flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until well combined.
*Scoop dough by heaping teaspoons onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until cookies are browned on the bottom, puffed up, and the cookie springs back when lightly touched with your finger. Cool on wire racks. Yields about 32 cookies.
*For the icing, with an electric mixer (preferably fitted with a whisk attachment), combine peanut butter and butter, beating until well combined, about 30 seconds. Add in milk. Slowly add in powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until the cream is fluffy. (I will be honest, I didn't really measure the amount of powdered sugar I added. I just kept adding until it was creamy, slightly firm, but still spreadable. I think it was around 4-5 cups, but by adding it in a cup at a time you can control the consistency as you go. If you add too much powdered sugar, just add in a bit more milk until you reach your desired consistency.)
*Pipe or spread the icing onto each cooled cookie. Don't be shy. Spread it on thick. It's truly the best part of this cookie.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Peanut Butter-Butterscotch Blondies with Salted Peanut Butter Cream

I wasn't planning on posting anything until after the weekend, but this idea was nagging at me all week, begging "bake me!" And now I'm glad I didn't wait, because it would be cruel and unusual punishment to withhold this recipe from you all. Seriously, this is without a doubt the best recipe to come out of my kitchen in an awfully long time.

One of my favorite food trends to surface in the past year has been kosher salt playing a major role in baked goods. A longtime fan of the salty/sweet combo, my taste buds have been overjoyed with every salted caramel and chocolate that comes my way. Salt works so well with everything sweet because it's a flavor enhancer, so in the right amounts it can enhance the flavor of anything, including sweets. Don't believe me? Add a tiny bit of kosher salt to your ice cream, chocolate cake, or banana tart. Not a lot, just a little is enough to make the flavors of any sweet amazingly better.

Better yet, instead of sprinkling salt on to ice cream or chocolate cake (because you can always do that some other time) run to the kitchen, preheat the oven, and get to making these salted blondies. But whatever you do, make sure you have someone in mind to share these with because one slice could easily turn into two, or three. Don't say you haven't been warned.

Creamed butter

After the sugar, both brown and granulated, have been added

Adding in the 1/2 cup of peanut butter

Post peanut butter and sour cream additions - light and fluffy

Baking in a 10-inch round tart pan makes serving easy and presentation impressive.
However, you can bake in a 9x13-inch pan if you don't have a tart pan.

Ingredients:
Blondies
*1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
*1 cup packed light-brown sugar
*1/2 cup granulated sugar
*2 eggs
*1 1/2 teaspoons coarse (kosher) salt
*1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
*1/4 cup sour cream
*2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*2 cups all-purpose flour
*1 (12-oz.) package butterscotch chips
Salted Peanut Butter Cream
*1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
*4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
*1/2 tsp. coarse (kosher) salt
*1/4 cup milk
*3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions:
*Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease a 10-inch round tart pan (9x13-inch pan may be substituted). Set aside. With an electric mixer, beat butter at medium to high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add in granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy and well-combined, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once.
*Add in eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined. Add in salt, creamy peanut butter, and sour cream. Beat until well-combined and fluffy. The batter will be light and airy. Add in extract.
*Mix in flour in two additions, beating just until combined. Stir in butterscotch chips by hand.
*Transfer mixture to pan and spread evenly to edges. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and brown, and center is golden.
*Allow blondie to cool on a wire rack until completely cool.
*Meanwhile, cream together peanut butter and butter. Add in salt, milk, and powdered sugar, beating until creamy and well combined. Spread atop blondie, sprinkle with additional kosher salt, if desired.

Happy baking!

Madison

Peanut Butter and Jelly Oats

We've been having unseasonably warm weather here in Iowa. It's November and today warmed into a lovely, sunny, 74 degree day. Winter can stay at bay for at least another month as far as I'm concerned, which is probably wishful thinking, but a girl can hope, right?

Happy weather calls for even happier food. Familiar favorites that make you smile and want to linger at the table for just a few more minutes. Since breakfast is my 'stay-and-linger' meal of choice, there's no better meal than Peanut Butter and Jelly Oats, for breakfast, or any time of the day.

Ingredients
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup water
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon jelly or jam (I used red raspberry)
Walnuts or pecans (optional)

Instructions
*Mix together oats and water. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stirring at 30 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir in peanut butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt. Top with jelly and nuts.

Happy cooking!

Madison

Peanut Butter, Pear, and Honey Stacker

Quite often, I sit down at the end of a busy day and think about what I fixed for myself, only to feel dismayed thinking about food I find to be rather uninspiring. I'm not a chips, fast food, and junk food type of girl, but on busy days I sometimes rely rather heavily on coffee, yogurt, and Lara bars, finished off with a big plate of veggies at the end of the day to balance everything out.

A couple weeks back I was putting together this little sandwich and one of the girls in my sorority asked me, "Why don't you ever eat normal food?" I was rather confused by her question. "What in the world are you talking about? The foods I eat are normal!" I wanted to say, but instead I simply shrugged and settled for a, "Looks normal to me."


This sandwich really isn't much of a recipe, but it sure does hit the spot for lunch or a light dinner. I've never been much of a peanut butter and banana sandwich girl, but switch the bananas out of pears and add a drizzle of honey and I'm there. Depending on how firm your pears are, it may help to saute them in a tiny bit of butter with a touch of cinnamon just to soften them up, about 3 to 4 minutes. Layer the pears on a couple slices of bread coated with peanut butter and top it off with a drizzle of honey. Pure perfection.

Happy cooking!

Madison

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Truffles

Maybe it's a bit too early to start thinking about favorite holiday treats. But since Halloween is over and done with, I have decided it's entirely appropriate to start posting any and all treats that remind me of Thanksgiving, and particularly, Christmas. For years growing up I tasted these sweet little peanut butter-chocolate morsels of deliciousness and thought they must be terribly difficult to make. If big flavor was any indication of difficulty level, they would most certainly take forever to make.

Thankfully that rule does not hold true. Especially in this case. When I was let in on the recipe to these Chocolate-Peanut Butter Truffles, I was shocked at how simple they are to make. They have become my go-to treat for pretty little hostess gifts and parties of all sorts, because let's be honest, who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate? Put them together in a bite-sized dessert and it's game over. Give it a try. Make them, set them out, and watch them disappear.



Ingredients
*1 package vanilla sandwich cookies or Golden Oreos
*1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese
*1/2 cup peanut butter
*1 package chocolate almond bark
*Toffee bits, chopped chocolate, or other candy for garnish

Instructions
*In a food processor, blend cookies until fine crumbs form, about 2-3 minutes. Add in cream cheese and peanut butter. Process until evenly blended. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
*Melt almond bark in microwave safe bowl on high for 3-4 minutes. Stirring every 30 seconds, until almond bark is smooth and glossy.
*Form dough into 1-inch balls. Dip into chocolate and transfer to waxed paper to try. Top with candy garnish of choice.