Peanut Butter Blondies

Tags

baking, bars, blondies, food, peanut butter, recipes

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

To ring it in, you should celebrate with one last treat before you really start that holiday detox/New Year’s resolution/the “oh-shit-i-need-to-lose-these-5-pounds-from-the-holiday” diet.

It’s hard to get back on track. I’ve been off the healthy wagon since Thanksgiving…. So have no fear, I’ll be posting super healthy meals again soon. But before I do, I want to indulge….one last time.

Are you with me? We’ll start counting calories again tomorrow….

Peanut Butter Blondies (Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 4 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13 x 9 inch pan with foil, allowing excess foil to hang over edges. Spray foil with cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well incorporated. Whisk in the peanut butter. Then gradually add the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.
3. Pour batter into the baking pan and smooth out. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack, then remove with the overhanging foil and cut into bars.

My Two Cents: In my book, you can’t go wrong with peanut butter.

Ever.

I will eat peanut butter any day of the week, on a piece of toast, grilled with jelly on some whole wheat bread, on a banana, straight out of the jar — and when you add sugar to the mix, you have one happy Megan.

The original recipe called for extra peanuts and no chocolate chips — which in my book, is a sin. You can add the peanuts for the crunch if you want, but if there isn’t chocolate to go alongside my peanut butter, we do not have a match made in heaven.

I opted for the mini chips so that all the chocolate didn’t sink to the bottom.

The result for these bars was one chewy, moist, peanut-buttery, chocolatey, sugary, delectable bite of goodness.

Start the New Year right, will ya?

 

Whip it up Wednesday: African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

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chickpeas, cooking, easy meals, food, peanut butter, quick meals, recipes, slow cooker, slow cooker recipes, sweet potatoes, whip it up wednesday

Slow cookers can be lifesavers if you’re short on time. You simply mix up some ingredients, throw it in a pot, turn it on before you head out the door, and come home to a beautiful meal at the end of the day.

So for this week’s Whip it up Wednesday recipe, I’m featuring a hearty slow cooker meal–African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew. I picked this meal not only because it’s simple to make, but also because its flavors are so complex. When I saw this in the new Good Housekeeping Cookbook, I can honestly say I swooned. Sweet potatoes, peanut butter, cilantro, tomatoes, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, chickpeas, and green beans? It sounded amazing, and it was

NOTE: This picture below might look like a pile of mush, but it’ll be one of the best tasting piles of mush you’ve eaten in a while. Like I said, slow cooker recipes are lifesavers if you’re short on time, but I never said they were pretty

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew (From The Good Housekeeping Cookbook)

Serves 6

Total Prep: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and stems (about 1 bunch at the store)
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup water
• 3 lbs sweet potatoes (4 medium), peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 pkg (16 oz) frozen cut green beans

Directions:

1. The Night Before: In a blender or food processor, blend garlic, cilantro, tomatoes (with juice), peanut butter, cumin, cinnamon, ground red pepper, and salt until pureed.

2. The Day Of: Peel and cut the sweet potatoes. In your slow cooker, pour in the peanut-butter mixture and stir in the water. Add sweet potatoes and chickpeas; stir to combine. Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours until potatoes are very tender.

3. Ten Minutes Before Serving: Cook the green beans according to package directions. Gently stir into stew. Serve hot with a fresh loaf of bread, rice, or simply in a bowl by itself.

My Two Cents: Don’t be afraid of the preparation for this dish. I used to be turned off to blenders before I got into cooking, but they are such great gadgets. Because of the blender, the only chopping involved is the chopping of the sweet potatoes, and that only takes 10 minutes before you walk out the door for work. It’s incredibly easy to throw together, and it’s definitely worth it.

This is a vegetarian dish, but the end product almost fools you into believing that there’s meat in it because it’s so filling. The sweet potatoes literally fell apart at the end–which is why it looks like mush But that made it all the creamier. The chickpeas also ended up with a silky texture.

Chris loved this dish, too (which is a sure sign the recipe is good.) He kept taking heaping bowls of it throughout the week and every time he ate it said “it’s like eating butter.”

But do you see butter in that ingredient list?

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Nutella Brownies

Tags

baking, Brownies, chocolate, food, Nutella, peanut butter, recipe, recipes

I’m a little late in the game to the Nutella obsession.

I actually bought my first jar of Nutella only a few weeks ago.

It’s shameful, I know. But probably for the better. Because more than once this week I found myself in front of the television with a spoon and the Nutella jar….eating far beyond the serving size…..

So I was planning an evening with one of my friends and asked her what she was in the mood to bake. She said “something with peanut butter and chocolate”. And I happened to get that message about 10 minutes after shoveling several tablespoons of Nutella in my face. So I thought “hmm. Something with Nutella. Something with peanut butter and Nutella. Something easy. But something with Nutella.”

Brownies are easy.

So I typed “Peanut butter Nutella brownies” into Google, and instantly came up with about 8 recipes to choose from. I was beaming with excitement.

I was even happier when I ate them.

Peanut Butter Nutella Brownies (Adapted from Noble Pig)

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

2. Over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in sugar and vanilla until well combined. Let cool for 5 minutes.

3. Add the eggs to the butter-sugar mixture one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition until all the eggs are incorporated. (It is important to let the butter and sugar cool slightly before adding the eggs, otherwise the eggs might scramble.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix well.

4. Mix together the Nutella and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals until it reaches a runny consistency. Stir that into the prepared brownie batter.

5. Pour the batter into a 13×9 inch baking pan (either greased or lined with parchment paper). Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean. Try to let cool before eating. You will not succeed.

My Two Cents: All I have to say about this recipe is, “What. Are. You. Waiting. For.”

Go make these. I had to freeze most of them so I would stop popping them into my mouth. (So yes, that means I have some if you want some!)

Friday Lunch: Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

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bananas, cooking, food, friday, lunch, peanut butter, sandwiches

What do you do when you have a ripe banana lying around?

And a big tub of peanut butter?

And you are currently craving potassium, protein, and that peanut-buttery-banana-taste-without-eating-a-cookie?

Make this.

A grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich.

I frequently make peanut butter and banana (or jelly) sandwiches, but grilling it gives it a nice extra crunch, and how can you resist creamy bananas and warm, oozing peanut butter seeping out of your sandwich?

I can’t.

So if you want to make an afternoon snack, or a lazy weekend lunch, I’m going to recommend this. Simply grab two slices of your favorite bread (mine is multi-grain at the moment), spread a hunk of peanut butter (chunky or smooth) on each slice, and lay sliced banana in between. Heat a pan to medium heat; spray with cooking spray. Place the sandwich on the pan, spray the other side with cooking spray. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side until browned. Eat and be merry.

Happy Friday all Hope you make something delicious this weekend!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

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baking, chocolate, Cookies, food, peanut butter, peanut butter cookies, recipes

In my humble opinion there is no better activity than baking cookies. And surprisingly enough I make them with such frequency now that I can actually resist eating four of them straight out of the oven. (Yes, back in my preteen baking days I would eat at least four cookies hot out of the oven. One from each batch that I baked. Ah, the days of high metabolism and getting taller…) Now I usually taste one just to make sure something terrible hasn’t happened, like misreading the baking soda measurement for the salt, or vice versa.

Baking cookies is really relaxing for me, too. I know I’ve said this before, but life seems pretty perfect when you can crank up your music and just rock out with the aroma of butter and sugar puffing up perfectly together in your oven. I’m sad if you even remotely disagree with me on that statement.

But enough of my rambling. Onto these cookies.

I was invited to a cookie swap this past weekend. I met up with Amanda, Nicole, and Kathy at Kathy’s apartment to swap all sorts of delicious and beautiful little (or big) cookies. I decided to make both peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and regular chocolate chip cookies.  I love peanut butter. And I mean love it. Sometimes my body will randomly crave a giant spoonful of plain old smooth peanut butter, and usually one day out of each week you can find me on the couch eating spoonfuls of peanut butter. I’m sure it’s not one of the healthiest habits I have, but it sure is a tasty one.

Therefore peanut butter cookies sounded pretty good for the occasion, and I stumbled on these ones. They seemed to fit just right.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (From Food.com)

Makes 24 cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 (or 1 1/2) cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cream butter and sugars together. Add peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. Mix well.

3. In another bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the butter mixture.

4. Stir in the oatmeal and then the chocolate chips.

5. Roll the dough by hand into balls (or use a scoop) and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the tops are light and golden. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

My Two Cents: The pile of these cookies had a nice big dent in them by the end of the afternoon at the cookie swap. So I think that means that people liked them. Kathy even said she doesn’t usually like oatmeal cookies, but she liked these!

The original recipe called for 2 cups of chocolate chips, but even I thought that was a bit much for the amount of batter there was for the cookies. I put about 1 cup in, and I think it was a perfect amount. I didn’t want the chocolate to overwhelm the peanut butter taste. And trust me, coming from a chocoholic like me, that sort of statement is kind of surprising.

Overall, yum-a-licious!

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Tags

baking, chocolate, chocolate cookies, Cookies, food, no-bake cookies, peanut butter, recipes

Half of my pantry space in my kitchen is devoted to baking supplies. I never let that cabinet run dry, so that on any given morning/day/night I can take out my mixing bowls and whip up something chocolatey, sugary, and buttery.

Last night I was flipping through The Comfort Table by Katie Lee Joel, and I spotted a bunch of recipes I want to make–but one that I wanted and knew I could make immediately without having to pick up something at the store–>no-bake cookies. I’ve never attempted to make no-bake cookies, but they seemed so simple and so comforting. Plus, it was Valentine’s Day! How can you go wrong with an ooey-gooey chocolate and peanut butter treat? (Especially when you didn’t go out and buy chocolates..?)

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies (From The Comfort Table)

Makes 30 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
• 2 1/2 – 3 cups rolled oats

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, cocoa, milk, and vanilla. Bring to a slow boil and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the peanut butter. Remove from heat and stir in 2 1/2 cups oats. The mixture should be thick and chunky–add the additional 1/2 cup oats if it’s not thick enough.

2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop the mixture by tablespoons onto the parchment. Stick the cookie sheets in the fridge for about an hour or until they are firm. Eat with delight.

 

My Two Cents: These couldn’t be easier, or tastier.  After sitting in the fridge for an hour, these cookies were fudgey and sticky and fun to eat. For a firmer cookie, I would stick them in the freezer for a bit too. Since they are so sticky, DO be sure to use parchment paper for this recipe. I know that step is usually optional for cookies that you bake, but it would be a huge mess to not drop these on parchment paper. Also, I suggest you keep them on parchment paper for storage–don’t even bother unsticking them until you actually eat them! Simply store the cookies in a gallon-sized plastic bag in a single row of 3 x3. Then you can easily stack them in the fridge or freezer–grab and go when you are in need of a chocolate fix!