Magic Middle Peanut Butter Cookies

Wow, has it been a crazy few months. I can't believe that it's been over three months since my last blog post?! I thought that with my daughter starting school in September, I'd have all this extra time to bake and blog again.  However, as many moms out there know - your time without the kids is rare - so I found myself running a million different errands every time she was in school and I was never home to do any baking. I kept thinking to myself that I'd get around to another post "soon" and then before I knew it, I was busy getting ready for my daughter's third birthday party and then a few days later I had my baby girl! Life's been crazy with a newborn and a three year old, to say the least.  For those who have been following my blog for some time and would like to see some pictures of the new little one, you can visit our photographer's blog here. I'm so blessed to be celebrating this holiday with two beautiful little girls that are the light of my life.

And without further ado, I'm hoping to post a flurry of blog posts today to make up for my lack of blogging over the past few months (hopefully the kids will nap long enough for me to get these all up today!).  For those who are still looking for some last minute inspiration for their holiday baking, look no further :) I've got some great recipes that I've tried out this year, and of course there are the tried and true recipes from years past as well.

Let's start off this series of posts with one of my favorite combinations - peanut butter and chocolate.  You really can't go wrong with anything made with these two ingredients! These cookies are impressive yet simple to make.  With chocolate cookies it can be difficult to tell sometimes when the cookies are done baking because they do not turn golden brown like other cookies do.  You'll want to watch these cookies closely - when they just start to barely crack you should take them out of the oven.  They'll continue to bake just a little bit more while they're cooling on your cookie sheet.  If you over bake them, they'll still be good, but a bit on the dry side. 

Magic Middle Peanut Butter Cookies
from Gonna Want Seconds

Cookie:
    1 1/2 Cups - All Purpose Flour
    1/2 Cup - Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
    1/2 Teaspoon - Baking Soda
    1/2 Cup - Sugar
    1/2 Cup - Brown Sugar, Packed
    1/2 Cup - Unsalted Butter, at Room Temperature
    1/4 Cup - Peanut Butter
    1 Teaspoon - Vanilla Extract
    1 - Large Egg

Filling:
    3/4 Cup - Powdered Sugar
    3/4 Cup - Peanut Butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Make Cookies: In a small  bowl, blend flour, cocoa, and baking soda.

In a large bowl beat white sugar, brown sugar, butter and 1/4 cup peanut butter, until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg, beat until blended.  Stir in flour mixture until blended.  Set aside.

Make the filling: Combine the confectioners sugar and 3/4 cup peanut butter.  Beat well with electric mixer until mixture comes together.

Roll filling into 30 1 inch balls. Form exterior part of cookie by sectioning dough into approximately 1 tablespoon pieces and then shaping the exterior part of cookie around filling balls.  Cover the filling completely.  Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Kids' Thumbprints (TWD)

I'm a horrible blogger :( I haven't posted in weeks... and I made these cookies back in December and I am just now getting around to blogging about it! *sigh* My life is now consumed with play dates, story time, craft time, little gym, etc. so I haven't had nearly as much time as I used to for baking, blogging, and visiting other blogs :( Thank you to those who are still around, reading each blog post that I'm able to put up! I did want to put a question out there to my readers... do you enjoy the posts about food-related coupons and deals? I started with them on my Facebook page, then posted a few here on the blog... but wasn't sure if that was something that people were interested in? Should I stick with just the recipe posts, or would you like to see deals posted too? Please leave me a comment and let me know! :)

So anyway, without further ado... the very last Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by none other than Dorie Greenspan herself, author of Baking: From My Home to Yours.  She chose Kids' Thumbprints.  These were kind of like grown up peanut butter and jelly cookies.  You take a peanut butter cookie dough and rough it into a ball, then dip it in egg whites and roll it in some chopped up peanuts.  Then proceed like you would with any other thumbprint cookie recipe and press your thumb gently into the center and fill with jam after the cookies have baked.

I only needed one egg white for my cookies, otherwise I followed the recipe exactly as written.  These were incredibly addicting cookies! I found that if you let the jam cool just a little bit after warming it up, the cookies are a little bit easier to fill because then the jam isn't quite so runny.  I shared these with my neighbor and she loved them, too.

If you would like the recipe, you can find here.  This is the last blog post for Tuesdays with Dorie - Baking: From My Home to Yours. I can't believe that after 4 years, we've finally baked through the entire book! It's been so much fun... not only baking everything, but meeting so many other wonderful bloggers out there.  I've had a blast and I have learned so much with the group baking week by week through the book.  I'm still not the best cake decorator out there, but I can make some pretty good pastries and brioche now! I'm so proud of what I have done with the group.  While we are putting Baking back up on the shelf, our group is getting ready to embark on another adventure... as we bake our way through Baking with Julia.  So, if you are interested in baking along with us, please join us as Tuesdays with Dorie: Baking with Julia starts on February 7th!

Peanuttiest Blondies (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Nicole of Bakeologie: Peanuttiest Blondies. I love peanut butter, especially peanut butter and chocolate. What I particularly love about peanut buttery sweets is that when I make them, I don't have to share them with my husband ;) You see, he doesn't share my love for peanut butter. He'll eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but that's about it. So whenever I make something with peanut butter in it, that means more for me! :)

This recipe was easy peasy, and does not require a stand mixer. Just blend the peanut butter and softened butter together with an electric mixer, add the sugars, then eggs, followed by the dry ingredients. Then chopped peanuts and chocolate chips get mixed in at the very end.

These blondies were very good, but definitely not as peanut buttery as I expected them to be (given their name).  Even my husband tasted one and liked it because "it doesn't taste too much like peanut butter."  Don't get me wrong - I do think the peanut butter flavor is prominent (not sure why my husband couldn't taste it).  The peanut butter just isn't over the top like the name implies.  I think these are "peanuttiest" because they have both peanut butter and peanuts in the dough (especially when you use the crunch peanut butter variety).  Nicole probably described these best - they are like thick peanut butter chocolate chip cookie bars.  They are incredibly soft and moist, too (even though I think I overbaked them by a minute or two).


Thanks Nicole, for hosting this week.  I can definitely see myself making these again.  If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed these peanut-y treats!

Last but not least, congrats to AD of A Path in the Moonlight (comment #16) - you're the winner of my recent giveaway.  I hope the soon-to-be mom/dad enjoys the gift basket!

* Recipe notes:
- I used honey roasted peanuts instead of regular salted peanuts. 
- I did not put my pan on a baking sheet as directed in the recipe.
- I took my blondies out at 38 minutes (and they were probably done around 36 minutes), so (as with any recipe) do keep an eye on them while you are baking these.
- For more recipe tips, click here. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

It's really hard for me to believe that it's September already and we're leaving summer behind us.  Here in Dallas, we've finally seen the temperatures drop from triple digit heat to the 90's and it's amazing how it feels like it's 70 degrees outside! I think it will be a while before it truly feels like autumn, so in the meantime I am going to continue enjoying lots of homemade ice cream :)

I bring to you today another great ice cream recipe from The Perfect Scoop.  I particularly like that this one is a non-custard based ice cream, so it only takes a few minutes to prep.  I love chocolate and peanut butter together, and this ice cream is sure to satisfy any chocolate/peanut butter craving.  I'm sure it would be even better with some chopped up pieces of Reese's peanut butter cups mixed in at the end, too.  Don't have an ice cream maker? No problem. Check out this post here.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
from The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz

2 cups (500ml) half and half
1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (130g) smooth peanut butter

Whisk together the half and half, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up). Remove from heat and whisk in the peanut butter, stirring until thoroughly blended.

Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.

Makes 1 quart.

Peanut Butter Crisscrosses (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Jasmine of Jasmine Cuisine: Peanut Butter Crisscrosses.  I actually made these almost two years ago, during the holiday season of 2008.  Hard to believe that it's really been that long - seems like yesterday that I made them.  If you'd like to know what I thought of these cookies, you can read about them here.

Be sure to come back later this week, as I'll be sharing another ice cream recipe as we say goodbye to summer! And in the meantime, be sure to check out the delicious (and super easy) crepes I just posted about.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

I love peanut butter cookies. Some people like the soft and chewy ones, others like the crunchy and crumbly ones. I love them all! When I came across this particular peanut butter cookie, I fell in love and immediately asked for the recipe. Turns out it was from some newspaper clipping and while I would love to give credit to whomever developed these little morsels of heaven, I have no idea where it came from.




What’s unique about these cookies is that they contain no flour! Just peanut butter, eggs, and sugar. Yep, that’s it. Easy peasy. They are very delicate cookies and will crumble if you’re not careful transferring from the cookie sheet to the cooling rack, but when you put one in your mouth and it almost melts in your mouth, you will know why I love these cookies so much. So, give them a try the next time you get a peanut butter craving, I promise you won’t be disappointed! (I've also made them without the kisses and they are still good so if you don't like chocolate (gasp) don't let that stop you from trying these.)

Also, don't forget to enter my giveaway while you're here :)


Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
recipe source unknown

1 Jar (18 oz) creamy peanut butter
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
48 milk chocolate kisses (a 9 ounce package contains 53)

Heat oven to 350 F. Have cookie sheets ready. With a wooden spoon stir peanut butter, sugar, eggs in a medium size bowl until thoroughly blended. (Dough will be slightly sticky but don't worry, you'll still be able to roll it out.)

With floured hands, roll level measuring tablespoonfuls into 1-1/4 inch balls. Place 1-1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes until cookies look dry with tops crackled. Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate kiss in center of each. Cool on cookie sheet 1 to 2 minutes, then
remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 48 cookies

Per cookie: 111
cal, 3 g protein, 10 g carb, 7 g fat, 12 mg cholesterol, 71 mg sodium.

Peanut Butter Truffles (SMS)

This week's Sweet Melissa Sundays (SMS) recipe was chosen by Mara of Love Your Mother: Peanut Butter Truffles. I'm a day late with this one but could not pass up chocolatey peanut butter candies!

The recipe is straight forward and easy. Just heat up some cream and peanut butter, pour it over some chopped chocolate to melt the chocolate, then add some butter. Refrigerate until firm, then form into balls and roll in peanuts. That's it.


I found the chocolate to be very soft and hard to work with, even after chilling in the refrigerator for 6 hours. The best way to make these would probably be to roll them into balls and then freeze them. You can then take the frozen truffle balls and dip them in chocolate. Several SMS bakers did this with great success. I made a few truffles as directed in the recipe, and have the rest in the freezer right now so I can dip them in chocolate... but, since I'm already a day late posting, I thought I'd get this post up with at least what I've made so far.


Based on recommendations from other SMS bakers, I went ahead and doubled the amount of peanut butter in these truffles and I think they turned out great. You can certainly taste the peanut butter in them and the chocolate is so smooth and creamy. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the Sweet Melissa Sundays Blog Roll to see how everyone else enjoyed these peanut buttery treats.

* Recipe notes:
- I used semisweet chocolate chips instead of bittersweet chocolate.
- I also doubled the peanut butter and used a half cup.
- For more tips, click here.

Brownie Buttons (TWD)

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Jayma of Two Scientists Experimenting in the Kitchen: Brownie Buttons. They are these adorable little brownies made in mini muffin pans. Only problem was that I don't have mini muffin pans and did not want to go out and buy them just for this recipe.


So I made these in a regular sized muffin pan instead, and ended up with four regular sized brownies. I have to say that making brownies this way so easy and convenient - no need to slice them when you're done, and there is a great ratio of crispy edge to soft fudgey middle. No need for a special edge pan! The prep time was literally 5 minutes, and then they were in the oven - easiest brownie recipe ever!


Since my brownie "buttons" were so large, I "frosted" them instead of dipping them. I put melted white chocolate on half of them, and melted peanut butter chips on the other half. These had a nice crisp edge around them but they were soft and fudgey in the middle. My husband and I both loved these - our only complaint was that the recipe only yielded four! I would definitely recommend making a double batch if you try this.


Thanks Jayma, for picking this recipe, I will definitely be making it again - it may be my go-to brownie recipe from now on simply because it is so simple and easy! If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you check out the TWD Blogroll, to see how everyone else enjoyed this chocolatey treat.

* Recipes notes:
- I baked my brownies in a regular muffin pan and they were done after 21 minutes.
- Wrapped airtight, these will keep in the freezer for 2 months.
- For tips, click here.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (SMS)

This week's Sweet Melissa Sundays (SMS) recipe was chosen by Stephanie of Ice Cream Before Dinner: Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies. I love anything peanut butter, so I was more than happy to try this peanut butter cookie recipe.


These were super easy to throw together. Melissa warns you not to over bake these, or else they become crunchy instead of chewy, so I kept a really close eye on mine while they were in the oven. I baked mine for 12 minutes, slightly longer than what the recipe indicated (10 minutes), and then allowed them to rest on the baking sheet for an additional 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. I found that they were so soft and fragile that moving them any sooner was near impossible without having the cookies fall apart on me en route. Once they were completely cooled, they weren't so frail.


I sprinkled the tops of my cookies with some sugar before putting them in the oven. They would look even prettier with some raw/turbinado sugar sprinkled on top.


These cookies were super soft, but chewy around the edges. I really enjoyed them and have to admit that I ate the whole batch almost all by myself in just 3 days!! These would be really good to use for ice cream sandwiches. I will definitely be making them again. If you prefer crunchy peanut butter cookies, then I would recommend you try these Peanut Butter Crisscrosses. If you've got a little extra time in the kitchen, then you have to try these soft peanut butter cookies that have a candy surprise in the middle!

Thanks Stephanie, for a great pick. If you would like the recipe, you can find it here. Make sure you visit the SMS Blogroll to see how everyone else enjoyed these peanut buttery treats!

* Recipe Notes:
- Dip your fork into some flour to make the criss cross pattern. The first cookie you press will stick a bit to your fork. Dip it in flour again and the flour will more easily stick to fork with the little bit of cookie dough that is stuck to it. You'll have to dip the fork into the flour again after each cookie.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

It's not often that I get to make peanut butter goodies. As those who follow this blog know, my husband hates peanut butter and always complains when I make something with peanut butter because then he can't eat it. If I make enough other goodies, however, he's willing to overlook the fact that I made something peanut buttery ;)



Such was the case with these cookies. With all the other stuff I had made for my holiday gift packages, I was able to also sneak in these peanut butter cookies. They're sweet and crunchy with a nice peanut butter flavor. If you're looking for a soft peanut butter cookie, look elsewhere. (I'll have to post my flour-less peanut butter cookie recipe soon for those who prefer a softer cookie.)


These are rather simple cookies to make. No rolling required and no refrigeration required, either. Just roll the dough into balls, coat with sugar, then flatten with a fork to make the crisscross pattern after which these cookies are named. Prep time is only about 15 minutes before these are ready to go into the oven (assuming you already have the butter set out at room temperature).

Seeing as chocolate and peanut butter belong together, I can't wait to try the chocolate peanut butter version that Dorie describes in the "playing around" section.


These cookies are my final submission to "Eat Christmas Cookies, Season 2," hosted by Susan of Food Blogga. Click on the logo below to find out more about this event and click here to see the round-up of all the other wonderful cookies being submitted!

Before ending this post, I'd like to note that this post also marks another milestone in my blog history... my 200th post! For those who have been here since the beginning, thanks for sticking with me. For those who are new around here, I hope you'll continue to drop by and visit. I appreciate each and every reader, especially those who take the time to leave me comments/feedback. There are literally hundreds of food blogs out there that I would love to follow on a regular basis but the truth is that there just aren't as many hours in the day as I would like. So I hope you understand this... just know that I do try to get around to visiting your blogs as often as I'm able to. It's hard for me to believe that I've already reached my 200th post, but I'm looking forward to what's in store for the next hundred posts!

Peanut Butter Crisscrosses
from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
pinch of grated nutmeg
2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth) (I used crunchy Jif)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups chopped salted peanuts (I used honey roasted peanuts)
about ½ cup sugar, for rolling

Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

Working with a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for a minute or two, until smooth and creamy. Add the peanut butter and beat for another minute. Add the sugars and beat for 3 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl and, on low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing only until they just disappear. Mix in the chopped peanuts. You’ll have a soft, pliable (mushable, actually) dough.

Pour the ½ cup of sugar into a small bowl. Working with a level tablespoonful of dough for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms into balls and drop the balls, a couple at a time, into the sugar. Roll the balls around in the sugar to coat them, then place on the baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between them. Dip the tines of a fork in sugar and press the tines against each ball first in one direction and then in a perpendicular direction – you should have a flattened round of dough with crisscross indentations.

Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. When done, the cookies will be lightly colored and still a little soft. Let the cookies sit on the sheets for a minute before transferring them to cooling racks with a wide metal spatula. Cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remaining dough, making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

Storage:
The cookies will keep for at least 5 days in the cookie jar. Wrapped airtight, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Playing Around:
For a chocolate version, reduce the flour to 2 cups and sift 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder into the dry ingredients. Use 1 cup chopped salted peanuts and add 1/3 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate (or chocolate chips, preferably minis) along with the nuts.

Peanut Buttercups with Peanut-Penuche Icing

I don't bake cupcakes very often; I'm not really sure why. Probably because I only have one muffin pan and I'm too lazy to bake them in batches. I also don't see what the big deal is about Sprinkles Cupcakes. Sure, they have a lot of flavor combinations, but they don't taste that good. Plus I've seen much better cupcakes created by all the wonderful bakers who participate in Cupcake Hero every month.


I came across this recipe when I was craving something sweet, made with peanut butter. It's a peanut butter cupcake filled with chocolate, then topped off with a peanut-penuche icing. Penuche is a fudge-like candy made by boiling brown sugar, milk, and butter. My free sample of "chocolately" TCHO chocolate (courtesty of Blake Makes) was perfect in this recipe.


My only problem was that I misread the recipe instructions and thought I was supposed to place the chocolate in the middle of the batter. Turns out you're supposed to fill the muffin pan half way, add the chocolate, then fill it three-quarters of the way to the top (placing the chocolate in the top third of the batter). This mistake caused my chocolate to be pretty close to the bottom of the cupcakes by the time they were finished baking, instead of closer to the middle.


This recipe is supposed to yield twelve "Texas-size" cupcakes. I'm not sure how big a "Texas-size" muffin pan is supposed to be, but I used my molten cake pan for these and got six super big cupcakes and then four "regular" sized ones with the remaining batter. (Next time I'll just make the regular sized ones - the others ones were huge.)


Sometimes I'll bake something, turn around, and find that it's almost all gone, consumed by my husband before even I realize what has happened! One of the perks of making baked goods with peanut butter is that my husband hates peanut butter in anything except for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. So I learned early on in the relationship that if I wanted to keep him out of my sweets, all I had to do was bake with peanut butter :)

Well, I failed miserably this time. I gave him one bite of my cupcake and he immediately came back, claiming the rest of mine! Now if that doesn't say anything about how good these are, I don't know what does!


The cake itself is incredibly moist, but it's the icing that makes these special. It's a sweet, fudgey, peanut buttery icing. I iced my cupcakes while the icing was still a bit warm, so instead of sitting nicely atop the cupcakes, it oozed over the edges. Still totally edible and incredibly delicious, but a little messy - so if you want cupcakes that don't require a fork for consumption, I'd recommend letting the icing cool for a few minutes first.

If you like peanut butter, you have to try these. (Even if you don't, you might still like them - look at my husband). I even had one coworker ask me if I would make these again for her birthday. I happily agreed, then asked her when her birthday is. She replied, "March." I laughed. They must be good if I'm getting a request over six months in advance :)

This is also my submission to the September Tasty Tools event, featuring bakeware.

Peanut Buttercups with Peanut-Penuche Icing
from The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather

Cupcakes
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1-1/4 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky (I used smooth)
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
3.5 ounce bar bittersweet chocolate, cut into 12 squares (I used TCHO "chocolatey" chocolate; you can also substitute chocolate chips if needed)

Peanut-Penuche Filling
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky (I used smooth)
1/4 cup milk (I used skim)
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar

To Make the Cupcakes:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly coat 6 Texas-size muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or Baker's Joy. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed for about 30 seconds. (Don't worry if there are a few sugar lumps.) Add the butter, peanut butter, milk, and vanilla. Mix for 1 minute on medium-low speed. Add the eggs and beat for 1-1/2 minutes on medium-high speed. Fill the prepared muffin cups with batter halfway to the top. Place 2 squares of chocolate in the middle of the batter and add more batter to fill the muffin cups three-quarters of the way to the top.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes (mine were ready at 28 minutes), until the tops of the muffins are light brown and a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out with no crumbs clinging to it. (A bit of melted chocolate from the center may show, but that doesn't count.)

Cool the muffins for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Let them cool on racks at least 5 minutes longer before frosting.

To Make the Icing:
Combine the butter, peanut butter, milk, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a low boil and cook for 1-1/2 minutes without stirring. Take the pan off the burnder and cool about 30 minutes (do not let it sit longer than 30 minutes or the icing will not mix smoothly). Add the vanilla and powdered sugar. Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat on medium speed until the icing is creamy and of spreading consistency, about 1 minutes. Ice the cooled cupcakes immediately. (If you let it cool for a bit first, it's less runny and easier to spread across the top.)

Tightly wrapped, the cupcakes will keep for 2 days at room temperature and up to 3 weeks frozen.

Tip: Dealing with peanut butter or other sticky ingredients such as honey or corn syrup can be a royal pain, especially when moving them from measuring cup to batter. A light coating of cooking spray on the inside of the measuring cup will allow peanut butter or any other sticky ingredient to slide out much more easily.

Yield: 12 Cupcakes

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters (TWD) and My Blogiversary!

Blogiversary... blogoversary... blogversary... I'm not sure what the proper term is, given that it's a totally made up word, anyway. I find it hard to believe, but exactly one year ago today, I started this blog. It's come a long way since then :)

I've met so many kind, witty, generous, and talented foodie friends and discovered a plethora of wonderful blogs along the way (in fact, there are so many, I don't have enough time to visit them all as often as I'd like!).

I've learned the importance of good lighting in food photography and drive my husband crazy on a regular basis while I photograph the food before allowing him to dig in. I'm still working on getting better props and a nice light box, but for now I've at least learned how to adjust the settings on my camera to get better pictures when I am forced to shoot with indoor/fluorescent lighting. I think I've learned to take pretty decent photos for an amateur using a point and shoot camera (Canon Powershot SD1000).

I've joined two baking groups that challenge me on a regular basis to learn new techniques and perfect my baking skills - The Daring Bakers and Tuesdays with Dorie. I can't tell you how much I have grown in the kitchen thanks to these groups.

With the evolution of my blog, I'm working on redesigning its look and giving it a makeover, but for now you'll have to settle for a new, easier to remember URL - www.goodeatsblog.com (the old URL will automatically redirect to this site).

Surprisingly, I have found that I've developed a pretty decent following - so to my loyal readers, I thank you! I am eager for what the next year holds and hope you'll continue to come along for the ride. Now on to the cookies...


This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Stefany of Proceed with Caution: Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters. What a wonderful trio - it's like a chocolate chip cookie collided with an oatmeal cookie and peanut butter cookie.



The cookies are best if the dough is chilled for at least 2 hours before baking, so this isn't the best cookie recipe to make on a whim. Dorie states that chilling the dough will yield more evenly shaped cookies. A lot of bakers, myself included, decided to make the cookie dough and then refrigerate overnight. There were a few reports that the dough became so hard after chilling overnight that it broke a few cookie scoops! So if you do decide to chill the dough overnight, make sure you let it sit on the counter for a few minutes before you start scooping it :)


These were nice and crisp around the edges, and chewy in the middle. The cinnamon spice is noteable, but not overwhelming. Betweeen all the peanut butter and chocolate, these were pretty rich, so I found that they were best enjoyed with a cold glass of milk.


There were several comments that the peanut butter flavor was quite subtle, and even the peanut butter haters among us enjoyed this cookie, but I thought the peanut butter flavor was quite pronounced. I have a feeling that it probably has something to do with the type of peanut butter you use in this recipe (I used Jif Extra Crunchy).



Thanks Stefany, for choosing the Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters. If you would like the recipe for these cookies, you can find it here on Stefany's blog. Make sure you visit the TWD Blog Roll to see how everyone else enjoyed this great after school treat.

*Note: I only made one change to this recipe - I used semisweet chocolate instead of bittersweet. For recipe tips, click here.

TWD: Peanut Butter Torte

This week's Tuesdays with Dorie (TWD) recipe was chosen by Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food: Peanut Butter Torte. Aside from the Oreo cookie crust, this was actually a no-bake recipe. It came together rather easily, with the most time consuming parts being chopping up the peanuts and the chocolate. You could easily save time by using mini chocolate chips and a food processor to chop the peanuts. Special thanks to my cousin, Shannon, who joined me this week in the kitchen and helped make this torte.

We made a few changes to the recipe, mostly because of what we had on hand. Instead of salted peanuts, we used unsalted. So instead of using unsalted butter, we used salted. And because we figured the peanut butter was going to be a little salty, we omitted the "pinch of salt" that the recipe calls for. Some TWD bakers said that the torte was too salty, but I didn't find this to be a problem at all.


It also seems that many found the 24 Oreo cookies inadequate for creating the crust. While my Oreo cookie crust was a little on the thin side, I did not have trouble covering my entire pan (including the sides) with the Oreos. If your favorite part is the crust, you'll definitely want to use more than 24 Oreos to thicken up your crust.

Initially, I wasn't sure if it would be better to use creamy or crunchy peanut butter (even though I normally love the crunchy). After tasting this torte, I would say that you should definitely use the creamy peanut butter. Aside from the layer of peanuts on top of the torte, there are also nice little bits of peanuts and chocolate in the filling. So I guess if you like things super chunky, you could use chunky peanut butter, but in general I wouldn't recommend it.


This torte is filled with a light and airy peanut butter mousse. The peanut butter flavor is prominent, but not overpowering, and sandwiching it between a layer of Oreo cookies and chocolate ganache is ingenious. I didn't really taste the espresso powder or spices in this torte, but I'm sure they added a nice subtle flavor that my palate just isn't sophisticated enough to recognize ;)


Because this dessert is basically no-bake and comes together rather quickly, it would be great for entertaining. Dorie says that you can get 6-8 servings out of this torte, but those would be really big slices. You could probably get something closer to 10 decently sized slices out of it, or 8 larger slices.



Thanks Elizabeth, for picking this week's recipe. I will definitely make this again the next time I am in the mood for peanut butter and chocolate. Make sure you check out the Tuesdays with Dorie blogroll to see everyone else's peanut buttery delights.

Peanut Butter Torte
from Baking: From My Home to Yours, by Dorie Greenspan

1 ¼ cups finely chopped salted peanuts (for the filling, crunch and topping) (I used unsalted peanuts. You should only finely chop 3/4 cup. The remaining 1/2 cup is used to top the torte and should only be coarsely chopped.)
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder (or finely ground instant coffee)
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ cups mini chocolate chips (or finely chopped semi sweet chocolate)
24 Oreo cookies, finely crumbed or ground in a food processor or blender
½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I used salted butter)
Small pinch of salt (I omitted this)
2 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups salted peanut butter – crunchy or smooth (not natural; I use Skippy) (I used creamy/smooth)
2 tablespoons whole milk
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Springform pan and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

Toss ½ cup of the chopped peanuts, the sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chocolate chops together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put the Oreo crumbs, melted butter and salt in another small bowl and stir with a fork just until crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom and up the sides of the spring form pan (they should go up about 2 inches on the sides). Freeze the crust for 10 minutes.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a rack and let it cool completely before filling.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, whip 2 cups of the cream until it holds medium peaks. Beat in ¼ cup of the confectioners’ sugar and whip until the cream holds medium-firm peaks. Scrape the cream into a bowl and refrigerate until needed.


Wipe out (do not wash) the bowl, fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment if you have one, or continue with the hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese with the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar on medium speed until the cream cheese is satiny smooth. Beat in the peanut butter, ¼ cup of the chopped peanuts and the milk.


Using a large rubber spatula, gently stir in about one quarter of the whipped cream, just to lighten the mousse. Still working with the spatula, stir in the crunchy peanut mixture, then gingerly fold in the remaining whipped cream.


Scrape the mousse into the crust, mounding and smoothing the top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight; cover with plastic wrap as soon as the mousse firms.

To Finish The Torte:
Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave the bowl over the water just until the chocolate softens and starts to melt, about 3 minutes; remove the bowl from the saucepan.


Bring the remaining ½ cup cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and, working with a a rubber spatula, very gently stir together until the ganache is completely blended and glossy.


Pour the ganache over the torte, smoothing it with a metal icing spatula. Scatter the remaining ½ cup peanuts over the top and chill to set the topping, about 20 minutes.

When the ganache is firm, remove the sides of the Springform pan; it’s easiest to warm the pan with a hairdryer, and then remove the sides, but you can also wrap a kitchen towel damped with hot water around the pan and leave it there for 10 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 6-8 Servings