Chocolate + Peanut Butter = Amazing Cupcakes

When your BFF (Best Friend Forever – or at least for the past 15+years anyway) has a birthday, you go all out – especially when it comes to the dessert. Previous years have seen me making Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes and Rainbow Cake, but this year I had to go for her main love – PEANUT BUTTER. And what pairs better with it than CHOCOLATE? Nothing – the answer is nothing. It’s a match made in baking heaven

I decided on Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes because we were going to one of those painting places (where you can bring wine, too!) and I knew I would want something easy to serve and that didn’t require cutting, or plates and forks. Oh – and I picked this recipe specifically because it featured Peanut Butter Cups INSIDE the cake – what a perfectly delicious surprise, right?

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cupcakes
(Recipe Courtesy Of Tastes Better From Scratch)

Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cupcakes
• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 heaping Tbsp Greek yogurt
• 30 mini Reese’s cups , divided

Instructions
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
-Line 2 regular muffin tins with cupcake liners
-Mix together the cake mix, milk, eggs, oil and Greek yogurt until smooth
-Spoon batter into cupcake pans, filling the liners 1/2 full
-Place a Reese’s PB cup into the center of the batter in each cup and gently press it down a little
-Bake cupcakes for 16-20 minutes or until done. Allow to cool completely before frosting

Some action shots of the baking process:

The peanut butter cups completely disappeared once baked – making them truly a surprise!

So this came with an accompanying frosting recipe – but – I admit, I was completely UNsuccessful in getting it to work – which is why I didn’t include it here with my post. Seemed simple enough – peanut butter, powdered sugar, butter, milk – so, I made it, and was wondering why it was so soupy/oily…then I tried to put it on the cupcakes and it just basically melted off – so I knew something had to be wrong. I followed the given amounts, but maybe I screwed something up along the way?? I was pretty confused – but luckily my husband was kind enough to give it a second go for me, and unfortunately, his results were even worse than mine!

The super oily (and unusable) result of the frosting recipe provided with the cupcake recipe in the original link

Followed exactly, the frosting recipe provided in the above link just DOES NOT work – AT ALL. If you can get it to somehow come together and stay on the cake and not be gross – then kudos to you! But – since I was unable to get it together – literally – so I ended up googling peanut butter frosting recipes – and using the very first hit:

Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting
(Recipe Courtesy of All Recipes)
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk, or as needed
2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Directions
Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy

Luckily – this one worked great on the first try (thank goodness – as I was running low on peanut butter at this point!) – and turned out exactly as promised – fluffy and smooth, sweet and amazing! I didn’t have time to pipe it on (since the extra batches put me just a bit behind schedule – oops!), so I slapped it on with my trusty offset spatula, and decided each one could do with another peanut butter cup – because – why not?

The overall taste was great – cake was moist and combined with the frosting was just perfect. Then the surprise of the peanut butter cup inside was great, too. A winner all around (once I found a better frosting recipe!), and my BFF loved it, too!

4th Of July Sweets (Because It’s Not A Holiday Without Desserts!)

Hope everyone had a great time celebrating our Nation and all that makes it great yesterday! 4th of July is the perfect holiday for grilling, hanging with friends, and having fun – which is exactly what we did! We went over to a friends house have a little cookout – and I brought the desserts. Yes – desserts plural. I made 3 desserts and I am not ashamed of it – I just couldn’t narrow it down to one, and besides, doesn’t everyone like to have choices? I know I do!

I made Red White and Blue Cheesecake bars, red white and blue strawberries, and cannoli dip

Read On For The Details:

Red White And Blue Cheesecake Bars
(Recipe Courtesy of Inside Bru Crew Life)

Ingredients
For the Crust
30 Oreo cookies
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
For the Cheesecake
3 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour
3 eggs
red & blue gel food colors

Instructions
-Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with foil.
-Place the cookies (cream included) in a food processor. Pulse until the cookies become crumbs.
-Stir in the butter until mixed in. Press the mixture evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and cool.
-Place a large baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. Fill it halfway with water. Let the oven preheat again.
-Beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and flour and beat again.
-Add the eggs and beat until they are mixed in. Divide the batter evenly into 3 bowls. Use the food coloring to tint two of the bowls red and blue.
-Spoon the mixture evenly over the crust, alternating the colors. Drag a butter knife through the batter going up and down and back and forth until you get a good swirl pattern. Do not over mix.
-Place the pan on the oven rack above the pan of water. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven immediately and place on a wire rack. Let the cheesecake cool on the counter for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 4-6 hours. Cut into squares and serve with Cool Whip and sprinkles, if desired.

Crust? Check!

Colored fillings swirled prettily? Check!

Patriotic and delicious cheesecake bars? CHECK!

I am normally not a huge cheesecake fan – but when i came across these I knew I wanted to try them – for two reasons. The first being that it had an OREO crust (yum), and the second being the fact that it was red white and blue had me sucked in upon viewing the very first picture! They were easy to make, and turned out really nicely – creamy and delicious – and since its a 9 by 13 pan, it can easily be cut into smaller piece to bring along to a big family picnic or potluck

Ok – so – one down, two to go. On to the “healthy” dessert (stated as such since it’s base is fruit…kinda healthy, right?

Red White And Blue Strawberries
(Recipe courtesy of The Spruce)

Ingredients
-White Chocolate Candy Melts
-Strawberries
-Blue Sprinkles

Instructions
-Melt White Chocolate in microwave until smooth
-Dip Strawberries 2/3 of the way into the white chocolate
-Roll bottom 1/3 of strawberries into blue sprinkles
-Lay on wax paper covered sheet tray to dry, chill until ready to serve

TIPS:
*Do NOT use white chocolate chips – they tend to melt weirdly and clumpily, and I personally have always had better luck with melting chocolate or candy melts
*Make sure your strawberries are clean and DRY when you start this – and when I say dry I don’t mean just air dried – I mean like patted down each individually with a paper towel kind of dry

Taking the time to dip each individual berry is kind of a pain – but they are so pretty that it makes it worth it!

And on to the final dessert in the trifecta – Cannoli Dip!

Cannoli Dip
(Recipe Courtesy of Homemade Hooplah)

Ingredients
1 cup ricotta
8 oz cream cheese room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup mini chocolate chips
waffle cones broken

Instructions
-Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer + large bowl), whisk together ricotta, cream cheese, and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3-5 minutes. Add in vanilla extract and whip for another 30 seconds
-Taste test the dip – if you’d like it sweeter, add more powdered sugar 2 tablespoons at a time. You can safely add another 1/2 cup of powdered sugar (8 tablespoons) without negatively impacting consistency
-Fold in mini chocolate chips, reserving some to sprinkle on top for decoration if desired
-Serve dip immediately with broken waffle cones for dipping

Easy, tasty, no baking required!

One of the best parts about summer holidays like the 4th of July is the chance to get to try out some new recipes at BBQ’s, picnics, and family reunions – and when you’re indecisive like me, you end up trying multiple things at a time, and this time I have to say I am glad I did – as they are truly all winners!

Using Cake Batter For Cookies – A (Deliciously) Lazy Shortcut

It’s not secret that an amazing shortcut for making cookies involves utilizing Cake mix as the base – I have done it before myself many many times – and the cookies always turn out fantastic!

So being a big fan of cookies, and chocolate, and shortcuts – I knew that these Lazy Cookie Bars would be right up my alley. Easy, fast, and I had everything on hand already. Boom. Done.

Lazy Cookie Bars
(Recipe Courtesy of The Country Cook)

Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs beaten
5 tbsp salted butter melted
1 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
-Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
-Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
-In your mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix with melted butter and beaten eggs.
*This is easier if you have an electric or stand mixer because batter will be very thick.
-Stir in bag of chocolate chips.
-Spread batter into greased baking dish.
-Once it is evenly spread out, put in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
-It will puff up as it is cooking and be golden brown around the edges when it is done.

Allow to cool.

Devour.

These turned out perfectly – what a foolproof and easy dessert you can make last minute, and it would be easy to mix it up too – use different flavor cake mixes or different add ins – I am thinking next time I will try a chocolate cake mix with peanut butter chips (yum!)

These S’more Cookie Bars Have Me Saying “Gimme S’more!”

Ok, I know – the title is a ridiculously bad pun – but I just couldn’t help myself – it was so punny!!!! Ok. Done now – for real. But what’s no joke is how deliciously easy these bars are – I mean, basically you take a chocolate chip cookie, and add marshmallow creme and graham cracker – what’s not to love about that?

Truth be told – I already have a S’more’s Bar Recipe that I love – but I am all about trying new things, and these looked easy (translation – I already had most of the items on hand – which is really the big seller for any recipe in my book, cuz, well… #lazy)

Ok – time to get down to it:

S’more Cookie Bars
(Recipe courtesy of Something Swanky)

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cups All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup fine graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup marshmallow cream
1/2 cup chocolate semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper or foil.
-Beat together the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg and vanilla.
-Mix in the baking soda, salt, flour, and graham cracker crumbs until dough forms.
-Press 3/4 of the dough into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread the marshmallow cream over top. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the cream.
-Press the remaining cookie dough over top of the chocolate chips. Bake for 20 minutes.
Let cool before cutting and serving.

Some “Work In Progress” Photos:

Basically cookie dough with graham cracker crumbs in it (YUM).

Oh and I doubled the recipe because – well – why not?

My thought process was “oh maybe the marshmallow cream will be easier to spread with my hands than the spatula!” It wasn’t. At all. Take my word for it – use the spatula – and you can even coat it in non-stick spray before attempting to spread the creme around. This is the hardest part of the whole recipe – stickiest stuff ever!

I am not sure why – but that dough just looks so goodddddd – and I love that you can see each “s’more” component in the pan

Oh – hello lovelies. Boy am I glad I made two pans of you!

So – the original recipe says to cut the pan into 9 squares – but – I cut mine into WAY more than that (mostly so I can eat a bunch of them but not feel guilty because “they were tiny!” HA)

They were an instant hit with the husband – kid took a minute but also declared his love for these cookie bars soon after his initial taste test!

These are perfect for those moments when you’re craving a s’more but the weather isn’t cooperating so you can’t have a bonfire (which – here in Upstate NY is like most of the time, since we spend over half the year with snow on the ground!)

As for their comparison to my original beloved S’mores Bars – overall – they are pretty similar in taste, with the main difference being ease of eating – in that these cookie bars are much easier to pick up and eat without making a mess (the original ones have a thicker chocolate layer which makes them a bit trickier to eat). These would be really great to make for a picnic or BBQ – especially if you do like me and cut them up small (and make a double batch – because – who doesn’t need S’more of these?!)

Looks Aren’t Everything – TASTE Is! (Also Known As – The Tale Of How I Botched These Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies But Ate Them Anyway)

I follow so many food sites/pages on Facebook that my feed is like 90% recipe videos – which is basically amazing, and also a curse – as it always makes me starving, and then cranky when I realize I don’t have a personal chef to whip up said recipes for me on demand (boo!)

But – luckily I DID have all the ingredients for these Buckeye Brownies on hand (Damn you Tasty – your recipe videos are the prettiest and most tempting of all!), so here goes nothing!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies (AKA Buckeye Brownies)

INGREDIENTS

1 box brownie mix, with additional ingredients according to box instructions

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup peanut butter

½ cup butter, melted

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup milk chocolate chips

PREPARATION

1. Prepare brownie mix according to box instructions.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine together the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and melted butter.

3. Distribute scoops of the peanut butter mixture on top of the brownie and flatten the mixture to achieve an even layer.

4. In a small bowl, combine the milk chocolate chips and butter. Microwave in 15-second intervals until melted, stirring after each interval.

5. Pour the chocolate mixture on top of the brownies, then evenly spread to achieve a flat, even layer.

6. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

7. Enjoy!

Here’s the Step By Step Video to help you along – and to make you drool a bunch (You’re Welcome!)

So – ok. A few side notes

I didn’t actually have any boxed brownie mix on hand – so I turned to the Best Brownie recipe I have made several times before – as I did have all that stuff on hand already – yay! However – that recipe makes an 8×8 pan – so – that’s where things got a bit dicey….

The brownies turned out amazing – but since it was a smaller pan, I decided to half the topping, and when I made the peanut butter layer it just seemed so dry and clumpy, that I ended up adding a bit of milk and some vanilla to give it a more frosting like consistency. Delicious? Yes. The best idea? Not really…

Clearly mine did NOT turn out as pictures/depicted on Tasty – and honestly, that’s my own fault entirely – as the “peanut butter frosting” layer (which seemed like the best idea ever at the time) was never going to fully set/harden up, so then the chocolate on top (which DID harden up in the fridge) cracked a bunch when it was cut up.

The End Result – a not so pretty brownie. That being said, it tasted AMAZING – the rich fudge-y brownie, the the smooth, sweet peanut butter, and then the chocolate topping – what a dessert! Next time I will definitely follow the recipe as written, but for now if anyone needs me I will be off sloppily devouring these gems

Cookie Dough Fudge (AKA The Stuff Of My Teenage Dreams)

Packages of “Slice’N’Bake” Cookie Dough were basically a staple for every sleepover I attended or hosted when I was younger. And of course, we were lucky if even half of the dough got made into actual cookies – because the best part was eating the dough! Was it unsafe? Marginally, yes – since it contained raw eggs. But did we care? NO. Are we still alive to tell about it? YES. And has the world come up with an amazing alternative that makes me feel like a kid again as a eat the whole pan? HELL TO THE YES IT HAS!!!!

Enter – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge Bars. Thick, egg-less cookie dough topped with a rich layer of chocolate peanut butter goodness. Oh – and there’s no baking involved either – making these the perfect treat to whip up as the days get hotter (and the oven becomes a much less appealing option)

Ok. Must stop drooling long enough to actually make these beauties.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Fudge Bars (Recipe courtesy of Wishes & Dishes)

Prep time:  30 mins

Total time:  4 hours 30 mins

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 c. mini chocolate chips
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup milk chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter and brown sugar until it is fluffy. This takes about 3 minutes.
2. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
3. Turn the mixer to low and alternate the flour and the sweetened condensed milk until combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips.

When you’re making the dough and desperately want to try it – and then you remember you CAN because there’s NO EGG IN IT! Oh happy day

1. Press the cookie dough into the bottom of the 8×8 pan that has been lined with parchment paper. It will be sticky so lightly flour your hands if needed.
2. Cover your bars with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight until firm.
3. To make the topping, combine the peanut butter and ½ cup chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.
4. Stir every 30 seconds until smooth.

Here’s where that thing called “restraint” comes in – utilize it to not dig in with a giant spoon at this point. Must let chocolate set

1. Pour and spread over the top of the chilled dough and chill for at least 1 hour until firm.
2. Let sit out for 5-10 minutes to soften before cutting into.

 

OH HELLO LOVELIES

Ok – so – the original recipe states that there are 16 servings here – but I cut it into 36 squares – as it is pretty rich, and also when I think of fudge I think of cute little square pieces – and 36 is perfect for this size batch!

There’s definitely a “cookie dough craze” happening right now – with places like The Cookie Dough Cafe and Cookie DO NYC popping up all over – places that serve up safe to eat “raw” cookie dough with all kinds of flavors, toppings, and mix-ins. This recipe feeds into that craze – and I am MORE than happy to partake – as everyone knows the DOUGH is the best part!

Celebrate Your Next Birthday (Or ANY Day Really) With These Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been making funfetti cookies for years – they are cheap, easy to make, and they taste delicious – so what’s not to love about that, right? I was actually about to make another batch of those to gift to someone for their birthday when I came across these online – Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies – basically a hybrid funfetti and chocolate chip cookie – all in one pretty, colorful treat!

Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies  (Recipe Courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup yellow or vanilla boxed cake mix (I typically use vanilla cake mix – you just need the DRY mix)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup  chocolate chips (I used 1/2 cup of white and 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips)
• 1/2 cup sprinkles

Assembled ingredients ready for action! Side note – this is a perfect time to use up all those half empty containers of sprinkles you have sitting around!

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cake mix, and baking soda. Set aside.
2. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and beat on high until combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low-medium speed until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and sprinkles. Mix on low until the add-ins are evenly disbursed.
   

   Various stages of dough-inc the hodge podge of sprinkles (Easter, Valentine’s, Christmas – all present and accounted for!)

3. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or up to 3-4 days. This step is mandatory. The dough is fairly sticky, so chilling the dough is required in order to avoid the cookies from spreading too much
4. Once dough has been chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats
5. Scoop rounded balls of the cold dough onto an ungreased baking sheet, use about 1.5 Tablespoons of cookie dough per cookie. Make sure to keep dough chilled when working in batches.
6. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until edges are slightly browned. Mine take 10 minutes exactly. The centers will still appear very soft, but the cookies will set as they cool. You can also press a few more chips into the tops of the cookies at this point (the chips will melt down and stick from the warm cookies).
   

   Obviously you can’t smell through the screen – but trust me – the smell that fills the kitchen as these bake is divineeee

7. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 4 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I love the look of these – all the colors of the sprinkles, and the dots of the white and semi sweet chips – so pretty and unique!

Make ahead tip: Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 4. Baked cookies freeze well – up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well – up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.

….Of course, freezing the baked cookies or the dough itself would mean that you would have to have some left after making a double batch…oops….

 

My littlest critic approved of them (after intense pre-inspection!)

Needless to say – these were a hit – as a gift, and in my own house, too! One to make again, for sure!