Tag: peanut butter

Appetizers, Recipes

Cookie Dough Dip

Sarah

Umm, so you know how I like to engage in a bit of tomfoolery, or trickery, if you will with Ben in regards to food? Like the “meat” balls incident? Well, I’ve done it again. This time with cookie dough dip. Whaaaaat?

About a year ago when I first spotted this recipe for healthy cookie dough dip, made with chickpeas in a pseudo-sweet-hummus fashion. I giggled to myself in the kitchen one Saturday afternoon while making it, triumphing in my kitchen successes. Ben was in the living room, playing video games and I asked him to take a snack break.

“What have you made, my dear?” he asked.

“Cookie dough dip.”

“Mmmm, I’ll take some!”

No one I know can resist cookie dough. Especially chocolate chip cookie dough. It’s like, a law of being American or something like that. Ben certainly can’t. And I knew that. And played it to my advantages. I mean, wouldn’t you?

Wouldn’t you like to see your loved ones chowing down on a [semi] healthy bowl of cookie dough without a care in the world? I mean, fielding complements of “this dip is just like a bowl of cookie dough… velvety, vanillay, caramely…” is no hardship, now is it? Especially not when those compliments are laced with praise like “you’re the best wife in the world” and “this is the most amazing dip I’ve ever had the pleasure to taste and enjoy and savor and delight in!” Okay, so maybe I exaggerated a wee little bit. But you get the essence of it.

Slowly, surely, steadily guilt [and a little curiosity] got the better of me. I couldn’t let him go on eating this delicious treat thinking it’s full of fatty ingredients while it’s really full of chickpeas and natural peanut butter. So I dropped the bomb. The chickpea bomb, if you will. And his experience went from this to this in two seconds flat:

I am happy to report that he fully recovered and was chowing down on this healthy cookie dough dip a few minutes later, without any ill effects. In fact, he loved the dip so much that he recently suggested I make it for our small group party, which I did. It was devoured, and no one seemed all that concerned about the weird ingredient. So maybe it sounds weirder than it is, or my husband is a drama king. [Just kidding! Love you, JT]. Or maybe a little of both. Whatever it is doesn’t really matter. What really matters is that you try this cookie dough dip because it’s pretty much the best stuff around!

What secret ingredients do you like to surprise people with in your favorite recipes?

Cookie Dough Dip [from Chocolate-Covered Katie]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • generous 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • generous 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons oats
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter [or other nut butter]
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
  • 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Add chickpeas, milk, and vanilla to a good food processor and blend until very smooth. Then add salt, baking soda, oats, and peanut butter and pulse until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with animal crackers, graham crackers, apple slices, etc.

Time: 10 minutes.

Yield: 2 1/2-3 cups.

Desserts, Pies, Recipes

Winning: Reese’s Blondie Pie

Sarah

So, I don’t know about you, but I had a pretty exciting weekend. I mean, not to brag or anything, but it’s not every Saturday that you WIN A 5K!! Check it out–I was the first female finisher out of 500-some runners and walkers of an awesome semi-local race: Run Through the Jungle 5K. I got a trophy and everything!

Sarah with her trophy after the 5K race.My finish time of 22:20 wasn’t amazing, but it was pretty good considering most of the hilly course was on gravel roads and the last 3/4 of a mile had plenty of sharp turns. And I mean, it was obviously good enough to be the top female finisher. Ahh! I’ve only won a couple other races before in my life–a JV cross country meet where the top runner got lost, and a JV track meet that had only a few participants anyways–so this was so thrilling. But you know what’s better than winning? Knowing that the race was for a good cause.

Most people haven’t heard of the Exotic Feline Rescue Center, located in tiny Center Point, Indiana, but it’s one of the largest rescue centers in the country for abused, unwanted and neglected exotic felines. Their heart for taking care of these animals is just huge, and if you’re ever in Indiana, especially in the Bloomington or Indianapolis areas, be sure to take the time to visit because you’ll be within an hour of the EFRC. Don’t go expecting a fancy zoo atmosphere, but go expecting a fun walk through the jungle to see many lions, tigers, bobcats, and more. It’s absolutely awesome there!!

tiger up closeBen and I have been twice now, and loved getting to run there, supporting the animals… and oh, winning too. 🙂 Here’s a write up of the race from a local paper. And speaking of winning… this recipe for Reese’s Blondie Pie is a winner, too!

Soon after we got married, I experimented with blondie recipes to find the perfect one: it’s buttery and vanilla-y, cooked to just the right ratio of chewy/crunchy perfection. But this time… instead of leaving them plain, I added a little bit of spunk–a winning combination of chocolate peanut butter bliss. Yes, I added some Reese’s! Best decision ever.

Oh, and I baked it in a pie pan to make it reminiscent of the cookie cakes I loved sharing with my sorority sisters in college. What can I say? There’s just so much winning going on here that I can hardly believe it. Reese’s. Blondies. Pie-like cookie cake. College. Sisters. Exotic Felines. Oh, and a race. This is gonna be a great day, I know it! 🙂

Reader Question ~ What’s winning for you today?

Reese’s Blondie Pie
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

In a saucepan set over low heat, melt butter then remove from heat and stir in brown sugar with a wooden spoon until it dissolves. Quickly add egg and vanilla, stirring until well incorporated.

Fold in flour mixture [batter will be thick], then press into prepared pie pan. Top with chopped candy, pressing into mixture with the back of a wooden spoon.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set at center. Serve warm.

Time: 40 minutes [10 minutes active].

Yield: 8-10 servings.

Breakfast, Granola, Recipes

Peanut Butter Pretzel Granola Bars

Sarah

EDITED FEBRUARY 26, 2013: recipe is now here on my blog as the original blog is defunct.

They’re sweet. They’re salty. They’re crunchy. They’re the best new addition to your lunchbox. Check out my post on Today’s Housewife for the recipe!

Bars, Desserts, Recipes

PB + J Brownies

Sarah

Several weeks ago, I received a fun email request from Christina of She Runs, She Eats. She and her friend Cindy of Once Upon a Loaf had dreamed up an awesome contest, complete with prizes, recognition, and glory of epic proportions. Well, perhaps not recognition and glory of epic proportions, but you get my drift. The competition is in honor of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, as well as Cindy’s birthday, on April 2. So what exactly was this contest, you may ask? Well, to create the most magnificent peanut butter and jelly creation imaginable, of course! In sandwich or baked good form, please. With any kind of nut butter and any jelly or jelly-like food [preserves, spreads, fresh/dried fruit, etc.]. Sign me up right away, I said! And just like that, I was dreaming up ideas for Project PB&J.

Though I do love me a good PB&J, something sweet and chewy was calling my name. Since our recipes were supposed to be original, I didn’t want to go a-copying the PB&J bars that were popular over the past year or so. So what else went with peanut butter and fruit? Well, chocolate of course!

PB + J Brownies via thepajamachef.comA little experimentation later and PB&J Brownies were born. These, my friends, are nothing short of amazing. I mean… do you see what I see?!?!

PB + J Brownies via thepajamachef.comSee that rich, fudgy, chewy brownie. Then see that little bit ‘o peanut butter action. But notjustpeanut butter all alone, or even anything reminiscent peanut butter cookie. More like peanut buttercheesecake. Mhmm… now that’s the good stuff! Where the brownie layer is rich and decadent, the peanut butter layer is sweet–but not too sweet. Creamy, but definitely baked. Fantastic.

Can you deny it? Please say no.

But of course, we have to take these brownies over the top just a little more [and qualify for the contest, duh!]… To put the cherry on the sundae… or the topping on the brownie :)… let’s swirl some raspberry preserves into the peanut butter layer. The preserves fold into the peanut butter as the brownies bake, leaving that perfect mix of peanut butter-jelly action that we know and love. If raspberry isn’t your thing, feel free to sub any other all-fruit preserves. I happen to love the subtle-sweet raspberry with peanut butter [and didn’t want to finish the last of 2011’s strawberry freezer jam… just saying :)], but do what suits you. And it would suit me to enjoy another brownie right now… but sadly, they all disappeared! Bummer. I better get busy baking again!PB + J Brownies via thepajamachef.com

PB&J Brownies [brownie layer inspired by/compared with the recipes here, here, here, and here; PB&J layers are TPC originals!]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup salted butter
  • 4 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder [sifted if lumpy]
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 eggs, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
  • 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter [not the “natural” kind]
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened [I used Neufchâtel]
  • 1/3 cup sour cream [I used light]
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • scant 1/3 cup raspberry preserves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate on low, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together 2 cups sugar, flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Break 3 eggs in a separate bowl and whisk to break yolks, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour egg mixture and chocolate mixture [once cool–don’t cook the eggs] into dry ingredients, then stir together until just combined. Spoon into prepared pan. Mixture will be fudgy.

In the bowl of stand mixer, beat together peanut butter, cream cheese, sour cream, cinnamon, and remaining  1 egg, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Spread in pan on top of  chocolate layer, using a spatula and [clean!] hands to press down.

Lastly, spoon preserves over peanut butter layer and use a knife to swirl preserves into peanut butter layer.

Bake for 60 minutes, covered, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days–if they last that long!

Time: 80 minutes [20 minutes active].

Yield: 24.

Candy, Desserts, Recipes

Pretzel Buckeyes

Sarah

I first was introduced to Buckeyes–chocolate covered peanut butter balls, by another name–by college friends. I went to undergrad in Ohio and found out very soon into my freshman year that Buckyes are the state treat, named in obvious tribute to the Ohio State Buckeyes. I became pretty obsessed with Buckeyes [the candy, not the team] pretty much immediately and made them frequently for friends and family back home. I mean, what’s not to love about chocolate and peanut butter?

Fast forward a few years to when I met Ben. The first thing I ever learned about him was his allegiance to Ohio State. Good, I thought. He’ll like Buckeyes. How could he not?

You can imagine my dismay when I learned on our first date that he wasn’t a fan of peanut butter. Or ranch dressing, but that’s a matter for another time. I couldn’t imagine life without peanut butter, so I held my breath and asked the question, “how do you feel about Buckeyes?”

Fortunately, he answered correctly. Turns out the combination of peanut butter and chocolate works for Ben and makes peanut butter palatable. If it didn’t… well, let’s just say our third anniversary might not be happening soon.

Just kidding.

I never thought I would say this, being the diehard Buckeye fan that I am, as evidinced in the aforementioned early dating conversation… but as of this past fall, I have found an even better version of Buckeyes than the original.

Think a creamy peanut butter center, sandwiched between two crisp pretzels, topped off with a refreshing dunk in semi-sweet chocolate. Sound good? Meet Pretzel Buckeyes, my new love and yours. They have an absolutely addicting salty-sweet combination that can’t be beat!

And if your [human] love doesn’t like ’em… well, more for you! These are reallyreallyreally good, but I don’t recommend ending relationships over them. 🙂

Pretzel Buckeyes [from Sweet Pea’s Kitchen]
click to print

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar + extra
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • Pretzels
  • 12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. Then, beat together peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer until well combined. Scrape down sides of the bowl, add powdered sugar and brown sugar, and beat again until full mixed. You’ll need to be able to form balls with your hands without it sticking, so if the mixture is too sticky, add more powdered sugar as needed. I added about 1/4 cup extra, so add what you need to and mix together.
Then, roll peanut butter mixture into balls of about 1-2 teaspoons each and sandwich between two pretzels. Place on prepared baking sheet and repeat until peanut butter mixture is gone. Place baking sheet in freezer for 30 minutes.
When nearing the end of the 30 minute period, melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, then remove from heat. Dip each pretzel sandwich halfway into the melted chocolate and return to baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.
Time: 45 minutes.
Yield: 4-5 dozen.
Notes: These freeze well [if there are any left!] so don’t even think about making a half batch. You’ll want ’em all, I kid you not!