30 Apr 2010

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars (2010.17)

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Best thing I’ve cooked (new) all month. Great way to end April! We are having Joy Prom at Church tonight and these are for the hundreds of volunteers we will have:

Makes 16 – not healthy at all (but very yummy)
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup creamy pb (I used skippy, not all natural) – the whole regular jar – then used the jar for Oats in a Jar this morning for breakfast
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 roll (16.5 oz) chocolate chip cookie dough

350. square ungreased pan.
Press about 3/5 of the dough on bottom of pan. Mix sugar, pb, and vanilla. Spread on top. Crumble rest of cookie dough on top and bake for about 30 minutes.
Let chill for about an hour. Cut into bars.
Serve chilled or room temp. Get them out of the house!
9 Apr 2010

Peeps Smores

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Mark this down as something I would never think to do.
I don’t normally like Peeps – never have. I bought a pack this year for my friend Becca who mentioned she loves them. I have also bought them for my friend Michelle who also likes them – but that has been my experience with them. I even love marshmellows – especially homemade ones – I don’t know what my deal is.
About a month ago I heard about this peep party among the ladies at Providence. I greatly anticipated this little shindig during my first week here.
Ingredients:
graham crackers
dark chocolate bars
Peeps (buying them after Easter makes this very cheap)
aluminum foil
napkins

Line a pan with foil. Turn oven on broil. Place half a graham cracker down, top with chocolate, then a peep (no color specification needed). Broil for about 15-30 seconds – literally they don’t take very long at all. You want them just browned on top of their cute little heads. Take them out – smush (technically cooking term) down the other half of the graham cracker. Enjoy.
23 Mar 2010

Chocolate Orange Pecan Brownies (2010.12)

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Bon Appetit redeems itself with this week’s recipe. And aren’t I glad?!
There is a bakery/coffee shop/cafe in Montana that this recipe comes from (definitely would warrant a trip to Bozeman, MT), and these are delicious cake like on the top, fudgy in the middle, brownies with a hint of orange (I would like more).
These made 16 and the only thing I could say that I would like better is if they cut easier – they were kinda crumbly – but I did not wait till they were cool, so that may have been my problem.
Sorry – no pictures. It was this morning and I was in a hurry to get them done before work, and didn’t have time to pick up the camera…

1/2 cup boiling water
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans (I didn’t toast mine)
2 eggs
10 T unsalted butter, melted, cooled
zest of one orange (I might do two next time)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine water and cocoa powder, set aside. Melt butter, set aside to cool.
Mix sugar through pecans, set aside.
Whisk eggs, add butter, orange zest, and vanilla. Add in chocolate mixture. Add in dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
Pour into greased 9×9 pan, bake at 350 for about 27-30 minutes. I left mine in there for 28 and they were a little too done on the sides, but perfect in the middle.
Enjoy!

8 Mar 2010

Double Chocolate Ghirardelli Cookies (2010.9)

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These are a wonderful bite of chocolate-y goodness! 🙂 I made them before my 5k on Saturday, baked some afterwards and baked the rest this morning for the office. YUM!
This recipe of the week was definitely a winner and I think you can find the recipe virtually in every cooking magazine at some point – just as an advertisement for the BEST chocolate!

1 bag dark chocolate chips – Ghirardelli 60%
6 T unsalted butter
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 bag semi sweet – ghirardelli
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Melt dark chocolate and butter – let cool a bit.
Mix eggs and sugar till thick and creamy. Add in chocolate. Mix well. Add in dry ingredients. Fold in chips and nuts.
Put in seran wrap in 2 separate piles and chill for at least an hour.
Cut, roll, and bake for 11 minutes at 375.
Cool.

Best way to enjoy: warm with a tall glass of milk!
26 Feb 2010

Chocolate Chip and Peanut Blondies (2010.8)

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Bon Appetit comes through again! These were defininitely a winner – at least among the office staff. So, you may want to make these!

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp soda
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/4 packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Melt butter on stove over medium. Remove from heat. Stir in brown sugar, than vanilla.
Let cool for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in eggs. Whisk in dry ingredients. Stir in half of peanuts and half of chips. Pour in greased and foiled 8×8 pan. Top with remaining peanuts and chips. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until done.

11 Feb 2010

Rolfe's Peanut Butter Truffles

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Back in December, I did a 12 days of Christmas baking. My friend Brian posted a truffle recipe, he also shot me some variations. I used one of these variations yesterday for our Foster party tonight. Yum!

Here it is. Brian described it so well so I thought I would let him do it. I halved the recipe…

Chocolate by B – Peanut Butter

Ingredients:
1 ½ Cup Powdered Sugar
½ Cup Peanut Butter
3 eggs (whites)
12 oz (1 bag) White Chocolate Chips
24 oz (2 bags) Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Cover two cookie sheets with wax paper and set aside.

Cream sugar and peanut butter together (will develop a sandy texture). Blend in three egg whites, one at a time, making sure each is fully combined before adding the next. The mixture will resemble cake frosting at this stage. Melt the White Chocolate in a microwave (60 to 90 seconds, be sure to mix well after the first minute). Allow chocolate to cool slightly and then add to mixture. Combine thoroughly and quickly (chocolate will start to set) and spoon onto wax paper (like making small drop cookies). Place in freezer for ten to fifteen minutes to set firmly.

Melt Semi-sweet chocolate in a double boiler. Remove fillings from freezer, dip in melted chocolate and return to wax paper. When all the chocolates are dipped, return them to the freezer for another ten to fifteen minutes to allow the chocolate to set. They may then be moved to air-tight containers for storage or served. Allow them to warm to room temperature before serving.