Mini Peanut Butter Brownies

I'm back!!!!!  Wow!  It's been over 2 months since I last posted anything.  I attempted to do the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  I only got to week 7.  I tried to keep up.  I wanted to add recipes to my blog.  But then, life happens.  Since August I had been studying for a huge certification exam for work.  It took over all my spare time.  There wasn't much cooking or baking going on.  Honestly, on top of all my other responsibilities (full-time job, teenage daughters, husband, home), I just couldn't blog anymore.

Well, I'm happy to report that I passed my certification test a few weeks ago.  I earned my PHR certification! (Professional in Human Resources)  It was really a big accomplishment for me.  I graduated college 25 years ago (yikes!) so it's been quite a long time since I've had to study.  But it's over and now I can get back to my "normal" life.  

I hope I still have some visitors to my blog.  Because you don't want to miss these fantastic little peanut butter and chocolate brownie bites.  Can I just say they are AWESOME!  They are very rich.  I had to down 2 glasses of milk after I just ate one.  

Perfect bite size dessert for this weekend's Super Bowl.  These will be making an appearance at my office Super Bowl food day later this week.  

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  I am new to Pinterest and it is really fun and addicting.  This is a simple recipe.  It uses a box brownie mix.  I recommend Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie mix but I'm sure any boxed mix or even a from scratch recipe will work just fine.   

Mini Peanut Butter Brownies

Recipe by Baked Perfection

Makes 30-40 mini brownies

Ingredients

1 box of your favorite brownie mix (I used Ghirardelli Double Chocolate)
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease 30-40 mini-muffin cups.

Prepare boxed brownie mix as directed. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups (about 1 heaping teaspoon). Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out slightly wet. After brownies are out of the oven, wait for centers to fall. This will happen upon cooling. If not then tap the centers with the back of a teaspoon to make a hole for the peanut butter.

***I had to use a back of a spoon to push down the centers to form a well to hold the peanut butter and chips.  Do this while the brownies are still warm.

Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds then stir. While brownies are still warm spoon about half to one teaspoon of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Cool completely in pan.

To remove brownies, take a sharp knife and go around edge of brownies to loosen from pan.  They will pop out easily.  They also need to cool in the pan before removing or they will fall apart. 

    

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Here's another brownie bite recipe that brings together the perfect combination of peanut butter and chocolate.....

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites.

Caramel Corn........Week #7 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

I'm a little late this week getting my post up for The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  But here it is.  Not a cookie but a sweet snack worthy for any Christmas tray or Christmas food gift.  

I just love, love, love caramel corn.  Much of my childhood was growing up in Ocean City, MD and one of my favorite childhood memories is eating Fisher's Popcorn from the boardwalk.  Making your own caramel popcorn at home is easy.  Your family and friends would love to get a container of this classic favorite.  I guarantee they will ask for more.

Caramel Corn

Recipe slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Ingredients

7 to 8 cups popped popcorn

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Put popped popcorn into a 17x12x2 inch baking pan. (such as a large rimmed cookie sheet) 

2. To make caramel mixture, in a medium saucepan combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils.  Continue boiling at a moderate, steady rate, without stirring, for 5 minutes more.

3.  Remove saucepan from heat.  Stir in baking soda and vanilla.  Pour caramel mixture over popcorn; stir gently to coat.  Bake in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Stir mixture and bake 5 minutes more.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Store tightly covered for 1 week.

Make a foodie gift: package your popcorn in a Christmas themed box or container.  They may just return it for a refill.

The blog hop is below.  For more great cookie and treat ideas, check out the individual links below.

My husband decided to sneak a few pieces as I was trying to take my photos.  He has a huge sweet tooth and is really benefiting from all my baking.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  I used about 1 and a half bags of popped microwave popcorn.  Use any type of popcorn you like to make.      

  

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookie Bars.......Week 6 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

It has been such a busy crazy time for me.  I'm sure many of you can relate.   But I still had time to bake something this week.  It needed to be quick and it needed to be easy.  But it still had to be a yummy dessert.  You will find it in these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.  The addition of Macadamia nuts elevates it to something extra special and extra delicious.  

Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookie Bars

Recipe by Ghirardelli

Yield: 16 bars

Ingredients

12 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, beat butter with brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until combined.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.  Gradually add to egg mixture while mixing on low speed.    Fold in chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.  Spread batter evenly into a 13" x 9" pan. (I suggest spraying lightly with cooking spray)

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into squares.

(Click here to print recipe from Ghirardelli website)

It's Week 6 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  Halfway there.  For more ideas, see what other bloggers are baking up with the blog hop below.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  When you want to bake homemade cookies but pressed for time, try making cookie bars.  One pan and less work with all the delicious flavor of freshly baked cookies.

Lemon Icebox Cookies........Week 5 of The 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

After my rich and decadent holiday dessert last week, I wanted to make  something a little lighter this week.  I'm not sure if you can call a butter cookie "lighter" but it sounds good to me.

Ice Box Cookies (aka Refrigerator Cookies) are basically shortbread cookies that are usually rolled into logs, refrigerated and then sliced and baked.  This dough made 3 logs.  I sliced and baked 2 of them 1 day and then used the 3rd one the next day.  This dough can be frozen for up to 2 months which is perfect to make ahead of time.  You can then thaw out the dough and bake it around the holidays.

These cookies were not "pucker your lips" with lemon flavor.  They had a hint of lemon and were on the crunchy side.  Very good butter cookie that went perfect with a cup of hot tea.  

Make sure to check out the blog hop below for more cookie and treat ideas.

Lemon Icebox Cookies

Recipe by Southern Living

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add grated lemon rind and lemon juice, beating until blended.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Gradually add to butter mixture and beat just until blended.

Divide dough into 3 equal portions.  Roll each portion to a 12 inch log and wrap in wax paper.  Place in refrigerator and chill 8 hours.

Cut each log into 1/2 inch slices (about 28 slices) and place on lightly greased baking sheets.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool.  Store cookies in an airtight container.

Note:  I made the cookie dough in the morning and placed the dough logs in the refrigerator.  Later that day, I sliced and baked the cookies.  Fresh cookies for an evening treat.

(Click here to print recipe from Myrecipes.com)

What surprise hides inside?

Lemon Icebox Cookies!!!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Part of the fun of giving cookies and holiday treats is the packaging.  I got these cute Holiday Take Out containers at Michaels last year.  Your local craft store will have so many ideas.  Make it festive, make it fun!  

Snickers Brownies.......Week 4 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

Ever since I made these Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites, I've been obsessed with adding candy to my baked goods.  I was going to make Snickers Cookies (yes there is such a thing), but due to time constraints, I needed to do something that would be be quicker.  So, I googled Snickers Brownies and found this recipe by My Baking Addiction.  


How do I describe these?  Decadent. Rich. Chocolaty. Fudgy. 


Was it a good idea to add Snickers Bars to brownies?


Oh YES!


I know this is a little different for a Christmas treat but I don't think anyone would mind if these showed up on your cookie platter this year.   

Snickers Brownies

yield | 12 brownies

Ingredients

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate; coarsely chopped
3/4 cup butter, unsalted
1 ½ cups white sugar
3 eggs; lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
12 Fun Size Snickers Candy Bars; cut into fourths (I used 10 Snickers)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8×8 inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl at medium (50% power) for 3-4 minutes or until butter is melted.
3. Whisk until chocolate is melted. Stir in sugar. Add in eggs, extract and salt. Gradually add in flour and stir until just combined.
4. Spread ½ the batter into prepared pan. Add an even layer of Snickers and cover with remaining ½ of brownie batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes; do not over bake.
5. Remove to cooling rack. Cool completely before cutting.

Click here to print recipe from My Baking Addiction

The hidden special ingredient in these brownies.  All I can say is WOW!

Lining the pan with foil makes it easy to lift out of the baking pan and cut into squares.

It's Week 4 and I'm working my way through the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  See the blog hop below for more shared holiday treats.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Snickers candy bars have been around a long time.  They were introduced by Mars, Incorporated in 1930.  A candy bar that stays around for 81 years has to be pretty special.  Roasted peanuts, nougat, caramel and milk chocolate.....Snickers!

    

Molasses Cookies......Week #3......12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

Molasses Cookies!!!!  These are a wonderful Christmas cookie.  But they are the ultimate Fall cookie.  This spice cookie uses cinnamon, ginger, cloves, molasses and dark brown sugar.  What a perfect flavor combination.  The smells that will fill your kitchen will put you in a happy mood.  They are chewy with a light sugar coating.  I really can't stop thinking about these cookies.  A great idea for your Christmas cookie platter but an even better idea is to make them now for your Fall baking.

Molasses Cookies

Recipe by Joy of Baking

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1/3 cup unsulphured molasses (I used Grandma's Original Molasses)

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup granulated white sugar (for garnish)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sift or whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

2. Beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. (about 2-3 minutes)

3. Add the oil, molasses, egg and vanilla extract and beat until mixed.  

4. Beat in the flour mixture until well incorporated.  Cover and chill the batter until firm. (about 2 hours or overnight)

5. After the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper.

6. Place 1/2 cup white sugar in a small bowl.  Add more sugar if needed.  Roll chilled dough into 1 inch balls.  Then roll the balls of dough into the sugar, coating them all around.  Place on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  With the bottom of a glass, flatten the cookies slightly.  

7. Bake for about 9-10 minutes or until the tops of the cookies have crinkles and will look a little underdone.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

   

(Print recipe here)

These cookies are so addicting.  I bet you just can't eat one.

  

More cookie recipes are below in the blog hop.  Keep checking back as additional people join.  You will have plenty of ideas and recipes for your Holiday baking this season.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  What is molasses?  It's the dark, sweet, syrupy byproduct that you get with the extraction of sugars from sugarcane, sugar beets and grapes.  It is created when the juices from these products are processed.  There is sulphured and unsulphured molasses.  Sulphured molasses has been treated with sulfur dioxide as a preservative.  Unsulphured molasses, which is used in these cookies, has a lighter, cleaner sugar flavor.    

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites.....Week 2 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies

Is it a brownie?  Is it candy?  It's a combination.  Candy inside a brownie bite.  Oh my!  This is some serious goodness.  It's Week 2 of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  This week I decided to make brownies instead of cookies.  There's plenty of room for a variety of goodies on your holiday cookie tray.    

 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are one of my favorite candies.  One of my favorite desserts are brownies.  Put the 2 together and I'm pretty much in heaven.  These are super easy to make and fun too!  

Peanut Butter Cup Brownie Bites

Recipe by Savory Sweet Life

Yield: Approx. 40 Brownie Bites

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
40 miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray mini cupcake pan(s) with non stick spray. In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, sugars and vanilla.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Add flour, cocoa and salt.  Mix until combined.  Fill each cupcake section with batter, slightly more than halfway.  Do not overfill.  Place a peanut butter cup in each cupcake hole, pressing it down until it is almost level with the batter.  Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until done.  Cool the brownie bites for 5 minutes before removing from the cupcake tin.  

Note: Thanks to Alice from the blog Savory Sweet Life for this recipe.

(Go here to print recipe)

My daughter, Marissa, unwrapped all the candy for me and placed then in the batter.  What a great recipe for your kids to help make.

See the blog hop link below for some more wonderful cookie/treat recipes from other bloggers.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  I had a hard time getting out some of the brownie bites.  Some broke as I tried to remove them.  I may have overfilled the muffin cups.  Next time I will use mini muffin liners.  I think that will solve the problem.  But no worries....we enjoyed eating the warm broken ones.  They didn't go to waste.

Peanut Butter Caramel Corn

Welcome to October....can you believe it? This is one of my favorite months.  The weather is getting cooler, there's a briskness in the air, cooking my favorite fall foods like soups and stews, fall baking, getting ready for the upcoming holidays.  The first one is Halloween.  We always decorate our front yard for Halloween.  I love sitting on my front porch and giving out candy to all the kids.  


Do you like to have adult Halloween parties?  Here is a Halloween inspired menu from the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club.  This month's theme focuses on Halloween....the spooky, orange or black.  


I made this "Devilishly Devine Peanut Butter Caramel Corn" which is in the October issue of Cooking Light Magazine.  Making caramel corn is so easy and so addicting to eat.  This one is a little different with the peanut butter and almonds but definitely a yummy treat.  A great little party snack.  


Click here for the original recipe on Myrecipes.com

Peanut Butter Caramel Corn

Slightly adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Cooking Spray

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 regular-size bags of microwave popcorn, popped

1/2 cup sliced almonds

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup light-colored corn syrup

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

2. Spray a jelly-roll pan with cooking spray (better idea would be to use parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray)

3. Microwave popcorn according to package instructions.

4. Place popped popcorn in large bowl or pot.  Add almonds.

5. Combine sugar, syrup, butter and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occassionally. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter and vanilla.  Stir until smooth.  
6.  Spread popcorn with almonds on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle peanut butter mixture over popcorn and toss well.  
7.  Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Cool before breaking apart and placing in sealed container.  


Note:  Everytime you stir the popcorn, more pieces will be coated and the caramel will get harder.

(Print here for recipe)

The rest of our Spooky Halloween Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club menu is below.  Click on their links for more recipe details. 

Mary Ann (Meet Me in the Kitchen) - Sweet Potato and Black Bean Empanadas

Sandi (Whistlestop Cafe Cooking) - Devilish Eggs (Deviled Eggs w/Smoked Salmon and Herbs)

Val (More Than Burnt Toast) - Roasted Squash Soup with Turkey Croquettes

Jerry (Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants) - Dracula's Revenge (Baked Penne with Sausage and Garlic)

Roz (La Bella Vita) - Chocolate Spiderweb Cookies

This popcorn keeps well in a plastic container.  Great for opening up and grabbing a handful.  And another.  And another.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  I did not use parchment paper on my baking sheet.  I sprayed it with cooking spray.  My popcorn did stick some when finished baking.  I just used a spatula to get most of the popcorn off the pan.  If I would have used parchment paper, I'm sure it would not have stuck as much on the pan.  The lesson.....use parchment paper.

Frozen Chocolate, Caramel & Toffee Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

First, a disclaimer: If you are watching your intake of desserts or on a diet, then please look away.  But if you are not, then please stay.  

This is an amazing and decadent dessert that I made for 4th of July.  I saw this recipe a few years ago on Recipe Girl's site and have been holding on to it for the perfect family gathering.  This was super easy to put together and there are only a few ingredients.  My 15 year old nephew, Andy, helped me and we had so much fun together.  This feeds a large crowd but I guarantee there won't be any left over.  

Note:  All the pictures on this post were taken by my sister-in-law, Aggie. (Aggie's Kitchen) Thank you so much Aggie for the awesome photos and for a wonderful time visiting. 

Frozen Chocolate, Caramel & Toffee Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

Recipe slightly adapted from Recipe Girl

Ingredients

1 deep dish rectangular throw away foil pan (9 x 13)

24 ice cream sandwiches (I bought 2 boxes of 12)

2 - 8 oz. tubs of Cool Whip

Jar of caramel sauce

Jar of chocolate sauce

Bag of Heath bits

2-3 King Size Hershey Bars, chopped (original recipe uses 4 bars of Heath or Skor candy bars)

Directions

1. Spray foil pan with cooking spray.  Unwrap and layer 12 ice cream sandwiches side by side in bottom of pan.  If you have any open spaces on the sides, cut the ice cream sandwiches to fit and fill in the gaps.  

2. Spread one tub of Cool Whip over the 1st layer of ice cream sandwiches.  Drizzle the caramel and chocolate sauces over the Cool Whip.  Sprinkle with toffee bits.  Cover the pan with tin foil and freeze for one hour.

3. Layer 2nd layer of 12 ice cream sandwiches on top of the toffee bits.  Spread 2nd tub of Cool Whip.  Drizzle the caramel and chocolate sauces over the Cool Whip.  Sprinkle the top with more toffee bits and chopped Hershey Bars. (or just the Heath/Skor candy bars if you have those)  Cover again with tin foil and freeze for several hours until firm.

4. When ready to serve, cut into squares.  Indulge!

First layer ready for for the freezer.

Putting together the 2nd layer.

Chocolate drizzle

Ready to be eaten!

Aggie and Jamie (me)


Exciting news:  My sister-in-law, Aggie, is now a daily contributor to
Family Kitchen on Babble.com.  Check out her recipes and all other food-related items. Aggie is such an inspiration to me and I'm lucky to call her family!

Enjoy!


Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  This dessert is very large but keeps well in the freezer. (in case by some chance you have any leftover)  I highly recommend you make this for your next family get together, neighborhood potluck or holiday celebration.  

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Peanut Butter.  My favorite.  Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches.  My favorite childhood sandwich.  Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars.  My new favorite dessert bar.

I absolutely love the combination of this peanut butter cookie bar with a layer of jelly filling and crunchy peanuts on top.  Adults and kids will love them.  Try these.  But be warned.  They will not last long.

I first saw this recipe on Jerry's blog, Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants.  I then saw it soon after in my March 2011 issue of Bon Appetit.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars

Recipe by Bon Appetit, March 2011

Serving: 16 bars

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup grape jelly or other jelly or jam
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts
• 
  

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving 2-inch overhang around edges and pressing firmly into corners and up sides of pan. Coat foil with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter, sugar, and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; beat on low speed until smooth. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed just to blend. Transfer half of dough to prepared pan (about scant 1 1/2 cups). Place remaining dough in freezer for 10 minutes. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto bottom of pan. Spread jelly over in even layer. Remove dough from freezer; using fingertips, break into grape-size pieces and scatter over jelly layer. Sprinkle chopped nuts over.
• Bake bars until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool bars completely in pan on rack.
• Using foil overhang as aid, lift bars from pan. Gently peel foil from edges. Cut into 16 squares. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.        

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Change the flavor by using different jellies and jams like strawberry, raspberry or blackberry.