The Keymaster’s Peanut Butter Parallel

 

You just never know where you’re going to find the next interesting recipe. Case in point, this one that I discovered in Ghostbusters: The Official Cookbook, a recent release for fans of the movies in the Ghostbusters franchise. My boys liked the original version of this movie so much that, having heard it again and again, as they seemingly watched it on repeat, I have memorized most of the dialogue. When I spotted this book (a real delight for fans of the series as well as young and beginner cooks), I couldn’t resist paging through. Because I am a fan of chocolate and peanut butter, this was a recipe that I had to try. It is delicious! I can’t imagine anyone not absolutely loving it. Prior to making this, it never occurred to me to include peanut butter with ice cream, or to melt peanut butter and use it as a topping, but rest assured, I will be doing this many times in the future. Instead of having Redi-whip on hand, I whipped my own cream. I think next time I’m going to add a little bit of peanut butter powder to the whipped cream to get the full effect.  This is rich and filling, but, oh so delicious.

 The Keymaster’s Peanut Butter Parallel
From Ghostbusters: The Official Cookbook

1 c. chocolate ice cream.
1 c. vanilla ice cream
3 T. smooth peanut butter
½ c. whole milk
1 c. whipped cream.
1 T. melted peanut butter
2 T. crushed honey roasted peanuts

In a blender, combine chocolate ice cream, vanilla ice cream, smooth peanut butter, and milk. Blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass.

Top with the whipped cream. Drizzle over the melted peanut butter, top with crushed peanuts, and serve.

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Do you ever hear yourself say something, and while you’re saying it you wonder what the heck is happening? I had an experience like this last week when I heard myself tell my son that I would make him a cake that I saw online for him for his birthday. What was I thinking? I’ve told you all that I don’t bake. The fact that I offered to bake doesn’t alter the fact that I really don’t do it. As luck would have it, I did bake the cake, it was delicious, and it looked beautiful! Frankly, I surprised myself.

This is one of those cakes that, unless you are willing to devote an entire day to, don’t even consider making it. I tend to involve myself in such things when there’s a day baseball game. I find that the nerve-racking game can counteract the nerve-racking cake baking process, everything levels out, and I’m relatively calm. It’s either that, or the double martini that I poured before I started baking, but I digress.

This cake is special. It’s time consuming, but there is nothing here that isn’t completely doable for even the most inexperienced baker, of which I am one. It’s a showstopper to be sure. If there is someone special in your life, or someone about to celebrate a milestone event, give this some consideration.

 Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

As seen on Sally’s Baking Addiction

1¾ c. flour

¾ c. unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

1¾ c. sugar

2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 t. espresso powder

½ c. vegetable oil

2 large eggs, room temperature

¾ c. sour cream, room temperature

½ c. buttermilk, room temperature

2 t. vanilla extract

½ c. black coffee

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (tossed in 1 T. flour)

 Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the heck out of three 8” cake pans with Baker’s Joy; set aside.

Make the cake: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix the oil, eggs, and sour cream together on medium-high speed until combined. Add the buttermilk and vanilla, and beat until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, add the hot coffee, and whisk or beat on low speed until the batter is completely combined. Fold in the flour-coated chocolate chips. Batter is thin and you may see some air bubbles on the surface—that’s normal.

 Divide batter evenly between 3 pans. Bake for approximately 24–26 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove the cakes from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow cooling completely in the pan. The cakes may slightly sink in the middle as they cool—that’s expected.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

 ¾ c. (1-1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1¾ c. creamy peanut butter (Jif recommended)

1¾ c. confectioners’ sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

3 T. heavy cream, room temperature

 As the cakes cool, make the peanut butter frosting: With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium high speed until creamy and smooth, about 2 minutes. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

 Add the peanut butter and beat until completely combined, about 1–2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to help combine. Mixture will be thin. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and salt and then pour in the heavy cream with the mixer running on low speed.

 After all of the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and beat for 1–2 minutes, or until fully combined and creamy. Add up to 1/4 cup more confectioners’ sugar if frosting seems quite thin. You should end up with about 3.5–4 cups of peanut butter frosting. This amount makes enough for the filling, crumb coat, and for a little piping on top.

 Assemble cake + apply crumb coat: Place 1 cake layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Using a large icing spatula, evenly cover the top with about 1 cup peanut butter frosting. Repeat with 2nd and 3rd cake layers, spreading about 1 cup of peanut butter frosting in between each layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and around the sides as a crumb coat. Run a bench scraper around the cake to smooth out crumb coat. Chill uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours to set the crumb coat.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

 2 4-oz. quality semi-sweet chocolate bars (8 oz), finely chopped

1 c. heavy cream

Optional garnish: chopped or mini peanut butter cups

 As your crumb coat sets, make the chocolate ganache: Place finely chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot!) Pour over chocolate, and then let it sit for 2–3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.

 With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Ganache is thin. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it’s not melting, DO NOT MICROWAVE it. Once ganache mixture is smooth, let it chill for 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator to thicken before spreading on chilled crumb-coated cake.

 Pour/spoon thickened ganache on chilled cake. Smooth the top with a large icing spatula and the sides with a bench scraper.  If desired, pipe remaining peanut butter frosting around the edge of the cake.

 I used Wilton 1M piping tip on the pictured cake. Garnish with peanut butter cups, if desired. Serve cake immediately or chill, uncovered, for up to 4–6 hours before serving. Cake can be served at room temperature or chilled.

 Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days. I like using a cake carrier for storing and transporting.

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Spicy Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Crisps

It’s Hatch Chile season once again, and for me, half the fun is finding creative new ways in which to use them. I decided to go with something sweet this year, and made these spicy brownie squares using Melissa’s Hatch Chile Clean Snax in the topping. Considering how addicting Clean Snax are (the zesty Hatch Chile variety in particular), I figured the brownies would be as well. I wasn’t wrong. They are so good!

Spicy Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Crisps

1 package Ghirardelli Chocolate Supreme Brownie Mix

1½ cups Jif Extra Crunchy peanut butter

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup Jif creamy peanut butter

1 cup Rice Krispies

1 cup crumbled Melissa’s Hatch Chile Clean Snax

Line a 13” x 9” baking pan with parchment, letting ends hang 2” over the sides. Prepare and bake brownie mix according to package directions; pour into prepared pan. Cool in pan on a wire rack 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold.

Spread crunchy peanut butter over brownies. Place chocolate chips and creamy peanut butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals until melted; stir until smooth. Stir in Rice Krispies and Clean Snax; spread over chunky peanut butter layer. Refrigerate, covered, at least 30 minutes or until set.

Lifting with parchment, remove brownies from pan. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

NOTE: Feel free to play around with the amount of Rice Krispies and Clean Snax. If you don’t want it quite as spicy, use ½ cup of Clean Snax and 1 ½ cups of Rice Krispies. Also, if spicy isn’t your thing, check out the other varieties of Clean Snax (almond and coconut are my two favorites), for an entirely different taste.

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Mother Lode Layered Cookie Bars

At 8 o’clock last Thursday night, number two son and I decided that we were going to take lunch to my dad the following day. I didn’t have to make it, we were going to drive through a local burger joint and grab some cheeseburgers and fries. Dad rarely eats fast food, so for him this is quite a treat. But, I never visit my dad without taking goodies, so I knew that I had to put something together. Considering the advanced hour, I probably should have opted for something easier, but no.

I had been saving this recipe to try just for a “visit dad” occasion. These Mother Lode Layered Cookie Bars intrigued me with all of the different layers, and all of the different tastes. I should have listened to my son when he looked at the recipe, then up at me, and said, “Why don’t you just make a couple of different kinds of cookies to take, it seems that would be much easier. Do you realize,“ he went on, “that you’re making four different cookies here?” In theory, I think I did realize that, but it still didn’t stop me; what a night that was!

While the first layer is a roll of sugar cookies, I think it took me as long to slice it, lay slices in the bottom of the pan, and figure a way to get them evenly spread, as it would have been to actually make sugar cookies. Sigh. It did help to cover them with a piece of plastic wrap, and then gently tap them flat with a tart tamper. The same held true for the various other doughs. 

This is an interesting cookie, with a variety of tastes, and an almost brownie-like texture. I loved the addition of the chocolate chips, and loved the chocolate chip cookie layer, but ultimately, could have done without the peanut butter layer, that really didn’t provide all that much flavor. I think if I ever make these again (heaven help me!), I would actually make peanut butter cookie dough for that layer.

What I’m saying here is that these are a lot of work! But they are good, and they’re probably different from other things your family and friends have had. We all enjoyed them.

Oh, one more thing. Because I had some melted chocolate left, I decided to dip a couple of cookies in the chocolate to see how they would taste. Oh, mamma, THESE are Mother Lode for sure!

Mother Lode Layered Cookie Bars

Adapted for clarity from Picky Palate

Layer 1: Sugar Cookie

1 Roll of Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Press sugar cookie dough into bottom of a 9”x13” baking pan that's been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

Layer 2: Double Chocolate Chip Cookie*

1 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1¾ cups flour

1 ¼ cups cocoa powder

2 tsps. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 ½ cups chocolate chips

Layer:  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients then stir in chips. Layer over sugar cookie layer, pressing gently.

Layer 3: Peanut Butter Cookie

1 cup creamy peanut butter

½ c. granulated sugar

1 egg

Place all ingredients into a bowl and mix until combined.  Layer over chocolate cookie dough.

Layer 4:  Chocolate Chip Cookie*

2 sticks softened butter

¾ c. granulated sugar

¾ c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla

2½ c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 12-oz. bag chocolate chips

In a stand or electric mixer cream the butter and sugars until well combined.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Place flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl; mix to combine.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips.  Spoon dough evenly over peanut butter cookie dough but don't press, just leave uneven.  Bake for 35-45 minutes or until center of dough is cooked mostly through.  Edges will be brown.  I covered pan with foil during the last 15 minutes of baking.

Let cookies cool completely.  Lift out of pan with edges of foil.  I cut off ½” edges and just used softer centers, but do as you wish.  Edges are crispier.  Drizzle top with ½ cup melted chocolate chips if desired.

*This recipe makes more dough than you will probably need for the bars. Save any extra for baking as cookies.

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A sinfully good (and a bit easier) bar cookie is Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars.

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Brownie Crunch Bars

 I was wheezing, and moaning, and stumbling around the house like an old person. Around 7 o'clock last Saturday evening, the realization hit, that I am an old person. Not old old, but old-ish. It didn't please me.

How I got to this realization was part of a larger one that unfolded before my eyes throughout the entire day. I'd decided to invite my dad over on Sunday, July 2nd, so that he could see the new deck. Since he was coming, naturally, I was going to serve a nice lunch. And as long as he was going to be out here, I thought it would be a good opportunity for him to see his grandkids, the great grandkids, and my aunt and her friend, John, and celebrate his birthday. There would be 10 people in all, and I told myself that it was going to be casual, and simple. I truly believed that was the case. Why then, I had to eventually ask myself, did it take me the entire day to do casual and simple? How is it that a simple meal can be so much work?

Everything that could have gone wrong, did. I decided to make hamburgers and hotdogs ahead of time, grilling them, and then placing them in a pan of barbecue sauce so that I could simmer them slowly the day of the party; they would be delicious by lunch time, except, of course, for those that not only slid off of the plate and onto the floor, but that I kicked into the hallway on my way to the grill (Note to self: clean floor).

I decided to make some sort of brownie/candy bar dessert. I hate baking, so making dessert is torture for me. I would rather have a root canal than bake. I decided to adapt a recipe that I had found online. The recipe called for a layer of marshmallow fluff. No problem, I had a jar of that in the pantry. I checked the date when I took it out. It was fine, it had six months to go before expiring. It was surprising to me then, that when I took the lid off and peeled back that waxy paper that covered the top, that it was like glue, and not fresh glue, but really old glue. I tried to pull it out, and it snapped right back. That would not do. So I needed to make my own marshmallow cream. At this point, I was beginning to realize why simple food is so difficult. As it turned out, that didn't work out so well either, so I used miniature marshmallows, warming them and spreading them as well as I could, which, let me tell you, was not at all well.

I decided to do a layered salad, naturally giving my own special touch by chopping and toasting pecans to add to the mix. One of the layers called for Parmesan cheese mixed with seasoned salt. Aha, that was what I needed from the grocery store, seasoned salt. My swollen and throbbing feet did not want to find their way into shoes in order to run to the store, so I had to make my own.* No problem, I had all the ingredients, but I had to make my own. Yes, the light had dawned, as to why this is so much trouble.

By the end of the day (and that day ended after midnight), my feet ached so badly that I could hardly make it to the bed. I had yet to clean (I feel the same about cleaning as I do about baking), so would have to rise early to do that, before picking up dad. If I were having a dinner party, it would be no problem, that's what dimmer switches are for, but you cannot hide any sins when you have a lunch.

As it turned out, the party was a huge success, the day perfect, the food yummy, and everyone particularly enjoyed the brownies. Here is the recipe. Word of caution: buy yourself some fresh marshmallow cream.

Brownie Crunch Bars

 Adapted from a recipe on My Incredible Recipes

 

Bottom Layer

1 Box Brownie Mix (I used Ghirardelli)

Middle Layer

1 Jar Marshmallow Crème

Top Layer

 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter

3 cups Rice Krispies

Line a 9"x9" pan with aluminum foil, leaving a 2" overhang on either end. Spray with PAM; set aside. Bake Brownies as directed on box; cool.

Spread Marshmallow Crème over cooled brownie layer.

Place chocolate chips and peanut butter in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-seconde intervals, stirring after each (this took me a minute and a half), until melted and creamy.

Stir in Rice Krispies; spread evenly over Marshmallow Crème.

Cover and chill for two hours before removing from pan using the foil "tails," and cutting into squares.

Yields 24-36 bars depending upon how big you like your squares. (I cut mine small, as you can see, because they are very rich.)

*Should you find yourself in a similar situation, you can get the recipe for homemade seasoned salt here.

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This post is linked to:

What’s for Dinner Sunday

Happiness is Homemade Sunday

Dishing It & Digging It

Cooking & Crafting with J&J

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Art of Homemaking Monday
Make it Pretty Monday

Celebrate Your Story

Inspire Me Tuesday

Tuesdays with a Twist

The Scoop

Dream, Create, Inspire

O My Heartsie Girls Wonderful Wednesday
 Homestead Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday

Wine’d Down Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday

Thursday Favorite Things

Home and Garden Thursday
Home Sweet Home
Grace at Home

Coffee and Conversation

Friday at the Fire Station
Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Create, Bake, Grow and Gather
Share Your Style

Simple Saturday Blog Hop

A Bouquet of Talent

Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party

Peanut Butter Cup Crack Brownies

This blog post will be brief because, well, look at the picture. Do I really need to go on and on gushing about how good these are? The name alone, Peanut Butter Cup Crack Brownies, pretty much says it all. 

I'd seen this recipe, as perhaps many of you had, making the rounds on Facebook. After seeing it again and again, I finally caved and decided I had to make it. I made a big pan, divided it up between my dad, and my two sons and their families, and waited for the response. As you can well imagine, thumbs up all around. These are easy to make, rich, sweet, chocolaty, peanut buttery, and delicious. Need I say more?

Oh. P.S. It's my birthday!

Peanut Butter Cup Crack Brownies

 1 pkg. fudge brownie mix (not family sized)

½ cup chopped salted peanuts

12 peanut butter cups, chopped

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1¼ cups creamy peanut butter

1 Tablespoon butter

1½ cups crispy rice cereal

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Prepare brownies according to package directions. Spread into a greased and foiled-lined 9” x 9” pan. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumb.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped peanut butter cups and chopped peanuts. Bake 4-6 minutes longer or until chocolate is melted. Cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter; stir until smooth. Fold in the cereal, vanilla, and salt. Carefully spread over brownies. Chill until chocolate is set, about 2 hours. Cut into squares to serve.

Slightly adapted from Taste of Home

This post is linked to: Over the Moon, Merry Monday, Dishing It & Digging It, Art of Homemaking, Amaze Me Monday, Busy Mondays, Inspiration Monday,